Nothing is ever certain when it comes to showbiz and television, and even working at a network with some of the biggest hits currently on primetime is no longer a guarantee of keeping a job. CBS has been laying off employees lately, although there has not been much in the way of buzz about it in the way. The layoffs have been quiet, but not entirely insubstantial. More than just a person or two are losing their jobs.
CBS has apparently laid off a number of employees and offered buyouts to others. The changes to the staff won't be incredibly large in scale, as the total number of employees to lose their jobs won't reach triple digits. In fact, according to The Wrap, a few dozen are the most that will likely lose their jobs in this upset behind-the-scenes at CBS. Still, it's not good news for certain people. Employees will lose their jobs with CBS due to layoffs, buyouts, and/or position eliminations.
The departments that will be most impacted by the changes in staff will be at the CBS network and within its syndication group. It's likely that streaming service CBS All Access will be spared the bulk of the cuts, as demand for digital content grows more and more nowadays. Between cord-cutters and people who just want to watch exclusive All Access series like Star Trek: Discovery and The Good Fight, the streaming platform may continue to grow, even if it's not exactly the top-ranked digital distributor. (If you're not sure if CBS All Access is worth the monthly price, check out the episode of The Cord Cutter Podcast all about the service.)
In fact, CBS CEO Les Moonves has indicated that CBS All Access isn't the only growing streaming platform in the company. Showtime has a digital standalone service that has been popular, and the number of subscribers of All Access and Showtimes service comes out to more than 4 million. Moonves has also said that the company is looking into an entertainment news service available streaming, similarly to the long-running network series Entertainment Tonight. The folks at CBS who have lost their jobs likely aren't connected to streaming.
CBS isn't the only company to make cuts to TV divisions in recent years. Back in August, news broke that Disney intended to cut the budget for ABC TV in a move that was likely to cost hundreds of people their jobs. ESPN was affected by layoffs as well, with folks behind-the-scenes and in front of the camera getting the axe. Network losses at AMC resulted in layoffs back in 2016.
We can only hope that not too many people lose their livelihoods in this round of CBS layoffs. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV and movie news. If you're not sure when to watch your favorite shows in the new year, be sure to check out our 2018 midseason TV premiere schedule. For the shows that won't be coming back, take a gander at our 2017 cancellation list.
