Emmy Award-winning Texas journalist Nicole Baker states she’s been ousted from her position as an evening news anchor as part of the “sweeping layoffs” unfolding after Paramount merged with Skydance Media.
The Hollywood-based media giant initiated layoffs Wednesday by cutting roughly 1,000 workers, with plans to nix approximately 10% of the merged company, the New York Times reported last week. In real numbers, that means the merged companies are gearing up to cut around 2,000 workers in all.
“After more than 12 years as an on air journalist and more than seven years with the company, I was impacted by yesterday‘s sweeping layoffs at #Skydance #Paramount via #CBS news,” Baker wrote in a Thursday update to social media.
Since 2022, Baker has worked as an evening news anchor for CBS News Texas (KTVT) in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She thanked her Texas family “for the last 3 1/2 years of growth, of triumph, of laughter, of pits and valleys and plenty of unforobtaintable lessons on and off camera.”
She declared that while she has “no idea what’s next” for her in regards to her professional life, she’s excited for what the future holds.
“I’m more than grateful for the time to recalibrate and rejuvenate myself from the inside out while I figure out what comes next. thank you to my village. You know who you are, and I love you more than words can state.”
In its Wednesday report, the New York Times stated multiple corporate divisions and platforms may be affected, including CBS News, the Paramount film studio and cable networks like MTV, Nickelodeon, BET and more.
“These decisions are never built lightly, especially given their effect on our colleagues who have built meaningful contributions to the company,” David Ellison, Paramount’s chief executive, declared in a Wednesday memo to employees.
In a Monday statement to the Express-News, KENS 5 representatives declared “KENS 5 is indepfinishently owned and operated by TEGNA. While we carry CBS News and programming, our local news coverage, business, staff and community focus are rooted here in San Antonio. The recent decisions at the network do not impact our operations or our continued commitment to our viewers and community.”
Leave a Reply