For many in Hollywood, including lions like Steven Spielberg, Turner Classic Movies is no cable channel. It’s an extension of their identity.
And this week was a shock.
On Tuesday, the network, known as TCM, fired five top executives in a combination of acquisitions and pink slips. Resignations include General Manager Paula Chagnon. Charlie Tavesh, the channel’s lead programmer. Genevieve McGillicuddy, who ran his annual TCM Film Festival. Ann Wilson, Executive Producer. And marketer Dexter Fedor.
The network’s owner, Warner Bros. Discovery, promised viewers would see little change in TCM. Ads are not displayed on the channel. In a memo shared with the press, Kathleen Finch, chairman and chief content officer of the company’s Domestic Networks Group, said, “We protect and celebrate this business, the TCM brand and the films that define our culture. We will continue to do our utmost to achieve that goal.” .
But the channel’s supporters reacted to the cuts with hellfire, interpreting them as further alienation and personal attacks on the art form.
Our cinemas are overwhelmed with superheroes. Our movie studio fell victim to corporate consolidation. FilmStruck, the streaming service of silent-era classics and noir classics, has shut down. And now you’re boned TCM, our last happy place where Orson Welles is blissfully alive and well and “Key Largo” (1948) is still among the summer blockbusters. are you doing it?
Damn you, Ryan Reynolds sounded the alarm On Twitter, he tells his 21 million followers that TCM is part of his life, calling the channel “a sacred corner of film history and a living library of the entire art form.” Journalist and film historian Mark Harris called cut “A Catastrophic Talent Purge” Actor and author Patton Oswalt directly targeted David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. swear at him on twitter “Couldn’t you leave this alone?”
Zaslav often describes himself as a big fan of classic films. He keeps his TCM running in his office, proudly working at the same desk used by Jack Warner, one of the studio’s founders. Zaslav, who took over Warner Bros. last year, has been celebrating the studio’s 100th anniversary in recent months.
Is it just an act?
By late Wednesday, three Hollywood giants, Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson, spoke with Zaslav and released a rare joint statement saying they were “strongly encouraged”.
“We are committed to working together to continue this cultural touchstone that we all hold so dear,” the statement said. “Turner Classic Movies has always been more than just a channel. It has always been a profitable endeavor.”
The directors added, “We have spoken with David separately and together, and it is clear that TCM and classic cinema are very important to him.”
The filmmakers, in fact, said Zaslav contacted them privately earlier this week to discuss restructuring TCM. “We understand the pressures and realities of a large company like WBD, of which TCM is an important part of which he is,” said the directors. “Our main objective is to ensure that TCM’s programs remain unaltered and protected.”
In a business sense, TCM is Warner Bros. Discovery’s financial footnote. Warner Bros. Discovery is a sprawling entertainment conglomerate with approximately 37,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of $34 billion. But like any media mogul, Zaslav is grappling with a no-win situation. Cable television, which has long supported media conglomerates, is in the final stages of decline, which means operating costs must come down. Budget cuts affected all of the company’s many departments.
According to a recent report from PwC, fewer than 50 million households will pay for cable or satellite service by 2027, down from 64 million today and 100 million seven years ago.
So, at least in Warner Bros. Discovery’s view, the tightening of the belts in TCM was more about conservation than extermination. Ben Mankiewicz, Jacqueline Stewart and other TCM hosts will remain in their roles, according to a spokesperson. TCM will continue to pay for access to classic films from all studios. There are no plans to limit the channel to Warner Bros. movies. TCM will also continue to be featured as a “brand hub” for its streaming service, Max.
Michael Owelleen, president of Cartoon Network and other channels, will oversee TCM going forward. He is based in Atlanta. TCM was previously part of his portfolio on an interim basis.
“Michael shares our passion for classic cinema and strongly believes in TCM’s important role in preserving and spotlighting iconic films for future generations of film lovers.” Finch said in a note.
It may be wise to remember that for TCM devotees, the network’s programming is “a dream construct” rather than entertainment, says Owelleen.
