Disney layoffs at its ABC Television Group are still in the early planning stages but the job cuts are expected to be substantial.
Television executives are hoping to blunt the number of pink slips they will eventually give out through attrition, but one source told the Los Angeles Times that the cuts could involve a few hundred positions.
A source at Disney-ABC told Variety that the company wants to reach an overall 10 percent reduction in cost with the layoffs.
The belt-tightening comes two weeks after ABC lost hit-making producer Shonda Rhimes to Netflix after 15 years at ABC Studios, The Los Angeles Times noted. Her current shows – "Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal," and "How to Get Away with Murder" – are all expected to stay at ABC, the Times reported.
CNBC reported that Disney is expected to identify positions that will be eliminated by the close of September. The Wall Street Journal reported that the media giant will slash jobs across the divisions at ABC – including news, television production studio, and local stations.
The Journal said the Disney Channel and cable Freeform channel will likely see staffing reductions as well.
Another Disney television property, ESPN, went through major layoffs in April with about 100 anchors, reporter, analysts and production staff losing their jobs, Sporting News reported. That included some of the bigger names at the network, including former NFL players turned analysts Trent Dilfer and Jerome Bettis, college basketball analyst Andy Kats, and legal analyst Roger Cossack.
Variety reported that ABC has lagged behind CBS and NBC among the big four U.S. broadcast networks in the rating wars, which helps the networks set advertising rates. The celebrity publication stated that ABC is the only one of the major four networks that have not been helped by the live NFL football, which remains the biggest driver of same-day ratings.
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