Cynthia Hudson is leaving CNN en Español (CNNE) after nearly 15 years at the helm.
Her exit comes amid a company-wide programming, staffing, leadership overhaul and layoffs announced in January.
A CNN spokesperson, who said Hudson is retiring at the end of February, shared this statement:
“Cynthia had been in discussions about this for some time, and with the restructuring of the network she felt that now was the right moment to announce her departure. She has been a dedicated, passionate advocate for CNN en Español for many years, driving impactful journalism, leading the network through a time of immense change and advancing CNN en Español’s digital capabilities to help position it for the future as a true multiplatform operation.”
As part of the changes, there will be two newly created CNNE leadership roles reporting directly to CNN’s Global News structure.
Penny Manis, a CNN veteran who began her career at CNNE in 1994 as an intern and held various producer roles over the next five years, will take oversight of the Spanish-language network as Vice President, Editorial & Content Strategy. She will be responsible for the editorial and strategic direction of the network, audience growth, and digital services.
The company is also creating a new Director, News Reporting position and will appoint a Bureau Manager for its Mexico City hub. Those roles have yet to be filled.
Esteban Campanela will continue as CNNE’s VP of Digital Strategy & Multiplatform Content and Cathy Reyes will remain as VP of Programming.
Senior CNNE leadership will be based out of Atlanta, Miami and New York.
A source says other CNNE executives, including Beatriz Montalvo, Sr Director of Production, Creative Content and Brand Strategy, and Isabel Bucaram, Director of Planning and Public Relations were laid off. The CNN spokesperson would not confirm their departures.
The reorganization comes after years of transformation at CNNE, beginning with Hudson’s arrival in 2010, which kicked off restructuring, brought rebranding efforts, talent changes, the launch of the short-lived CNN Latino, and a shift to a digital-first operation in 2023 that resulted in another round of layoffs and the relocation of production to Mexico City.
CNNE shows are currently anchored and produced across Atlanta, Miami, Buenos Aires, New York and Mexico City.
After the 2023 downsizing, who’s still in the U.S.? The company says the following anchors and correspondents remain:
Atlanta – Gustavo Valdés and Rafael Romo (correspondents)
Miami – Fernando del Rincón, Elizabeth Pérez and Andrés Oppenheimer (anchors); Ana María Mejía (correspondent)
Washington DC – Juan Carlos López (anchor) and Ione Molinares (correspondent)
New York – José Antonio Montenegro (anchor); María Santana (correspondent)
Los Angeles – Juan Carlos Arciniegas (anchor); Gonzalo Alvarado (correspondent)