NBC News initiated layoffs on Wednesday as the network moves forward with a corporate separation from MSNBC, according to information shared with Fox News Digital and statements from a media workers union.
An insider told Fox News Digital that affected employees have been called into meetings to receive notice, and that more than 100 positions are expected to be eliminated.
The NewsGuild of New York, which represents nearly 6,000 media workers across the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut region, criticized the reductions.
“Instead of restructuring at the top, corporate profits are being maximized at the expense of our hard-working members who create the very value that drive the success of NBC,” NewsGuild of New York President Susan DeCarava told Fox News Digital.
NBC News has cut its teams dedicated to covering Black, Asian American, Latino, and LGBTQ+ issues, @TheWrap reports. pic.twitter.com/JwC6FlHbnH
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 15, 2025
NBC News and MSNBC have operated in close alignment for years, with the cable network drawing on the news-gathering resources and personnel of its broadcast counterpart.
Comcast announced last year that it would spin off MSNBC and other cable networks into a separate company.
The new entity, called Versant, has been structured to house those cable assets apart from NBC News.
Earlier this month, NBC News staffers who accepted roles at MSNBC shifted into their new positions, according to the insider cited by Fox News Digital.
In parallel, MSNBC has moved to stop relying on NBC News for operations outside of Washington, D.C.
Coverage originating from Washington will continue to be handled in coordination between the two outlets until October 20, the insider said.
After October 20, MSNBC is scheduled to end participation in NBC News-led editorial calls and meetings, marking a procedural break in routine coordination.
With that step complete, MSNBC will operate independently of NBC News for the first time since its launch 30 years ago.
The operational transition encompasses newsroom processes, assignment structures, and daily editorial planning that have historically linked the two organizations.
The layoffs at NBC News are taking place against this backdrop.
🚨BREAKING: NBC News cuts nearly 150 employees in a major shake-up, including those covering Black, Latino, Asian, and LGBTQ+ communities.
— Jack (@jackunheard) October 15, 2025
Whoa… the MSM is CRUMBLING
The insider described the process as a series of meetings during which impacted staff are informed of their employment status.
Specific departments and roles affected were not detailed in the accounts provided to Fox News Digital.
The company’s decision to streamline staffing follows the transfer of certain functions to MSNBC and the restructuring associated with the creation of Versant.
Union leadership framed the reductions as a failure to prioritize cuts away from rank-and-file positions.
DeCarava’s statement said the changes would benefit corporate profitability while affecting those responsible for content creation.
The NewsGuild of New York has previously taken positions on staffing and working conditions in major newsrooms and indicated concern that newsroom capabilities could be constrained by workforce reductions.
MSNBC’s move to independent operations is set to include the establishment of separate editorial and production workflows.
While Washington-based collaboration will continue until the October 20 date, the expectation from network insiders is that routine joint planning will cease thereafter.
The formal realignment is intended to delineate responsibilities within the Versant structure for cable properties and within NBC News for the broadcast and digital news operations that remain.
Comcast’s announcement last year laid the foundation for the current transition by placing MSNBC and other cable networks into the new company.
The shift has involved personnel decisions for employees choosing to take positions within MSNBC and the winding down of shared operational dependencies in areas such as production support and assignment editing outside the nation’s capital.
As of Wednesday, NBC News had not issued a public statement detailing the number of employees affected, the departments included in the reduction, or the timeline for further changes.
The insider accounts and union statement indicate that the process is ongoing, with affected employees receiving notice this week.
The forthcoming October 20 date remains the key milestone for MSNBC’s operational independence and the conclusion of its participation in NBC News-led editorial structures.
The developments mark a reorganization of two news brands that have coordinated for decades.
With the establishment of Versant and the operational separation planned for later this month, NBC News is adjusting its workforce while MSNBC transitions to stand-alone daily operations.
Further details on staffing and operational changes may be determined as the separation proceeds and the October 20 target approaches.
