Bigger Cuts Coming to CNN

The impending corporate split of Warner Bros. Discovery by mid-2026 casts a long, foreboding shadow over CNN, painting a picture of "tears on the horizon" for the once-dominant cable news network. Media insiders reveal that CNN is being treated as a declining asset, a drag on WBD's more profitable studio and streaming ventures. The decision to place Gunnar Wiedenfels, the company's CFO, at the helm of the spun-off cable assets, including CNN, sends an unmistakable message: prepare for a rigorous financial overhaul. As one insider bluntly put it, appointing a "bean counter as CEO" signals the long-overdue rectification of the lavish "Jeff Zucker-era excesses."

Indeed, the days of inflated salaries, a hallmark of former CNN boss Jeff Zucker's tenure, appear to be numbered. The network's struggle to attract a respectable audience no longer justifies the exorbitant paychecks doled out to on-air talent, producers, and executives. Sources indicate that "overpriced talent," along with superfluous reporters who rarely see airtime, will face a stark choice: either accept drastic pay cuts or be shown the door. This dramatic shift is a direct response to CNN's plummeting viewership and financial performance.

However, the most severe repercussions are anticipated for the network's non-unionized "rank and file." Without the protection of union agreements, these employees are bracing for "massive layoffs," with those fortunate enough to remain expected to shoulder the workload of their departed colleagues. This grim forecast comes as CNN continues to hit historic ratings lows, including its second-worst month ever in the crucial 25-54 demographic in May, signaling a challenging and uncertain future for the embattled news organization.

H/T Fox News