Discovery Communications today slashed about 200 employees representing about 3 percent of the company’s staff.

The cuts won’t be the last by new CEO David Zaslav. The pink slips sent out Monday were distributed in parts of the company in which management reviews have been completed. In those departments, cuts represented about 20 percent of staff.

Reviews are still ongoing in other parts of the company. When those reviews are completed, staff will be reduced there too.

The people losing their jobs held posts ranging from senior VP to assistant level. They worked in the company’s U.S. Networks division, Education division and in some administrative roles including corporate communications, international and production.

Departments where reviews have not yet been completed include advertising sales and affiliate sales.

Mr. Zaslav joined Discovery in January from General Electric’s NBC Universal division. Almost immediately, he instituted a management reorganization that severed relations with several top executives including Billy Campbell, who ran the company’s U.S. Networks division.

Discovery last month announced plans to buy out one of its owners, Cox Communications. It is expected to become a fairly normal company when another of its owners, Advance Newhouse, also agrees to either sell its stake or roll it into John Malone’s Discovery Holding Co., which now controls 66.6 percent of Discovery Communications.

(Editor: Grego)