CBS News is the latest casualty amid the COVID-19 pandemic after announcing job cuts for 75 staff members Wednesday.
Susan Zirinsky, CBS News president, admitted that it was a “painful day” in a memo seen by Page Six.
We’re told the cuts also affect flagship show “60 Minutes” — and that Zirinsky personally phoned as many of the affected as she could, time permitting.
She wrote: “None could have foreseen the economic fallout from the pandemic coming on top of the cost savings initiatives already underway from the merger of CBS and Viacom. As a result, we have scrutinized our entire business model, our budgets, and what we learned in news-gathering during the last months. We are not alone; media companies and businesses all over the country are re-organizing and developing new operating models.
“Working with reduced budgets, we have had to make some extremely difficult decisions. I’m sad to report today that some of our colleagues and good friends will be leaving the company.
“These decisions are particularly painful for our entire organization, which has performed at the highest level during the COVID-19 pandemic, overcoming so many obstacles. But this restructuring is necessary to ensure CBS News remains strong long into the future.”
Zirinsky said both she and Kimberly Godwin, executive vice president of CBS News, would be attending regular show meetings throughout the day to answer staff questions.
“CBS News is not alone in this process — similar changes are happening across many CBS divisions today and have taken place in Viacom divisions over the past few months. We looked at every option and exhausted other available cost-savings before taking this step. There is nothing more upsetting than having to face these economic realities and I’ve tried very hard to minimize the impact on all of you,” the memo continued, concluding: “While it is a painful day, I know the strength and the power of this organization, and I know that we can go forward in a meaningful way.”
The news comes as we’re told that most top brass on all the major networks have taken pay cuts during this time of crisis — but on-air talent are not believed to have had their pay affected.
CBS declined to comment.