eNCA is staring down a huge jobs bloodbath, with 171 of its 309 employees − more than half its workforce — in the line of fire for retrenchment.The proposed cuts will hit the news, technical and broadcasting departments as the 24-hour news channel moves to dismantle its traditional newsroom structure and replace it with a smaller, digital-first operation.Staff were told on Tuesday to report to eMedia’s offices at noon on Wednesday, when the section 189 consultation process is due to begin.The notices, signed by eNCA managing director Norman Munzhelele and seen by Sowetan sister publication Sunday Times, make it clear that the newsroom is being reshaped for a media world in which audiences are increasingly consuming news outside traditional television.eNCA says its current structure is based on traditional newsroom models that “no longer support this evolving landscape”.It points to shifting audience consumption habits and the sustained decline in traditional television viewership as the drivers behind the overhaul. The company wants to cut duplication, streamline workflows, merge operations and deploy staff and technical resources more efficiently across platforms.At the centre of the plan is a single newsroom with a digital-first strategy, designed to allow continuous publishing and a more integrated approach across eNCA’s linear, online and digital platforms.“Certain roles, function and/or structures can no longer be sustained in their current form,” the notice said.The company said the proposed retrenchments are driven by the need for a smaller, focused, multi-platform newsroom, the fact that the current staffing structure does not support a modern multi-platform environment and the duplication of content production.It said the new model will deliver more efficient workflows, greater platform integration and a more effective deployment of resources, allowing for faster and more sustainable journalism without compromising editorial standards. The company will also assess audience consumption trends and platform demands, while identifying skills gaps and training requirements.For the 171 employees, the axe has not yet formally fallen. eNCA said no “final and immutable” decisions have been made and that staff will be consulted on possible retrenchments, restructuring, selection criteria and severance pay.Some employees have already been considered for − and where appropriate placed into − alternative positions, the notice said.The company has also halted the renewal of fixed-term and freelance contracts.The consultation process is expected to be completed by the end of November, with terminations taking effect from December 1.Those retrenched will receive 1.5 weeks’ pay for every completed year of service. However, employees who “unreasonably refuse an offer of alternative employment made by the company” will not qualify for severance pay.The looming cuts come just weeks after eMedia − owner of eNCA, e-tv, OpenView and eVOD − disclosed its remuneration figures under new requirements in the amended Companies Act that came into effect in May.The figures showed a stark pay gap, with the group’s highest earners taking home five times as much as its lowest-paid employees. CEO Khalik Sherrif was the highest earner, receiving R19m in the 2025 financial year, including a R10.3m bonus. The lowest-paid employee received R98,000.The group reported revenue of R3bn and a profit of R299.5m. − Sunday Times