Paramount has launched a new round of layoffs affecting staff across CBS Entertainment, MTV, BET, and other divisions, The Wrap reports. The cuts, which began Oct. 29, are part of the company’s restructuring under new CEO David Ellison following its merger with Skydance Media, which officially closed in August, according to a Paramount press release.
The first phase will impact about 1,000 employees, with an additional 1,000 to 2,000 expected to be let go in the coming months, per The Wrap. Those affected include several longtime television executives, among them Paramount Global Content Distribution head of marketing Teri Fleming; CBS Entertainment senior vice presidents of current programming Pamela Soper and Amanda Palley; BET senior vice president of scripted programming and development Rose Catherine Pinkney; MTV head of music and 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.
In a memo to employees, per a separate report from The Wrap, Ellison said the layoffs are part of aligning the company’s structure with its “evolving priorities,” noting that Paramount is “phasing out roles that are no longer aligned” and “addressing redundancies that have emerged across the organization.” He described the restructuring as difficult but necessary to position Paramount for long-term success.
The reductions are the first major step for Ellison since taking over the merged entity, the outlet reports. Paramount had previously undergone several rounds of layoffs, including workforce reductions in communications, advertising, and television studios, and had about 18,600 global employees and 3,500 project-based workers at the end of 2024. Earlier cost-cutting measures had aimed to save $500 million, while the current phase under Skydance involves more positions across television and streaming divisions.
The Wrap reports that as part of the layoffs, Paramount will begin a phased return-to-office schedule in January 2026, offering severance packages to employees who do not return to in-person work five days a week.
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