Huge shake up at Good Morning America could spell job losses as bosses battle to save show

Disney-owned ABC News is reportedly considering a consolidation of its Good Morning America and GMA3 teams – a move that will likely lead to layoffs.

The talks were first reported late Monday, hours after insiders divulged to the New York Post how longtime anchor George Stephanopoulos is supposedly ‘miserable’ at the network.

Earlier in the day, at ABC News’ daily editorial meeting, network chief Almin Karamehmedovic celebrated five years since the rollout of the news channel’s streaming service, ABC News Live.

There, at the channel’s base in Manhattan, Karamehmedovic reportedly revealed how the Disney exec in charge of the network, Debra OConnell, was in SoCal showing higher-ups her long-term plans for the network.  

The news, reported by the Status newsletter, comes as the network, like many others, seeks to address waning ratings. Insiders further told Status’s Oliver Darcy how Karamehmedovic assured staffers OConnell ‘was [there] fighting the good fight’.

CNN recently laid off close to 200 as part of a shift to a more digital-based model, while losing stalwart staffers like Darcy and Jim Acosta to digital-based independent ventures.

Layoffs were also seen at NBC News’ office at 30 Rock, which has lost longtime Meet the Press host Chuck Todd to his own podcasting endeavor as well. Months before, ABC News was hit with its own round of layoffs – as cable news continues its decline.

Seemingly at a crossroads when it comes to strategy, ABC News is considering streamlining its best-rated program as part of a pivot to streaming, and Karamehmedovic’s comment meant to comfort staffers instead has them worried.

Disney-owned ABC News is reportedly considering a consolidation of its GMA and GMA3 teams – a move that will likely lead to layoffs. The talks were first reported Monday, hours after insiders reportedly said George Stephanopoulos ( far-right) was ‘miserable’ at the network

At ABC News’ daily editorial meeting Monday, network chief Almin Karamehmedovic reportedly revealed that the Disney exec who oversees the network, Debra OConnell, was in SoCal showing the network’s long-term plans to big brass

‘[G]iven the widespread unease inside ABC News about looming cuts, the disclosure that OConnell was out west “fighting” for the Magic Kingdom’s news division raised eyebrows,’ Darcy wrote, after receiving word from people familiar with the matter.

He did first disclaim how OConnell visiting Bob-Iger led brass out West was far from out of the ordinary – but given the current state of media, Karamehmedovic’s comments, and reports indicating looming layoffs, staffers are said to be ‘nervous.’

‘OConnell meetings about ABC News’ long-term future during this consequential period do carry added significance,’ Darcy wrote, describing the channel’s current situation as being ‘make-or-break’ in nature.

In October, 75 staffers at Disney’s combined ABC News and local affiliate stations were laid off, as part of ongoing restructuring by the parent company.

As part of this plan, Karamehmedovic and other high-ranking figures at ABC News considered the idea of streaming ‘GMA’ – considered its ratings crown jewel alongside ABC World News Tonight – on both Disney+ and Hulu, insiders told Darcy.

However, that plan was said to have been met with pushback thanks to those very same local stations, who depend on the program for viewership and ad revenue.

As cable continues to be supplanted by streaming and other digital platforms over-the-air affiliates remain a key source of revenue, making a streamlined shift to a more digital future more prickly.

The news comes as the network, like many others, seeks to address waning ratings that have left GMA behind daytime rival Today

George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts are two of the network’s biggest names

GMA3 is hosted by Michael Strahan and Sara Haines, who is also a panelist on The View

Who could be on the chopping block was not specified.

CNN is in the middle of its own long-in-the works restructuring plan – one that will emphasize its digital footprint rather than the cable channel.

In a statement issued last month, CNN boss Mark Thompson revealed plans to roll out a streaming service and for a greater emphasis on vertical videos like those seen widely on Instagram.

Both will feature the station’s biggest stars.

He also warned how the future of the network was still unclear. It came after he is said to have demanded a shift in the tone of reporting around Donald Trump.

Thompson also revealed another digital venture set to come out later this year: a subscription service for ‘lifestyle’ content focused in food and fitness. He refused to offer any more details.

SpinCo CEO Mark Lazarus, the new boss of the media conglomerate that oversees MSNBC, also expressed such a desire amid their own post-election slump, newsletters Status and The Ankler both reported.

President Rashida Jones is leaving the company, revealing in a statement last month how she ‘shared [the] decision with Mark [Lazarus],’ and the he was being ‘incredibly supportive’.

GMA is considered the channel’s ratings crown jewel alongside ABC World News Tonight with David Muir (pictured)

A few weeks before, Lazarus told high-level staffers that in addition to more Republican voices on the network, he was considering running opinion programming during the day, The Ankler reported.

The changes may come with pay cuts for longtime opinion hosts like Joy Reid and Stephanie Ruhle, the newsletter stated.

Weeks earlier, the CEO was said to have slashed Rachel Maddow’s pay by some $5 million per year after she agreed to stay with the network for another five years while returning to the airwaves five days a week for the first months of Trump’s presidency.

Over on ABC, GMA3, which is also known as GMA3: What You Need to Know, is hosted by Michael Strahan and Sara Haines. It is thought the team behind this spinoff could be merged with the main GMA workforce.

Stephanopoulos, who also hosts This Week, is said to be ‘miserable’ at the network after it paid President Donald Trump a $16 million settlement over his remarks about the president.

Stephanopoulos erroneously claimed on-air that the Donald Trump was found ‘liable for rape’. The correct phrasing would have been that he was found liable for sexual abuse in relation to the claims of the writer E Jean Carroll.

Stephanopoulos, who also hosts This Week, is said to be ‘miserable’ at the network

Stephanopoulos and top-earner Muir have been said to be secretly at odds for years

His main gig at ABC continues to be his co-anchor spot on Good Morning America. Him and top-earner David Muir have been clashing behind the scenes, insiders told Darcy back in December.

Since the lawsuit, Stephanopoulos has been left ‘apoplectic’ and ‘humiliated’, sources told Page Six.

Insiders added that Jonathan Karl, one of Stephanopoulos’s two co-hosts, sees it as an opportunity to take a more prominent position in the show.