NBC News on Wednesday began laying off about 150 people, or roughly 7 percent of its staff, as the news division rebounds from a corporate spinoff and the continued headwinds affecting the traditional television industry.
The cuts, which will affect nearly every part of the organization, come ahead of a much-anticipated split that will separate much of Comcast’s cable channels — MSNBC, CNBC and USA Network — from the rest of its businesses, including NBC News.
No anchors will be affected by the cuts, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Affected employees, who are getting 60 days notice, will receive severance and a subsidized benefits package, the two people said.
The cuts comprise roughly 2 percent of the NBCUniversal News Group, which also includes the Telemundo Spanish-language network and the local division, which serves 42 owned-and-operated TV stations across the country. Those organizations are not being affected by the cuts, the two people said.
NBCUniversal News Group is hiring for the roughly 140 positions open across the group, and about a dozen of the eliminated positions are being converted into new roles.
Like every TV news organization, NBC News is undergoing a rapid transformation as viewers increasingly consume news digitally. The division is planning to introduce a new subscription service this year and recently started a new podcast, “Here’s the Scoop.” NBC News has also been reshuffling its most prominent on-air talent: This spring, the news division announced that Tom Llamas would be the new anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” replacing Lester Holt.
The cuts come ahead of marquee events for the NBCUniversal News Group. The organization’s Telemundo division is making preparations to air the World Cup, and it is expanding a sports group in advance of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan.
Benjamin Mullin reports for The Times on the major companies behind news and entertainment. Contact him securely on Signal at +1 530-961-3223 or at [email protected].
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