Pop TV to Lay Off Employees Amid ViacomCBS Consolidation

Joe Otterson and Elaine Low
·2 min read

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Pop TV is laying off multiple employees as Viacom and CBS continue to integrate following the merger of the two companies.

In an internal memo, Pop TV head Brad Schwartz told staffers that the “Schitt’s Creek” and “One Day at a Time” network would remain “an important part” of the newly combined ViacomCBS, but that the integration of the corporation’s media brands translated to a smaller group of personnel.

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The downsizing at Pop TV is part of a first round of layoffs at ViacomCBS that were already in the works; as Variety previously reported, the company had been preparing to let go of around 100 employees as early as Feb. 26.

A second round of cuts is slated to begin on or around March 31. The company also let go of staff in CBS’ legacy corporate-diversity department earlier this month.

Read Pop TV head Brad Schwartz’ memo to staff below.

Hi everyone,

Before joining ViacomCBS, we operated as a standalone company and we were therefore staffed accordingly. As we integrate Pop into the larger ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group, filled with some of the most powerful brands in the industry, a lot of the work is being centralized across the portfolio to truly unleash our collective strengths and maximize the power of our content.

To that end, Pop will continue to be an important part of the business but, unfortunately, we are saying goodbye to some close friends and talented colleagues.

We have built something very special that you should all be immensely proud of. We did the impossible. In less than five years, we went from being a TV Guide Network with a listing scroll still on 30% of our screens, to an Emmy-nominated network with a million+ viewer hit, a breakthrough brand, and two of the most critically praised and culturally-significant shows on television.

Moving forward, I’ll continue to run Pop and work alongside Chris as part of the Entertainment & Youth senior leadership team across the brands.

I thank you dearly for the heart and soul you have brought to everything we do.

With sincere thanks, respect and appreciation,

Brad

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