'Entertainment Tonight' Faces Layoffs, Cutting Less Than 10% of Staff

[TMC]

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/ent...ow-1235681083/

“Entertainment Tonight” is undergoing layoffs with the entertainment news show cutting less than 10% of its staff, Variety has learned.

A staff-wide Zoom was held on Wednesday afternoon where employees learned of a “small restructuring of staff,” sources close to the show tell Variety. “Entertainment Tonight” has rid much of its digital programming over the past few months, so the layoffs are described as “right-sizing” of staffing needs and “nothing more,” per an individual familiar with the situation. Less than 20 employees were laid off, but this individual says the show is not facing a “mass layoff” by any means and still has a large staff.

A spokesperson for “Entertainment Tonight” declined to comment.

Some staff members from “Entertainment Tonight” took to social media to share news on Wednesday that they had been laid off.

The head of graphics and post-production supervisor were among those laid off, in addition to producers, digital writers and the photo team, Variety hears. Two ET correspondents’ contracts were not renewed.

“Entertainment Tonight” is hosted by Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner, who will continue to host the show. “ET” is the longest-running syndicated newsmagazine on television, having aired for over 40 years.

[Hawkee]

When you look at the general picture Entertainment Tonight has been the top entertainment newsmagazine shows on TV for 40 years and I think this staff layoff was made just so to get new staff to keep the show fresh and if they continue to announce new layoffs this could lead to Entertainment Tonight's demise. Because I think Entertainment Tonight is desperate to earn big ratings to keep surviving because I think Extra has stolen some of Entertainment Tonight's viewers and ratings because Extra is number one in TV entertainment newsmagazines and Entertainment Tonight is second in ratings. But I think Entertainment Tonight started going downhill when they would have stories that had titles like "Jeremy Renner's Marvelous Recovery" Madonna's Fabulous Journey The Story Behind Her 1982 Debut Album or "Get To Know The Guardians Of The Galaxy Cast As They Talk About The Final Film" and I think with stories like these Entertainment Tonight is getting weak ratings. I hope when they employ new staff the show gets improved