Over the summer, in late August, ABC News’ parent company, Disney, notified some of its senior employees that they would be eligible for a voluntary early retirement offer. The opportunity came as the Josh D'Amaro-led media conglomerate aggressively hunts for ways to cut costs.

"As you heard on our most recent earnings call, we’re focused on meaningfully reducing costs as part of our ongoing transformation, so we can continue to invest in the areas that will drive our future growth: content, technology, and experiences," Sonia Coleman, Disney's chief people officer, said in an August 24 memo.

"By offering a voluntary retirement program," Coleman added, "we hope to give eligible employees an opportunity to make a personal decision on their own terms before broader organizational decisions are finalized."