The Walt Disney Co. is going through a round of layoffs today, impacting just under 200 employees, or almost 6% pf the workforce in the ABC News Group and the company’s entertainment networks.
The majority of the impacts will be at ABC News, which has most of its workforce based in New York, according to sources familiar with the plans.
As part of the organizational changes, the news division’s longform units are being placed under one leadership structure, including ABC News Studios, 20/20, Nightline and Impact x Nightline. Simone Swink will oversee all Good Morning America branded shows, a change as GMA and GMA3 had previously operated separately. The network last week named Seni Tienabeso to a new role as vice president of ABC News Live and some of the specialized units of the news division.
Digital and social media operations also will be integrated with news gathering, shows and owned stations.
Status newsletter first reported on the layoff plans.
The network also plans to eliminate 538, the data site that it purchased in 2018, according to Status and The Wall Street Journal. Its founder, Nate Silver, was part of the job reductions in 2023, but the site was repurposed with G. Elliott Morris as director of data analytics.
The total layoffs are the latest to hit traditional media, which has grappled with a decline in ad spending and shift in viewer habits.
