Overview
- Roughly 150 employees were laid off on Wednesday, equal to about 7% of the NBC News newsroom and around 2% of the broader News Group.
- Executives tied the cuts to the separation from MSNBC and CNBC, saying NBC News will no longer provide shared newsgathering or production as those channels transition to the new public company Versant.
- Impacted staff are receiving 60 days’ notice, severance and outplacement support, with managers urging many to pursue approximately 140 open roles across the division.
- Leadership is reallocating resources to a forthcoming NBC News subscription service planned for later this year and to expanded sports coverage through a growing Sports Hub in partnership with NBC Sports.
- Dedicated diversity vertical teams — NBC BLK, NBC Asian America, NBC Latino and NBC OUT — were largely dismantled with coverage to be integrated into the wider newsroom, and MSNBC is set to rebrand as MS NOW with NBC journalists ceasing appearances starting October 20.