ESPN Lays Off 100 Employee Including Many Familiar Faces Including Stark, Katz, and Britt Mchenry
Most people see 100 people lose their job and they say a little prayer for their own employment, wish people well, and keep quiet. In this day in age, not so much. Conservatives, tired of seeing black people on ESPN say things they disagree with, are happy to see the network showing perceived weakness and loss of revenue.
In a message sent Wednesday to ESPN employees, network president John Skipper announced the company was beginning its next round of layoffs, a long-anticipated move that will thin the ranks of ESPN’s on-air and online talent.
“A necessary component of managing change involves constantly evaluating how we best utilize all of our resources, and that sometimes involves difficult decisions,” Skipper wrote. “Our content strategy — primarily illustrated in recent months by melding distinct, personality-driven SportsCenter TV editions and digital-only efforts with our biggest sub-brand — still needs to go further, faster … and as always, must be efficient and nimble. Dynamic change demands an increased focus on versatility and value, and as a result, we have been engaged in the challenging process of determining the talent — anchors, analysts, reporters, writers and those who handle play-by-play — necessary to meet those demands. We will implement changes in our talent lineup this week. A limited number of other positions will also be affected and a handful of new jobs will be posted to fill various needs.”
The job cuts, an ESPN decision as it repositions itself for the future and not a mandate from parent company Disney, were to affect roughly 100 out of the 1,000 so-called “front-facing” employees at ESPN, and the people who have contracts will see those deals honored in full. Jim Miller, who co-wrote a book on ESPN’s history, said Wednesday that “around 50 names you will recognize; another 50 you may not” will be losing their jobs. Those who are part of the network’s daily programming lineup are more likely to be retained, a reflection of Skipper’s line about “versatility and value” in his letter to employees.
Hearing now from several @espn employees who, despite advanced word, are “in shock” and “frozen.” This is an awful day for all in Bristol.
As the names started to trickle out Wednesday, it became clear that ESPN’s reporting ranks were especially devastated by the cuts, as a number of well-respected journalists who worked mostly for ESPN.com — as opposed to the network’s on-air personalities — announced they were being let go.
Steve
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