Today, CNN is cutting off part of its audio personnel, Spotify is attempting to halt the flow of white nationalist music, and iHeart is purchasing unauthorized downloads through mobile games.
According to a laid-off employee, CNN is reducing its podcast team as it refocuses its audio business. Alexander McCall, a product manager at CNN Audio, tweeted yesterday that he and other podcasting employees had been fired off and that CNN would create fewer series next year. “I’m joining the ‘My employer invested extensively in podcasting, then learned it’s costly, and then decided they didn’t want to pay for it anymore.’ cohort,” he said.
CNN declined to say on how many employees were put off or which programs will be axed. “Audio is a significant development area for the firm,” the company stated in a statement. We’ve learned a lot about the issues and shows that our audiences respond to over the previous several years. As a consequence, we’ve modified our plan to better target our resources in those regions.”
The majority of CNN’s podcasts are associated with the network’s broadcasts and presenters, however, the network introduced a few new series in February. Breaking News Alerts, which provides minute-long news updates, is still operational. Tug of War’s special season regarding the Ukrainian war ended in June, with an announcement that there will be updates “from time to time” on the stream. Diversifying, a personal financial podcast, completed its run in August. Meanwhile, Anderson Cooper’s new podcast on mourning has reached number five on the Apple Podcasts list and number twelve on the Spotify chart. It seems that solo programs will be phased out in favor of those focusing on CNN’s anchors.
CNN’s predicament is unusual in certain aspects, since its newly merged parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, is looking for $3 billion in cost cutbacks. To McCall’s point, several media businesses have moved into audio in recent years, maybe believing it would be more lucrative than it is.
