Misery at CNN HQ as debt-plagued network prepares for sale and Anderson Cooper hires new agent
A dark cloud hangs over CNN headquarters as staffers brace for layoffs and a likely sale of the network amid another reshuffling by its parents company.
'I'd say the mood remains really grim,' a CNN employee told Fox News, in the wake of last week's restructuring announcement from Warner Bros. Discovery.
'People are uncertain.'
Meanwhile, CNN mainstay Anderson Cooper just signed with a new talent agency for the first time in decades - a move Variety reported was is a surefire sign he is open to new opportunities.
The staffer who spoke to FOX News revealed workers were already aware of WBD's plans to split into two separate companies before last week, with one centered around studios and streaming.
The other, tentatively titled Global Networks, will revolve around linear TV assets like CNN.
'We knew this was happening. And it was required to be able to sell the company,' the staffer said of the split.
'People are hoping CNN will be sold,' the source continued, saying Global Networks' new chief executive, WBD CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels, warned 'there is no limit, any sale can be made at any time - to a buyer who will invest in it. That's the bottom line.'
The staffer added: 'I think they've telegraphed clearly that more cuts are coming. '
The insider noted that Wiedenfels' 'remit is not to grow stuff.'
'This company is a cash-flow giant with shrinking revenue. Like that's the deal,' the source said. 'It's merely a matter of how fast it shrinks. That's why the assets were split.'
Wiedenfels has already managed to reduce WBD's $55billion debt by $21 billion in less than two years.
His appointment by WBC CEO David Zaslav comes after several rounds of layoffs at his behest.
Less than five months ago, CNN laid off 200 staffers - all from its struggling TV division. WBD has engaged in repeated rounds as well.
A staffer told the Daily Mail at the time of the most recent CNN firings that the network had become 'bloated' after Warner Bros.' merger with Discovery in 2021.
The cost-cutting seen since has done little to help the conglomerate's share price, which is down some 7 percent year to date.
'And we don't have streaming yet so - it's hard to imagine it doesn't get worse,' the CNN source further told Fox, referring to an anticipated portion of CNN CEO Mark Thompson's long-in-the works restructuring plan.
'If we do not follow the audiences to the new platforms with real conviction and scale, our future prospects will not be good,' Thompson told the New York Times in January.
The new streaming service set to roll out this fall, he said, would feature the network's most well-known stars.
This week, reports emerged that CNN superstar Cooper is now being represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA) after years with United Talent Agency (UTA).
He will be represented by Hollywood super-agent and CAA CEO Bryan Lourd.
Cooper, 58, has been with CNN since 2001 and collects an annual salary of $18million, Puck reported this week, adding that such salaries would soon be a thing of the past.
The report pointed out how Wiedenfels seems poised to commence cost-cutting, after working as Discovery's and then WBD's CFO since 2017.
Much of the frustration from staff has been aimed at Zaslav, a second CNN staffer told Fox News, after two years of sagging ratings, streamlining roles, and repeated promises to pivot to streaming.
'Zaslav killed this place. He killed it,' the source said.
'The last few years under Zas has been a disaster in terms of what he has done,' the person added.
Prior to announcing the restructuring last week, Zaslav reportedly dismissed a split of WBD's assets - including cable stations like TNT and TBS - as a bad idea.
Sources told Puck at the time that ideas to better monetize the network by Thompson were either out of date or are coming too late - forcing execs' hands.
A third staffer who spoke to Fox also appeared to believe a collapse at CNN is imminent.
'I'm trying to figure out what I'll do next when the whole thing collapses, but I don't even know when that will be,' the source said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Fat Joe accused of sex with underage girls by former hypeman in shock suit
Fat Joe has denied allegations made in shocking new lawsuit that implicates the rap veteran of engaging in 'sexual relations with children who were 15 and 16 years old.' Fat Joe's one-time Terrence 'T.A.' Dixon, said in court docs obtained by Daily Mail that the 53-year-old musical artist was involved in a number of sordid arrangements with underage girls. Dixon said in legal docs that he 'personally witnessed' the Grammy-nominated rapper, 54, 'engage in sexual relations with children who were fifteen and sixteen years old.' One of the teens the New York City native was allegedly involved with inappropriately, according to Dixon, was a Dominican female, who he was engaged with in 'oral sex and other sexual acts.' The entertainer, whose full name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, allegedly carried on the relationship with the teen girl 'in exchange for cash, clothing, and payment of her cell phone bill.' Daily Mail has reached out to Fat Joe, his reps and his lawyer Joe Tacopina for comment on the story. Fat Joe's one-time hypeman Terrence 'T.A.' Dixon, said in court docs obtained by Daily Mail that the 53-year-old musical artist was involved in a number of sordid arrangements with underage girls The What's Luv? vocalist allegedly was also involved with a 15-year-old 'Caucasian girl, not from the US' in the wake of a 'concert overseas.' According to the complaint, The All the Way Up performer had the girl flown to Miami and New York City multiple time, Dixon told the court. Dixon alleged that the Get It Poppin' artist foot the bill for the underage girl to have a Brazilian Butt Lift operation performed, Dixon said in legal docs. Dixon told the court that the underage female referred to in the court docs 'eventually left Defendant and is now married to a professional athlete.' Fat Joe allegedly fell 'in love with' a third female - a Latina female who he met when she was 15, Dixon also claimed in legal docs. Dixon said Fat Joe 'was in love with' the female, and paid her bills and took her on the road. 'He brought her to Florida and would put her up in a condo he rented a few blocks from his house with his wife,' said Dixon, who told the court he had been working with the rap artist for a stretch from 2006 thru 2019. Dixon said Fat Joe engaged in 'coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion' as his boss. He added that he was 'consistently underpaid, denied songwriting credits and deliberately concealed from royalties and backend compensation.' Dixon said he's a 'lyricist, background vocalist, security team member, and creative collaborator.' Dixon also named in the suit Roc Nation, Sneaker Addict Touring LLC, Slate, Inc. LLC, Pete 'Pistol Pete' Torres, Richard 'Rich Player' Jospitre, Erica Juliana Moreira. Joe Tacopina, the lawyer who is representing Fat Joe, denied all of the allegations made against the rapper to Page Six. Tacopina said he's been in touch with the people Dixon alleged were Fat Joe's underage lovers in the suit, and 'they've made it clear that some of them don't even know Fat Joe.' Fat Joe previously entered into litigation last month against his former associate Dixon over allegations he had engaged in underage sex. Fat Joe said that Dixon's efforts amounted to a 'money grab' and that Dixon 'enjoyed the perquisites of touring, luxurious travel, and other fringe benefits of a world-renowned musician's team.' Fat Joe said that in the six years since they had concluded working with another, Dixon had 'never raised any issues or sought any additional compensation.'
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Elon Musk savages White House aide blamed for sinister move that led to First Buddy's fall out with Trump
Elon Musk continued his feud with the Trump administration on his way out of Washington, referring to the director of presidential personnel as 'a snake.' Sergio Gor, who feuded with Musk during his time as head of DOGE and reportedly killed Musk's preferred nominee for NASA administrator, is accused of not being vetted before taking the job. The media saw it as the man in charge of vetting White House employees not being looked into himself, while Musk saw it in a different way, writing on X Wednesday night: 'He's a snake.' Musk's post remains up which is notable given the Tesla CEO has apologized for going 'too far' in his wild statements regarding Donald Trump during their falling out. When reached out to the White House, they defended Gor's credentials and a White House official noted that he helped Musk get many of his preferred DOGE employees installed in Washington. 'Mr. Gor is fully compliant with all applicable ethical and legal obligations. His security clearance is active, any insinuation he doesn't maintain a clearance is false.' said White House Counsel David Warrington. Nonetheless, several prominent officials defended Gor's work in the second Trump administration. JD Vance added: 'Sergio has led the effort to ensure committed, principled America First advocates staff the President's government. He's done a great job, and will continue to do so.' 'Sergio is a vital member of the team and he has helped President Trump put together an Administration that is second to none,' White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said. 'As a long-time advisor, there is nobody more capable of ensuring the government is staffed with people who are aligned with the mission to make America great again and work towards implementing the President's agenda.' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called The New York Post's original story 'sad' and 'baseless gossip' and called Gor a 'trusted advisor to President Trump.' Trump's surprise decision to change Musk's preferred pick to lead NASA may have done more to fuel the historic blowup between the two men than previously known. The president canceled his nomination of Jared Isaacman as NASA's administrator after Musk officially left the White House on Friday. Isaacman, a billionaire, pilot and astronaut, was close with Musk and even flew to space with Musk's Dragon program on Operation Polaris Dawn in 2024. But he had a history of donating funds to Democrats, including recent Democratic candidates who ran against GOP senators Tim Sheehy of Montana and Bernie Moreno of Ohio in 2024. Despite his donations, Isaacman was approved by the Senate committee in April and was expected to get confirmed this week in the Senate. But Trump's advisor Gor reportedly delivered Trump a list of Isaacman's donations to Democrats. Gor did not appreciate Musk's involvement in personnel matters, the report noted, as they had a tense relationship. 'This was Sergio's out-the-door 'f**k you' to Musk,' one White House official said. Trump and Musk spoke about Issacson's record prior to their press conference last Friday. Despite their conversation, Trump pulled Issacson's nomination on Saturday. 'After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. Musk responded to the news with disappointment 'It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted,' Musk wrote of Isaacman on X. The president mused Thursday that Musk's personal attacks might have been trigged by his decision. 'I know that disturbed him He wanted and rightfully recommended somebody that I guess he knew very well. I'm sure he respected him, to run NASA. But I didn't think it was appropriate. He happened to be a Democrat, like totally Democrat,' Trump said, adding that the administration had the right to nominate a Republican to the position. As the person in charge at the White House personnel office, Gor is a powerful aide that is rarely crossed as he influences who is allowed to work in the administration. Gor, a long-time loyal Deputy Chief of staff to Sen. Rand Paul, left in 2019 to serve as Chief of Staff to Trump Victory Finance Committee. He also is a close associate of Donald Trump Jr. and and officiated Rep. Matt Gaetz's wedding in August 2021. Gor also co-founded Trump Jr.'s publishing company and founded a pro-Trump super PAC in the 2024 election, spending nearly $72 million.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Katy Perry told music star she was 'GLAD' they left American Idol... amid fears for Orlando Bloom relationship
Katy Perry 's tenure on American Idol was under the spotlight after a former contestant–turned–music superstar opened up about their interactions. According to the rising star, Katy told them she was 'glad' that they left the long-running music competition series when they ran into each other years later. Katy, 40, first joined the series as a celebrity judge for season 16 in 2018, and stepped down six years later in 2024 after season 22. It was in early 2021 that her path crossed with the future singing sensation when they competed in season 21. During an appearance Wednesday on Scott Mills' BBC Radio 2's Breakfast Show, the Grammy Award nominee Benson Boone opened up about catching up with Katy years after he decided to leave American Idol. He admitted to bumping into the singer — who has been beset by rumors that her relationship with fiancé Orlando Bloom is in trouble — a 'couple months ago' and learned that she seemed to be happy that he had quite the show. According to the rising star, Katy, 40, told them she was 'glad' that they left the long-running music competition series when they ran into each other years later; seen in 2023 in LA Boone was asked if he thought Katy believes that she had 'discovered' him on American Idol. During his stint on the series, she said on camera that he had what it took to win the competition, adding that viewers were 'gonna swoon for Benson Boone.' 'Do you want to know the actual truth?' Benson replied. 'I actually think she is really glad that I left the show.' After the two had a chance to catch up a recent awards ceremony, the TikTok sensation came away thinking that Katy was 'really happy' for him. However, he also thought she was 'really worried' for his future. 'I think she understands that when you're starting to go through all of this, like, there's just a lot of hate coming your way, a lot of people that want things from you, so she was more just checking in on me,' he explained. Though Katy was widely mocked for her recent Blue Origin space flight, Benson declared that she 'actually really is a lovely person.' 'She told me, she was like, "Leaving that show was, like, the best thing you ever did." I think she just understands, like, I didn't even know if I wanted to do music at that time.' Despite his misgivings as American Idol was poised to make him a star, Boone later found his way back to music on his own terms. He had already established himself as a popular TikTok performer and singer before auditioning for the series, but the baby-faced performer — who didn't yet have his instantly recognizable mustache — blew away Katy and fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan at his audition, where he also showed that he could play passable piano. After Benson admitted that he wasn't a singer growing up, Lionel declared him a 'natural talent,' and Luke urged him to 'have fun' with his voice now that he had discovered it. Katy dramatically added, 'I'm gonna tell you something that you may not believe, but if you believe it it might happen. I see American Idol, and I see you, and I see you winning American Idol... if you want to.' An awe-struck Benson said that was the 'biggest compliment' he had ever received. He was invited to continue on to Hollywood Week, a round of multiple performances that helps weed out the large group of singers who had survived the initial auditions. But shortly after he was selected as part of the final 24 contestants, Benson opted to end his run on American Idol, which led the series to not broadcast his Hollywood Week performances. But Benson wasn't done with the music industry, and months later Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds signed him to his label Night Street Records via a deal with Warner Records. His first single, Ghost Town, just barely scraped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with a peak at number 100, but the song had longevity after gaining exposure on TikTok, and it later was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His 2022 single, In The Stars, did even better. It only topped out at 82 on the Hot 100, but it went on to be certified 2x Platinum. Benson's career seemed to floundering after multiple singles in 2022 and 2023 that failed to chart, but he came roaring back last year with his biggest success to date, the single Beautiful Things. The song was buoyed by its omnipresent status on TikTok and Instagram, and it reached number two on the Hot 100 and was certified 5x Platinum. Since then, he has had multiple top 40 hits, including last year's Slow It Down and this year's songs Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else and Mystical Magical. Benson looked back on his auspicious first encountering with Katy just as she has been inundated with fan fears for the state of her relationship with her fiancé Orlando Bloom. Yesterday, the 48-year-old Lord Of The Rings star was reported by TMZ to be attending Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding in Italy without Katy by his side. But the absence turned out to be because Katy had a prior commitment, as she is touring in Australia at the moment. Katy's widely mocked space flight, the critical revulsion her album 143 earned and the poor reviews her ongoing tour have received have all reportedly added to the strain in her relationship with Orlando; seen with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez in 2023 in Dubrovnik, Croatia Still, the couple have been apart for much of the past month, raising concerns of a potential split. A source previously told People magazine that 'They're pretty much done,' while an insider alleged to Page Six that 'It's over' and the two are 'just waiting until the tour is done before they split.' A friend of the couple exclusively told that the couple are 'are on the rocks' this week. Perry and Bloom first met in January 2016. They had a brief breakup in 2017, but later reconciled by March 2018. The pair got engaged on Valentine's Day in 2019 and welcomed their daughter, Daisy, in August 2020. Bloom also has a 13-year-old son named Flynn with his ex-wife, Miranda Kerr, 42. Katy's widely mocked space flight, the critical revulsion her album 143 earned and the poor reviews her ongoing tour have received have all reportedly added to the strain in her relationship with Orlando.
