By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-18 23:06:55 | Updated at 2024-12-19 01:43:24
2 hours ago
Yet another senior CNN staffer is fleeing the station following dismal election ratings - this one a 17-year veteran.
The network on Wednesday confirmed word of the 72-year-old Gloria Borger's departure - bidding goodbye to the longtime political analyst in the process.
As of writing, there's been no word on the journalist's future plans yet, as she's already served stints at CBS News and CNBC.
Prior to that, the Westchester native worked as a contributing editor and columnist for U.S. News & World Report magazine. She also worked as a reporter for Newsweek.
Her exit comes days after CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota abruptly signed off for the last time after a decade with the station.
Weeks before, execs cut ties with veteran Chris Wallace, whom, days earlier, insiders had said would have likely been on the receiving end of a pay cut if he decided to stay. The 77-year-old had reportedly been making $7 million-a-year.
Borger's salary, by contrast, remains unknown - but she had recently cut back her responsibilities at the CNN, with her less on-air appearances being noticed by viewers.
Just last month, an explosive new report from Puck saw insiders claim that network executives are on cusp of some sweeping lay-offs - all designed to save the network's flailing reputation.
Yet another senior CNN journalist is fleeing the station following dismal election ratings - this time 17-year veteran political analyst Gloria Borger
The development is the latest from the cable news network, which is fighting to stay profitable in a waning industry - and is reportedly on the cusp of some extensive layoffs
Other reports, meanwhile, have indicated that other senior stars like Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper have both been denied raises as well - as sources in November told Puck the cut-backs could see high-paid staff nixed and have staffers worried.
While there is no word yet of who it may, CNN's highest paid stars include Anderson - who rakes in $20million a year - Erin Burnett, who makes $6million, and rising star Kaitlan Collins, who collects $3million.
'In the next few months, I’m told, CNN will implement another round of layoffs that will impact hundreds of employees across the organization,' reporter Dylan Byers wrote at the time, referencing CNN's recent 100-person layoff seen over the summer.
The fresh round of firings, the insiders said, will be more geared toward the production side of things - after which reporters and correspondents would be expected to pick up the slack.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav last week reportedly reiterated long-promised plans to restructure the media company - to clear up any bloat amid declining cable assets.
It will see the media conglomerate formed after the $43billion merger two years ago split into two division - one dedicated to streaming and new content, and another geared toward its cable channels like CNN.
The latter industry, moreover, is in the midst of a historic decline - set to be replaced by the former.
Borger, after joining the network in 2007, is seemingly the latest casualty, with her experience more aligned with the second sphere of influence.
Her exit comes days after CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota, 58, abruptly signed off for the last time after a decade with the station
Weeks before, execs cut ties with veteran Chris Wallace, whom, days earlier, insiders said would have likely been on the receiving end of a pay cut if he decided to stay. The 77-year-old had reportedly been making $7 million-a-year
Borger's salary, by contrast, remains unknown - but she had recently cut back her responsibilities at the CNN, with her less on-air appearances being noticed by viewers
When it comes to cable assets, the company's earnings continue to flail as consumers cancel costly cable packages in lieu of streaming.
Zaslav's announcement, meanwhile, sent its shares soaring 15 percent - paving the way for the media boss' first-ever sale of the parent company's shares since the mammoth merger.
But Zaslav's strategy - aired this past Thursday to staffers from all the firm's subsidiaries at their annual holiday party in Manhattan - still remains mostly unknown.
As it stands, Warner-Discovery's yearly revenue is mostly brought by its waning cable division, now headed by CNN.
The network, however, has seen its rating fall more than 20 percent since the ouster of already-languishing leader Chris Licht this past August, whose tenure saw CNN descend from the most-watched cable news network to one of the least.
In 2016, when it was headed by since-ousted leader Jeff Zucker, it was the most watched network overall - a distinction now held by Fox News.
At the time, CNN had averaged 13.3million viewers in primetime. Today, it's only around 800,000.
Right-leaning hosts like Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity, and Greg Gutfeld, meanwhile, are averaging 2.8million in the same timeslots - as other non-progressives like Joe Rogan use platforms like podcasts to get their points across.
As of writing, there's been no word on the journalist's future plans yet, as she's already served stints at CBS News and CNBC In a statement to the Daily Beast, Borger said she was looking forward to 'spend[ing] time ungoverned by a TV schedule'
The architect of the layoffs is CEO Mark Thompson, who was hired late last summer to right a sinking ship following the failures of predecessor Chris Licht
Warner-Discovery CEO David Zaslav is the one pulling Thompson's strings. He announced plans to split the media conglomerate into two assets, one centered around streaming, the other cable. The latter is in the midst of a universal struggle - the other is on the rise
As for Borger, Deadline received word from CNN that the political correspondent was departing.
The news was first reported by the Status newsletter, days after Borger used social media to congratulate her young colleague Collings on her new role chief White House correspondent.
In a statement to the Daily Beast, Borger confirmed the development further, saying. 'My first order of business is to spend time ungoverned by a TV schedule.
'I’ll always be watching and cheering for CNN,' she added.
The architect of the looming layoffs, moreover, was named by insiders as CEO Mark Thompson, who was hired by Zaslav late last summer.
Tasked with righting a sinking ship, Thompson's strategy when it comes to CNN - aside from the reports of layoffs as soon as early next year - remains to be seen.
