Peter Kafka

Recent Posts by Peter Kafka

Next Up for Media Layoffs: ABC?

Yesterday, two of the world’s biggest media companies fired 1,350 people. Which just means there are many more to go.

So says Barclays Capital analyst Anthony DiClemente, who probably isn’t going out on a limb here. Yesterday’s cuts from Viacom (VIA) and GE’s (GE) NBC–850 and 500 jobs, respectively–are actually “small in aggregate,” he argues. So who’s next?

Pretty much anyone that hasn’t made significant cuts will have to do so soon, DiClemente says. He singles out Disney (DIS), and specifically “its underperforming divisions, including the ABC Network” as a logical candidate. But DiClemente doesn’t get any more specific about the number of people he thinks Disney will or should fire, other than noting it has a lot of workers (see Barclays chart below; click to enlarge). I’ve asked him for additional color and have asked Disney for comment, as well; not holding my breath, though.


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I think going public today is almost like a Bataan death march. I think Wall Street — this will insult many people — but I think in many ways it bears a resemblance to organized crime. It is legal today what they do, but what they do is manifestly unfair.

— Roger McNamee of Elevation Partners, in conversation with Bloomberg Television’s Margaret Brennan