Staff Reports
The new honcho at CNN, Mark Thompson, has got his scissors out and he’s ready to start slashing some big bucks from the network’s budget. Word on the street is that he’s planning to chop down the hefty salaries of the on-air talent, and boy, are they in for a rude awakening!
JUST IN: Struggling CNN Forced To Slash Top Hosts' Salaries 'Dramatically'https://t.co/981xFrsf8X
— Sheri™ (@FFT1776) February 19, 2024
The network has been taking quite a tumble in the ratings department, and Thompson’s got some big plans to shake things up. And where’s he planning to start this “revolution,” you ask? Well, with the bigwigs, of course! Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, Jake Tapper, and Chris Wallace are all on the chopping block. These guys are raking in millions (yes, millions!) of dollars every year, and it looks like Thompson’s not afraid to give them a run for their money.
But it’s not just the big names who are feeling the heat. Lower-level anchors like John Berman, Kate Bolduan, and Sara Sidner are clocking in at a cool million or two, and it seems like their paychecks might not be looking so hefty in the coming weeks. And if you thought things couldn’t get any worse, former anchor Don Lemon has already been given the boot for not making the cut. Ouch!
Thompson has sent out a memo to all the staff, laying down the law about reorienting the network towards digital and subscription services. He’s making it clear that the current production costs of their primetime shows are giving him some serious sticker shock. And guess what? He’s got some bad news for the stars of the show – they won’t be seeing those fat paychecks for much longer. Looks like they’ll have to wait until 2025 or 2026 to renegotiate their salaries. Tough luck, eh?
But hey, it’s not all doom and gloom. Thompson’s been feeling the pressure to make CNN great again, especially since they’ve been lagging behind Fox News and MSNBC. You know, the good ol’ boys. And it looks like the folks at Warner Bros. are also starting to feel the pinch. They might have to cut their losses before CNN goes belly up. Yikes!
Thompson’s been around the block and knows a thing or two about how salaries work. At his previous gigs, the paychecks were nowhere near as eye-popping as what the CNN crew is bringing home. So, it’s no surprise that he’s got his sights set on making some serious cuts.
But wait, there’s more! According to one insider, there’s no reason for CNN to have multiple anchors for one show. I mean, who needs three anchors anyway? Seems a bit excessive, don’t you think? And just as a cherry on top, Thompson is laying the blame on the demise of cable TV packages and a loss of younger viewers for CNN’s decline. Looks like they’ve fallen behind the times, and he’s not afraid to say it.
So, there you have it, folks. It’s a tough time to be a big shot at CNN, and Thompson is cutting through those big salaries like a hot knife through butter. It’s a whole new world out there, and it looks like CNN is in for a wild ride.
