The following excerpt was sent out from Media Moves:
There had been rumblings since late 2022 regarding changes and across the board layoffs at CNN en Español, amid overall cutbacks at CNN.
A much clearer picture of what will happen at the Spanish-language cable news network emerged this week. CNNE will cut back on linear programming to focus on a realignment to a “digital-first operation,” move its production to Mexico City and lay off employees.
In a May 25 memo sent to staff, CNNE SVP and GM Cynthia Hudson wrote:
“In the coming months, we will be streamlining our linear news output, shifting production to our Mexico City bureau and introducing new cross-platform programming. We will also be investing in CNNE’s digital platform, safeguarding CNNE’s newsgathering strength in the U.S. and utilizing our network-wide investments in content management to create a greatly enhanced digital user experience. This afternoon I informed the CNN en Español team about these changes, which will impact some of our colleagues.”
The realignment to focus on digital is a strategic shift based on changing audience viewing habits, a CNN company source familiar with plans tells Media Moves, who pointed out that “CNNE’s digital audience has grown by 20% since 2019” and the company wants to cater to those viewers.
“That said, linear is still very much part of our future. We will have a strong, focused linear operation spread across Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Atlanta and Miami, and correspondents across the US – in LA, NY, Atlanta, Miami and DC, as well as correspondents and contributors worldwide,” said the company source, who added that while CNNE is investing in a new HD studio in Mexico City and have new flash studios in Atlanta, the network will keep a studio in Miami.
