According to Variety, The CW has cut off many employees from its PR and program development divisions.
A person close to the matter tells Variety that this wave of layoffs has touched slightly over two dozen individuals. According to the individual, the decision was taken because the network is focusing more on sports, unscripted content, and select scripted shows as part of its ongoing efforts to achieve profitability under new owner Nexstar.
Representatives from CW and Nexstar did not immediately reply to a request for comment Tuesday.
The unexpected cuts come less than a month after the Nexstar-owned broadcast network revealed that CW network president Dennis Miller will step down after only two years in the position.
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Miller has been overseeing the CW since Nexstar CEO Perry Sook appointed him in fall 2022, alongside CW president of entertainment Brad Schwartz, and Miller’s term as president was extended through 2027 last August.
Miller announced his departure at the end of the year on October 16. Schwartz assumed Miller’s title and responsibilities as network president after Miller transitioned to an advisory role on October 31.
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Nexstar published third-quarter 2024 earnings figures last week, revealing that the CW reduced its losses by $36 million between July 1 and September 30. Nexstar, which has owned the broadcaster since acquiring a majority stake from former parent companies Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount in 2022, did not disclose the network’s entire third-quarter loss.
“During the quarter, we made further progress on our strategy for The CW, reducing operating losses by $36 million year-over-year and by $119 million year-to-date,” Perry Sook, CEO of Nexstar, told analysts at the time. “We debuted NASCAR Xfinity Series racing in September and WWE NXT wrestling in October on The CW broadcast network to double-digit percentage increases both in total audience and in adults 18-49 versus previous viewership on cable.”
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