The CW Hit By New Round Of Layoffs

EXCLUSIVE: The CW is undergoing another round of staff cuts, sources tell Deadline. We hear more than 15 people were affected, with the marketing/promotional team impacted, along with finance.

The laid-off employees are said to include mid- and high-level executives, including some in SVP roles. A rep for CW parent Nexstar Media declined comment.

Today’s staff reductions come a month and a half after Chris Spadaccini joined the CW as Chief Marketing Officer. They also come amid uncertainty over the programming direction of the network, which is expected to pull away from the high-end scripted series that have been dominating its schedule. So far, only flagship drama All American has been renewed for next season.

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The first major wave of layoffs hit last November 1, less than a month after Nexstar closed a deal to take 75% ownership of The CW, when about 30 to 40 staffers across multiple areas left. Those reductions followed the October 3 exits of the CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz, president of streaming and chief branding officer Rick Haskins; and finance chief Mitch Nedick.

There has been a steady stream of executive departures since then, most recently that of Cyle Zezo, who oversaw alternative programming, earlier this week, as Deadline reported exclusively.

Nexstar has promised investors it will make The CW profitable by 2025. The company is substantially revamping the network’s programming slate, steering away from the young-skewing scripted dramas that were long its signature. Instead, the schedule will increasingly favor unscripted shows, with news and sports also entering the mix. Earlier this year, the network signed a deal to carry LIV Golf tournaments on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, the first regularly scheduled CW broadcasts outside of prime time. Nexstar executives have said they will continue evaluating additional sports rights and have also indicated they could draw from cable news network NewsNation for programming down the line.

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The CW Hit By New Round Of Layoffs In Marketing, Promotions & Finance

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