CNN will “no longer rely” on commissioning longform projects from outside partners, signaling that the news juggernaut will pull back on original documentary series and films like “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” and the critically hailed “Navalny.”
“Our long-term plan will no longer rely on commissioned projects with outside partners,” CEO Chris Licht wrote in a memo sent to staff on Friday. “This was a very difficult decision to make, and it was based, in large part, on the ever-increasing cost of commissioning third-party premium content. However, I want to be clear that longform content remains an important pillar of our programming.”