Variety: CNN Philippines to Close Down, With 300 Job Losses

Story from Variety:

CNN Philippines is to close down on Wednesday, the company announced on Monday local time. The move means up to 300 jobs will be lost.

CNN Philippines was launched in 2015 under a brand licensing agreement between Turner and Nine Media Network, a Philippines company that is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the ALC Group of Companies previously launched by the late Ambassador Antonio Cabangon-Chua.

“CNN Philippines will discontinue operations on all media platforms effective Wednesday, Jan 31, 2024,” the company said in a posting on social media. “A trusted source of news and information CNN Philippines is accessible on free-to-air TV, cable and digital platforms. To our staff, we thank you for your commitment and dedication. To our partners, including CNN Worldwide / Turner Broadcasting Corporation, we are grateful for your support. And to our viewers, our sincerest gratitude for your loyalty and trust over the past 9 years.”

On X (formerly Twitter), it added: “Turning the final page of the CNN Philippines newsroom’s story. We are forever grateful for the stories we’ve shared, the audience we’ve served, and to our dedicated team for their commitment to uphold the values of truth, accuracy, fairness, and accountability. Thank you for the privilege to tell the story of the Filipino.”

The operation is understood to have accumulated losses of more than $89 million (PHP5 billion).

The license agreement between Turner and Nine Media was not due to expire until the end of December.

The closure means that 300 employees will be directly affected by the closure as well as contractors and suppliers. Nine Media Corporation’s president Benjamin Ramos reportedly said that Nine Media’s management is committed to providing a fair severance package to all employees.

In a separate statement sent to Variety, CNN Worldwide said: “CNN Philippines has been popular amongst audiences in the Philippines and a valued affiliate partner for CNN, winning many awards during this time. CNN International will continue to be available to all viewers in the Philippines as before. CNN via CNN International on TV via Cignal, Sky Cable and distributed via Cable Boss, online at CNN.com and via social media platforms

The closure is certain to raise questions about media plurality in The Philippines. The country is one of the most dangerous in the world for journalists and where successive governments have directly or indirectly interfered in press and media, including the targeting of Nobel Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa and ABS-CBN, a critic of former president Rodrigo Duterte, being stripped of its broadcast licenses in 2020.

The Reporters Without Borders non-government organization ranked The Philippines as the 132nd most free country in the world, but said also, “The Philippine media are extremely vibrant despite the government’s targeted attacks and constant harassment, since 2016, of journalists and media outlets that are too critical.”