ABC News lays off senior executives in Disney's cost-cutting drive

(Clarifies the timing of the layoffs, which will happen in phases, in first and last paragraphs; not all job cuts happened Thursday)

(Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's ABC News laid off several senior executives Thursday, as it restructures its newsroom, two sources confirmed.

The reductions are part of Disney's previously announced plan to cut 7,000 positions as it seeks to control costs and become a more streamlined operation.

It began layoffs this week.

ABC News President Kim Godwin announced the downsizing and restructuring in a memo to staff that was seen by Reuters.

"While this is a difficult time for all of us – particularly those directly affected by these tough decisions – it’s important to remember that together, we are resilient, and will emerge from this period of transition stronger than before," Godwin wrote.

About 50 positions at ABC News will be eliminated, including open positions, the sources said. Layoffs are expected to occur in phases.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru, Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles ; editing by Jonathan Oatis)