CBS Corp. has joined other television companies in cutting staff to trim budgets, with two top executives at the company’s television studio and several mid-level network staffers among the casualties. Maria Crenna, the head of development for CBS Paramount, is the highest-ranking executive impacted by the moves, according to a person familiar with the cuts. Also leaving the studio: Comedy development chief Brian Banks and a vice president in the current programming department. At the CBS Television Network, divisions taking hits include current programming, program planning and publicity. CBS did not make any staff reductions to its alternative, comedy or drama development teams, said the network insider familiar with the cuts. So far, the staff reductions at CBS Entertainment aren’t as widespread as those that hit NBC Universal two weeks ago, when 500 jobs were eliminated. CBS’s corporate cousin Viacom Inc. has already announced 850 workers would lose their jobs. A CBS spokesman declined to comment on the cuts or discuss numbers. In the wake of NBC’s decision to merge its network and studio operations—and news that ABC might be mulling a similar move—there’s naturally been speculation that CBS might do the same. However, two CBS insiders familiar with the network’s thinking said such a scenario has been ruled out. CBS and CBS Paramount already work closely with each other. (Editor: Baumann)

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Posted Mon, Dec 15 2008 7:38 PM by News