Sesame Workshop, the production force behind "Sesame Street," announced that it laid off 10 percent of its workforce Tuesday.
"Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind 'Sesame Street,' is constantly assessing where we must invest for the future in response to today's rapidly changing digital environment," the company said in a statement. "After careful review, we have concluded that we must reduce our workforce by approximately 10 percent to strategically focus our resources."
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The layoffs affect approximately 30 employees, including former Newsweek Inc. CEO and Nickelodeon executive Tom Ascheim, who joined Sesame Workshop in March 2012 as
executive vice president of the Sesame Learning program, Deadline.com reported.
Sesame Learning, a workshop-style preschool program, will be integrated into other division of the company, and the Corporate Strategy and Business Systems Programming groups will be entirely dissolved.
"We remain optimistic about our future and remain committed to our mission of helping children reach their highest potential here and around the globe," Sesame Workshop CEO H. Melvin Ming said in a statement.
In 2009, Sesame Workshop laid off more than 60 of its 355 employees, according to Deadline.com.
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