Head of long-form journalism leaving CNBC

Josh Howard, vice president of CNBC’s long form unit, is leaving the network, according to sources, reports Marisa Guthrie of Broadcasting and Cable.

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Howard’s contract expires next week and with cuts looming at CNBC, he declined to seek a new contract.

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Guthrie reports, “Formed three years ago, the unit was an ambitious endeavor, producing investigative pieces and offering viewers a deeper dive with single-topic documentaries. Upcoming projects include a two-hour documentary on the sub-prime collapse reported by David Faber and set to premiere in January and investigations into America’s burgeoning marijuana market and the cruise line industry for February and March, respectively.

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“The unit has already been downsized from 25 staffers to about 12, a result of the cancellation of Business Nation. The unit continues to produce monthly documentaries the cost of which are more easily amortized with multiple airings. Documentary filmmaking is expensive and CNBC executives are now engaged in the messy business of trimming the network’s budget as part of a $500 million across-the-board slash at NBC Universal.”

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