Executives at CBS Entertainment, MTV, BET and more have been hit in Paramount’s latest round of layoffs, TheWrap has learned.
Those impacted thus far include Paramount Global Content distribution head of marketing Teri Fleming, CBS Entertainment senior vice presidents of current programming Pamela Soper and Amanda Palley; BET scripted programming and development senior vice president Rose Catherine Pinkney; MTV head of music & celebrity talent Wendy Plaut; MTV/Paramount+ vice president of music program development and documentaries Amanda Culkowski; and CMT senior vice president of music and events production Margaret Comeaux.
This first round of layoffs under Paramount’s new CEO David Ellison is expected to impact roughly 1,000 staffers on Wednesday with more cuts to come at a later date. The move comes as new owner Skydance looks to exceed $2 billion in cost savings.
In a note to staff that was obtained by TheWrap, Ellison wrote that Paramount is “phasing out roles that are no longer aligned with our evolving priorities.”
“We are addressing redundancies that have emerged across the organization,” Ellison wrote. “Ultimately, these steps are necessary to position Paramount for long-term success.”
More to come …
