Discovery Networks sheds 3% of global workforce

by Jacquie Bowser, Brand Republic 11-Apr-07, 12:00

WASHINGTON - Discovery Communications, which owns the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, has made 200 employees redundant this week, equating to an estimated 3% of its global workforce.

The cuts, which will mostly affect staff in Silver Spring, Washington, where the company is based, include various positions ranging from senior vice presidents to administrative assistants in divisions such as U.S. Networks group, Discovery Studios and Discovery Education.

The company estimates these units lost about 20% of their total workforces. The Education group at the brodcaster already cut 84 jobs in December last year.

This is the second phase of an internal restructure, which the new chief executive David M. Zaslav began earlier this year. He is relocating resources to divisions most likely to position the media company for its digital future, according to a report in the Washington Post.

The former NBC Universal executive was hired only six months ago as the new CEO.

Discovery Communications owns 100 cable networks worldwide reaching 1.4 billion subscribers. The media giant employs about 6,000 people worldwide.