Disney laying off employees at ABC News, polling site 538 is shutting down
The less than 200 employees impacted by the cuts were notified of the news on Wednesday.
Disney is cutting nearly 6% of staff across its ABC News and Disney Entertainment Networks units, a person with knowledge of the situation told Paste BN.
The layoffs will affect under 200 employees, representing less than 6% of the total ABC News Group and Disney Entertainment Networks workforce, the person said on Wednesday.
The company also plans to dissolve its 538 brand, a popular political polling website, and merge three shows: “20/20,” “Nightline” and “Impact x Nightline."
Staff members who were laid off were notified Wednesday, the person added. The majority of the laid-off employees work at ABC News, with most of them being based in New York, according to the individual.
Disney worked hard to minimize the number of affected employees as much as possible, the person said, adding that the company is in the process of evaluating "new ways to effectively manage resources and boost efficiencies."
Production change at 'GMA'
All three hours of "Good Morning America" branded shows will be overseen by one individual, as opposed to a third hour having its own production team, the Wall Street Journal reported. The person said the individual in the head position will be Simone Swink, who has been with "Good Morning America" since 2010, according to IMDB.
Disney stock
While Disney attempts to cut costs as it competes with other streaming services in delivering an array of content to users, the company did report a 44% jump in adjusted per-share earnings of $1.76 for the October-December quarter, according to Reuters.
As of Wednesday morning, Disney's stock was close to even on the day, hovering around $109.