Massive Layoffs at Paramount Hit CBS, BET:
Late Report: Gayle King May Leave Morning Show
Little Transparency, but NBC Meets With Diversity Groups
Scripps Deal Adds One More Black-Owned TV Station
Judge Overturns Book Bans at 5 Military Schools
Homepage photo: “America In Black” (CBS/BET)
“CBS Saturday Morning” co-hosts Dana Jacobson, left, and Michelle Miller were laid off. (Credit: CBS)
Report: Gayle King May Leave Morning Show
CBS News its cutting its Race and Culture Unit, laying off weekend co-anchor Michelle Miller and closing its Johannesburg bureau, while Black Entertainment Television is dropping two vice presidents, all as part of a massive round of layoffs at parent company Paramount, according to news reports Wednesday.
[Thursday evening update:
[“Gayle King (pictured), who has been the face of CBS News’ morning show for more than a decade, is expected to depart as an anchor of the morning program next year, according to four people with knowledge of the situation. King may shift to a different role at the news division that is being thoroughly overhauled under the new Paramount Skydance regime,” Matt Donnelly and Brian Steinberg reported late Thursday for Variety.
[“King’s existing contract is set to expire in May. There are signs CBS would like her to stay on board with the news division, potentially with a deal to produce her own programming for the network. Norah O’Donnell, who previously anchored ‘CBS Evening News,’ stepped down from that role in January and transitioned to being a senior correspondent for CBS News, contributing to a range of programs and coverage. . . .
[“Moving King is a risky maneuver, especially because morning-TV is built on the relationships viewers build with the hosts. If audiences feel King was pushed out for no good reason, they could be ripe for the picking by rivals like NBC’s ‘Today’ or ABC’s ‘Good Morning America.’ . . . Lisa Ling and Nikki Battiste are among the other well-known staffers who will leave. . . .”’]
Friday, Oct. 31, update:
[“News that Gayle King is getting booted from “CBS Mornings” is news to her … because she says the network powers that be are singing a much different tune in her office!,” TMZ reported Friday.
[“TMZ caught up with GK as she left her NYC studio Friday morning, and she tells us from what she’s hearing, she’s not only doing a great job, but she’s well-liked at CBS … and she says the feeling’s mutual — she loves what she does and the coworkers with whom she does it.
]”While she doesn’t flat-out deny that she could be leaving the morning news show … she says the chatter in the building is not matching up with the reports in the media. . . .”]
However, Vladimir Duthiers (pictured) will pick up an additional hour of streaming responsibilities, hosting a 9 to 11 a.m. show in addition to his featured host role on “CBS Mornings,” Natalie Korach reported for the Status newsletter, citing “one person familiar with the matter,” often a term for a network spokesperson who declines to be transparent about his or her identity.
“Indeed, it was another rough day inside CBS News, which has experienced no shortage of them in recent months,” Korach wrote. “Battered by high-level resignations, the news outlet saw around 100 cuts spread across all divisions, while other Paramount units, which have already endured several rounds of layoffs as the studio trimmed down under former management in preparation for its Skydance merger, were hit once again.
“Paramount is hardly alone in reducing staff in the entertainment and media sector, but coupled with other changes implemented in a short time at CBS News, staff morale continues to plummet amid the makeover being implemented under [David] Ellison’s stewardship.
On Monday, John Dickerson, co-host of the “CBS Evening News,” announced he would be leaving at the end of the year. He did not specify a reason, but others worry about a rightward drift under new CBS editor in chief Bari Weiss, who reportedly has sounded out others, including Fox News host Bret Baier,about the “Evening News” slot. All of this has led to speculation about the future of co-anchor Maurice DuBois, a Black journalist.
On the layoffs, Ted Johnson noted for Deadline, “They are only the latest cuts at a legacy media outlet this year. NBC News announced layoffs of about 150 staffers (see item below) as it prepared for the split from sister network MSNBC, which is being spun off along with other Comcast cable networks into a new company, Versant. There were significant layoffs to teams devoted to diversity verticals, such as NBC Out and NBC Blk, although those online sites will continue.”
While the CBS cuts go far beyond the unit on race and culture, the closing of that initiative, created after the 2020 murder of George Floyd, is emblematic of the change that the political climate has wrought on the news industry.
“The Race and Culture Unit will be a critical aspect of everything we do, and I look forward to building this team with Alvin [Patrick] (pictured) at the helm,” said Kim Godwin, then CBS executive vice president of news, when the unit was announced in June 2020. She went on to become ABC News president before leaving television news.
“The CBS News Race and Culture Unit will be multifaceted and help shape the coverage for the entire news division.”
“We must always be aware of how race and culture impacts our journalism — and, in terms of the future of CBS News, this unit will be as important as Standards and Practices,” added Susan Zirinsky, then CBS News president and senior executive producer. “I am pleased to have Alvin in this essential role as we continue to make the powerful journalism of CBS News more inclusive.”
Patrick’s role was later expanded beyond race and culture, and as a senior producer, is reported to be remaining with the network. Among other projects, the unit produced the monthly newsmagazine “America in Black” in conjunction with BET.
“In Season 1, America In Black explored Black maternal mortality with an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, reported on the war on Black history and looked at the amputation epidemic among Black Americans. It also featured profiles and interviews with Michael B. Jordan, LL Cool J, Taraji P. Henson, T.D. Jakes and others,” a news release said then.
By contrast, as the Federal Communications Commission weighed its proposal for a $8 billion merger of Skydance with Paramount Global, owner of CBS and BET, , Skydance promised the commission that it “does not have DEI programs in place today and will not establish such initiatives.”
Meanwhile, over at MSNBC and NBC, both owned by Comcast, anchors found themselves reporting that their parent company had donated money to help construct President Trump’s 90,000-square foot, $300 million ballroom, to rise where the now-razed White House stood.
“Here’s the issue,” MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle said on her show “The 11th Hour.” “Donors are paying for it. Corporations are paying for it— Comcast, our Comcast — is one of those that are underwriting it. Shouldn’t that be more concerning to the American people? Because there ain’t no company out there writing a check just for goodwill.”
At BET, another Paramount property, Robi Reed, BET senior vice president of talent and casting for original programming, and Rose Catherine Pinkney; senior vice president for scripted programming and development, were also among those laid off. At CBS, so were Miller’s “CBS Saturday Morning” co-host, Dana Jacobson, and the show’s executive producer, Brian Applegate.
“Today has been one of the most difficult days, and I want to take a moment to acknowledge the emotions we are all feeling,” Paramount TV/Media chair George Cheeks (pictured), who has been described as biracial, said in a memo to staff that The Wrap said it had obtained.
“We are saying goodbye to many valued colleagues, some of whom have been part of Paramount Media Networks or CBS for decades, helping shape the culture, creativity, and legacy we all share. To everyone impacted: your contributions have left a lasting imprint on our company. You’ve made us better, and we are deeply grateful.
“While these decisions are incredibly difficult, they are part of the changes needed to help Paramount move forward as a strong, future-focused company as we navigate a rapidly changing industry,” Cheeks continued. “This means making tough decisions, including reducing the size of our workforce – choices that affect people who have contributed meaningfully to our success. We recognize the weight of this moment and remain committed to supporting our colleagues through this transition.”
The Writers Guild of America East, which represents employees in the CBS news division, issued a joint statement with the Writers Guild of America West on the Paramount cuts. “Today, we once again see the toll on media workers and the news industry caused by unfettered corporate consolidation. The WGAE and WGAW are working with impacted members to ensure our collective bargaining agreements are enforced and labor law is followed in these layoffs at Paramount Skydance.”
- Corbin Bolies, The Wrap: Media Went All-In on Diversity. Now It’s in Full Retreat
- Justin Baragona, The Independent: CBS News fired 8 on-air personalities in latest layoffs under new leader Bari Weiss. All of them are women
- Stephanie Kaloi, The Wrap: CBS ‘Cast Its Lot With Trump,’ Critics Say After Margaret Brennan Grills Democrat for ‘Rigged Elections’ Talk | Video
- David Sirota and Jared Jacang Maher, the Guardian: Bari Weiss’s ascent at CBS News was 50 years in the making (Oct. 12)
- Hanaa’ Tameez, Nieman Lab: From reckoning to retreat: Journalism’s DEI efforts are in decline (Sept. 11)
- A.J. Weddington, Ebony: Press Freedom Under Fire: How Government Restrictions and Diversity Cuts Threaten Journalism
Little Transparency, but NBC Meets With Diversity Groups
In a meeting last week with diversity-focused journalism associations, executives at NBC reaffirmed the network’s “commitment to covering marginalized communities, and to our respective organizations, and said they remain steadfast in ensuring NBC’s workforce represents the diverse communities it covers,” the National Association of Black Journalists reported afterward.
However, NBC has to date made no public, on-the-record statements about its decision to gut its diversity “verticals,” NBCBLK, NBC Latino, NBC Asian America and NBC OUT, leaving unnamed sources to report the developments, leading to confusion and misinfomation. Nor has it identified the NBC executives who held the conversation with the associations.
NBC’s own Standards and Practices team has declared, “journalists should know the core standards of journalism: Maintain accuracy and fairness. Be transparent with your audience. Verify information and use credible sources.
Likewise, the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists says:
- “Identify sources clearly. The public is entitled to as much information as possible to judge the reliability and motivations of sources.
- “Consider sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Reserve anonymity for sources who may face danger, retribution or other harm, and have information that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Explain why anonymity was granted.”
The NBC executives at the Oct. 23 electronic meeting were Craig Robinson (pictured), executive vice president and chief inclusion officer, NBCUniversal; and Yvette Miley, executive vice president, NBCU News Group, according to Tanya Gazdik, new president of Journalism & Women Symposium, known as JAWS.
JAWS was represented by Sheila Solomon, Chicago-based veteran journalist and JAWS officer-at-large.
Others on the call were Errin Haines, president of NABJ; Nicole Dungca, president of the Asian American Journalists Association; and Ken Miguel, president of NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists.
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists, while not at the meeting, joined afterward in a joint statement by the groups’ boards that said, “While cutting nearly 7 percent of its newsroom, NBC News laid off staffers who were fully dedicated to its verticals covering Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ communities. The company has said the verticals will continue to be updated by staffers across the newsroom, but dissolving these editorial teams represents a step back in NBC’s longtime commitment to making sure their reporting represents the diversity of this country.”
NAHJ President Dunia Elvir is a news anchor at Telemundo/NBC.
NABJ issued an additional statement that said, “At a time when diversity and inclusion efforts are under attack across industries, NBC’s cuts send a chilling message, but we know that inclusion is not optional. Diversity in newsrooms is not a luxury or a trend. It is a moral, journalistic and business imperative, and dismantling the very teams that have elevated underrepresented voices undermines the progress that has taken decades to build.”
- NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists: Supporting Members After Recent Layoffs at NBC
Scripps Deal Adds One More Black-Owned TV Station
The E.W. Scripps Co.has agreed to sell WRTV, its local ABC-affiliated station in Indianapolis, to Black-owned Circle City Broadcasting for $83 million, the companies announced Tuesday.
The sale to principal owner DuJuan McCoy (pictured), expected to close after approval by the Federal Communications Commission, would add to the tiny number of Black-owned television stations.
In a 2023 FCC report, Black/African Americans accounted for 3% of the majority interests in full-power TV stations in 2021, up from 1% in 2019, while Asian Americans had 1%, up from 0% in 2019.
No Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander held a majority interest in 2021, as was also the case in 2019. “Across radio and TV, men had attributable interests in 61% of commercial broadcast stations while women held only 9% and Hispanics/Latinos 6%.,” the report said.
“DuJuan McCoy is beating the odds,” David Honig, founder of the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council, which works for media ownership by people of color, told Journal-isms, Minority or small broadcasters are rarely able to acquire a mainstream, network-affiliated television station, he said .
McCoy is a veteran broadcaster who owns, controls and operates Circle City Broadcasting, a privately held digital and news media company. It operates two television properties in the Indianapolis market – WISH, the local Indianapolis CW affiliate, and WNDY, a MyNetwork affiliate – as well as Circulus Digital Media.
“As a native of Indianapolis and career small business owner, I am pleased to be adding RTV6 to Circle City Broadcasting’s existing news brands, which will create value for both our company as well as the hometown community we serve,” McCoy said in a statement .
Over the summer, Nielsen reported that 46 percent of Americans’ TV time was spent on streaming services, with YouTube and Netflix topping the list. The viewing percentage was 23.4 percent for cable networks and 18.5 pecent for broadcast television. It was the first time broadcast TV had ever slipped below 20 percent.
Still, Honig said, being able to pull off such a broadcast television acquisition is a remarkable achievement.
Separately, Byron Allen’s Black-owned Allen Media Group is selling stations in 10 markets to Gray Media for $171 million, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter pending regulatory approval.
Judge Overturns Book Bans at 5 Military Schools
A federal judge has ordered that five schools for military children must return library books that had been removed for review to comply with President Donald Trump’s efforts to scrub diversity, equity and inclusion efforts from federal agencies, Karen Jowers reported last week for Military Times. .
U.S. District Court Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles granted the preliminary injunction requiring officials with the Department of Defense Education Activity to “immediately restore the library books and curricular materials that have been removed since January 19, 2025 … to their preexisting shelves, classrooms, and units” at the five schools.
The judge ordered the full list of 596 titles [PDF] being reviewed to be filed publicly. She noted that the education activity unit has maintained that the list of removed books is tentative and pending further review.
Books by journalists and commentators ordered returned include “A Terrible Thing to Waste:Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind,” by Harriet A. Washington; “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates; Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents”; Linda Villarosa’s “Under the Skin : The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation”; Ibram X.Kendi’s “Stamped From the Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas 
in America”; Michael Eric Dyson’s “Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America”; Beverly Daniel Tatum’s “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race”; and Coates’ “We Were Eight Years in Power: an American Tragedy,” among others.
Washington (pictured), lessaged Journal-isms, “I’m relieved that the ban has been rescinded: like the lists of federally banned words for use in research, such assaults on literacy and history rob Americans of the ability to understand the perennial underpinnings of U S racist policies and practices.
“I’m glad that this particular attempt to replace history with white supremacist nostalgia has failed.”
Villarosa (pictured), a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine and professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, wrote, “Banning books is an ineffective response to fear of reality and truth. I spent decades thinking about the concepts covered in my book ‘Under the Skin’ and years reporting, researching and writing it. Even if my book is banned in some places, you can’t ban the truth. And book bans also tend to have the unintended effect of bringing more attention to the book — and boosting interest, sales and library activity.”
