From CNN’s Reliable Sources with Oliver Darcy:

CNN Network boss Chris Licht announced that the much-anticipated layoffs at the company had commenced on Wednesday, describing the process as one that would be a “gut punch” to the organization. The layoffs are expected to ultimately result in some on-air contributors and hundreds of staffers losing their jobs, marking the deepest cuts to the network in nearly a decade.

“Our people are the heart and soul of this organization,” Licht wrote in an all-staff memo. “It is incredibly hard to say goodbye to any one member of the CNN team, much less many.”