CBS News quietly closed its Tokyo bureau this week in a last-ditch move to cut costs that could curtail the network’s China coverage, the Post reported.
CBS News London bureau chief Andrew Roy — known by some at the station as “Axe” — flew to Tokyo on Tuesday to lay off staff, according to a person close to the situation, who announced that he would be firing staff after more than half a century in Japan. This marked the end of the station’s existence.
“It’s not a big station, but given everything that’s going on in the region, we’re raising the white flag,” said a source close to Tiffany Networks. “Money is more important than covering most of the world.”
CBS News has cut 20 employees as part of a debacle involving about 800 employees at parent company Paramount Global.
“CBS News will continue to have a team in Asia, including on-air correspondents,” a network spokesperson said. “We have also partnered with the BBC to provide additional resources in the region.”
According to sources familiar with the matter, three employees have been fired, but it is unclear whether local hires will be included in the layoffs. A CBS News representative said Liz Palmer, a Tokyo-based senior foreign correspondent responsible for major coverage of Asia, was not affected by the layoffs.
CBS News said: “Liz Palmer, who has spent the past several years in Asia, is one of the most respected international journalists in the industry and will continue to contribute to CBS News’ extensive global news coverage.” said.
“There are no other bureaus in Asia,” a source said, pointing out that although there is a Beijing bureau, there are no correspondents, only a producer and cameraman. Mr Palmer was based in London before moving to Tokyo, but flew to China on a short-term visa.
“The Chinese have been playing hardball with journalist visas for years,” the source added.
Another source said CBS is likely to cover China from other stations in London, Los Angeles and Washington.
“CBS will likely cover China in the same way they have covered TikTok from D.C.,” the source speculated.
With the closure of the Tokyo bureau, staff at CBS News’ London bureau are said to be worried about further job cuts at the hands of Editor-in-Chief Roy, who is known for his ruthless downsizing.
One source said Mr. Roy had invested in the infrastructure of the London office and there were no cuts there.
Roy, a former international bureau chief at the BBC, joined CBS News in April 2022 as vice president and London bureau chief. He replaced Andy Clark, a well-regarded editor who clashed with the network’s then news president Neeraj Khemrani.
As The Post exclusively reported, Clark had multiple disagreements with Khemlani over budget cuts and was working at CBS Afghanistan when President Biden ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Khemlani resigned over his initial refusal to spend cash on handing over journalists and fixers.
Khemlani was fired in 2023 after two years of intense work, marked by conflicts with high-profile anchors and complaints about human resources.
