ABC News president Kim Godwin is revamping her senior leadership team and cutting 50 workers from the television news division.
"Around the organization, teams are being touched by the downsizing that was announced many weeks ago, including our own ABC News family,"
Godwin wrote to colleagues Thursday morning. While these measures are never easy, they are important to ensure we're on strong footing for the years ahead as we create a sustainable,
Godwin stated. “While this is a dreadful moment for all of us—particularly those directly touched by these agonizing decisions—vital it's to remember that collectively,
we are resilient, and will emerge from this period of transition stronger than before.”Katie den Daas will become vp newsgathering, Derek Medina talent strategy,
production operations, and business affairs, and Stacia Deshishku investigative and enterprise reporting and booking.
Senior vice presidents of newsgathering Wendy Fisher, Galen Gordon, Mary Noonan, Alison Rudnick, Chris Vlasto, Heather Riley,
and David Herndon are departing ABC News as part of the restructuring. CEO Bob Iger announced layoffs on Monday, with a first round this week, a larger batch in April,
and a third round before summer. ABC News will stagger its 50 employee losses.
Disney trimmed ABC News, its TV production and acquisitions teams, its "metaverse" division, and Marvel Entertainment, firing Isaac "Ike" Perlmutter.
Our ABC News family is affected by the company-wide cutbacks announced few weeks ago. These measures are difficult,
but they're required to set the company on a sustainable, growth-oriented route for the future. While this is a terrible time for all of us,
especially those directly touched by these painful decisions, we are resilient and will emerge stronger from this transition.