Cnn News Staff Fear Ellison Takeover After Netflix Walks Away

With Netflix abandoning its pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday afternoon, news staffers are bracing for a David Ellison takeover that could put the network under new ownership and prompt major layoffs.

News staffers say panic hit immediately

Inside, alarm bells rang as staffers reacted to the Thursday-afternoon reversal; an insider said, "The panic at right now is off the charts. " The report said the news landed like a meteor at Hudson Yards, and within minutes phones lit up with messages as employees weighed the prospect of working for Bari Weiss before the end of the year.

Netflix pulled out after White House meetings

On Thursday afternoon, shortly after Netflix boss Ted Sarandos departed the White House following meetings with Donald Trump’s chief of staff and the Justice Department, Netflix issued a statement that it found the deal "no longer financially attractive" and abandoned its pursuit of the studio and streaming operation. Netflix had been widely expected to counter Paramount’s "superior" $31-per-share bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Ellison poised to seize Warner Bros. Discovery assets

David Ellison is now poised to take control of Warner Bros. Discovery; the context describes him as the Paramount Skydance chief who has gone to great lengths to signal to Trump that he is an ally. The package he would control includes Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO Max, and a slate of cable networks—most notably,. Observers in the account said the move all but guarantees brutal layoffs across the company.

What this would mean for newsroom leadership and staff

Staffers at reacted to the possibility of new leadership, with internal messages noting a suddenly very real prospect of editorial change; the account captures staff concern that shifts could happen quickly and that people might find themselves working under new leaders within months. The narrative highlighted fear of organizational shakeups and rapid personnel decisions.

Shakeup at CNBC and industry restructuring

Separately, a shakeup at CNBC on Thursday included cuts of nearly a dozen staffers as the network moves to fuse its television and digital operations; the restructuring includes the exit of managing editor Jeff McCracken and is being carried out under Editor-in-Chief David Cho and will see the launch of a…

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