Disney-ABC Television Group, a week after the merger of ABC and ABC Studios into ABC Entertainment Group, is laying off 200 employees across all divisions, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. An additional 200 open positions that were frozen will now be eliminated.
Group's president, Anne Sweeney made the announcement in an internal memo to staff Thursday morning. "After months of making hard decisions across our businesses to help us adjust to a weakening economy, we're now faced with the harsh reality of having to eliminate jobs in some areas," she wrote. "This was not an easy decision, nor one made lightly."
A couple hundred cuts were at Disney and ABC, with about 35 at ABC News. Layoffs at the newsmagazines PRIMETIME and 20/20 and ABC News Now digital service did not include top execs or on-air personnel. Digital media unit Stage 9 was also rumored to be heavily affected.
The cuts are about five percent of the company's payroll. No high level execs from either ABC or ABC Studios were affected as ABC Entertainment Group president Stephen McPherson evaluates the relationship between the network and the studio.
