200 Layoffs at Discovery

SILVER SPRING, April 10: Discovery Communications has axed
200 staffers, wire reports indicate, in order to free up funds to increase
spending on original programming.

The 200 layoffs account for about 3 percent of the
Maryland-based company’s workforce, Bloomberg News reports. The move is the
latest restructure put in place by new CEO David Zaslav, who instituted an
senior management overhaul earlier this year that included the axing of Billy
Campbell and Dawn McCall. The new layoffs were reportedly in the branding,
communications and administration divisions.

“By eliminating organizational layers and increasing our
investment in original programming, the goal is to deepen consumer engagement
with our brands,” Zaslav said in a memo to staff obtained by Bloomberg News.
“This is key to our business model and a priority area of investment going
forward.”