CALABASAS, CALIF. — Some 75 individuals across ABC News and the ABC Owned Stations broadcast TV group held by The Walt Disney Company are losing their jobs, as part of a fresh reduction-in-force effort at the Burbank-headquartered company, RBR+TVBR has confirmed.
An even split between ABC News and the broadcast TV stations with respect to pending departures is transpiring, a company spokesperson confirmed. “We have been surgical in our approach to minimize the number of affected employees as much as possible,” the spokesperson said. “No teams have been eliminated and there will be no impact to our national or local programming.”
In an internal message sent to staff obtained Wednesday morning by RBR+TVBR, ABC Owned Television Stations President Chad Matthews said, “Across our OTV family today, some difficult conversations are being had with a limited number of individuals whose jobs are being impacted because of staff reductions. These decisions were extremely difficult and made with the utmost care and respect for all those involved as well as the needs of each specific station.”
Matthews continued, “It’s no secret that our industry is undergoing a transformation unlike any other, and we’re seeing headlines every day about streamlining across every major media company. While we’re not immune to the pressures facing this business today, we have been – and will continue to be – strategic with decisions about our organization’s future.”
The ABC Owned Stations head extended his “deepest gratitude” to all across the stations, comprised of WABC-7 in New York, KABC-7 in Los Angeles, WLS-7 in Chicago, KGO-7 in San Francisco, WPVI-6 in Philadelphia, KTRK-13 in Houston, WTVD-11 in Raleigh-Durham, and KFSN-30 in Fresno.
ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic sent an e-mail to staff outlining the staff reductions. The memo, obtained by RBR+TVBR, notes, “As we look to the future and refining a team that is not only capable of excellence in reporting and delivering the highest quality content but is also streamlined and sustainable, we must occasionally make some tough decisions. Unfortunately, today is one of those days.”
At ABC News, Karamehmedovic noted “a limited number of our colleagues” are being impacted by layoffs.
News of these staff reduction individuals follows an October 1 announcement that ABC Entertainment and Hulu scripted drama and comedy departments will merge. “As you know, this has been happening across the broader company and the industry at large in recent weeks and months,” Karamehmedovic said of the latest job losses for Disney. “For us, it means shaping a team that embraces the new media landscape and evolves along with it, which we must do to continue serving our viewers.”
