CNN Downgrades Original Series and Movies

CNN President Chris Licht told employees Friday that the network will stop buying original documentaries and TV series as part of its efforts to cut costs.

In an email to employees, Mr. Licht said the network would move away from those movies and shows, which include “Navalny,” “RBG,” “The Burning of Black Wall Street,” and original TV series like “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.”

Instead, Amy Intelis, CNN’s executive vice president of talent and content development, will explore creating a studio focused on feature-length content.

“This was a very difficult decision to make, and was based, in large part, on the ever-increasing cost of commissioning premium content from a third party,” Mr. Licht wrote.

Mr. Licht He told the staff Earlier this week, CNN cut its budget before the end of the year, resulting in a “notable change” for the network. The deteriorating economy and pressure from Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN, cut costs more severely than initially expected from the month-long business review.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock has been battered since the company began trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange in April, as part of a broader downturn in the media sector.

The cuts will lay off some workers at CNN, according to a person familiar with the decision, but staff required to broadcast shows and movies already planned for 2023 will remain.

CNN has six original series and six movies planned next year, including “American Pain,” a documentary about the opium lords. and “See It Loud: The History of Black Television,” from LeBron James and Springhill Maverick Carter Company.

CNN’s original films and series have received critical acclaim over the past decade, with films such as “RBG” and shows including “United Shades of America” ​​with Emmy Award-winning comedian W. Kamau Bell. CNN is currently broadcasting “The Murdochs: Empire of Influence,” an original series based on reports in The New York Times Magazine.