The layoffs most directly impact long-running program Saturday Morning, a show focused on original reporting as well as deeper investigations into cultural topics like food and music. Current anchors Dana Jacboson and Michelle Miller are expected to depart, as well as producer Brian Applegate, a source told Variety. Most of the show’s staff have also been let go, they said. Going forward, any remaining staffers will merge with the team that runs the weekday editions of CBS Mornings, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Saturday will also be getting a new format as part of the overhaul.
The cuts also affect CBS Mornings Plus and CBS Evening News Plus, the streaming-only companion series to the network’s morning and evening news programs. Both shows have been canceled, with CBS Evening News Plus anchor John Dickerson announcing his departure earlier this week. (No specific updates as of this writing on CBS Morning Plus anchors Tony Dokoupil and Adriana Diaz.) The network will additionally be closing its Johannesburg, South Africa bureau, with the London office gaining oversight of the region.
Even after this round of layoffs, the company expects to eliminate 1,000 other roles sometime in the coming months. “In some areas, we are addressing redundancies that have emerged across the organization. In others, we are phasing out roles that are no longer aligned with our evolving priorities and the new structure designed to strengthen our focus on growth,” Ellison wrote in a memo to staff. “Ultimately, these steps are necessary to position Paramount for long-term success.” Other steps that are apparently necessary include spending $150 million on Weiss’ blog, The Free Press, shelling out an additional $7.7 billion for a seven-year UFC deal, settling President Trump’s frivolous 60 Minutes lawsuit for $16 million, and instituting a former Trump advisor as a CBS News ombudsman to sort out any “bias” in the network’s coverage.
The actual employees working to bring Paramount the success Ellison desires don’t seem to share his vision. “People are very on-edge,” one anonymous staffer told Deadline. They described the current morale as “depressed and unhappy” and added that it’s been “a very tough day at the network.”
