Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has ordered a fresh round of layoffs that will impact nearly 100 workers at its domestic cable channels.
The pink slips will affect workers across WBD’s general entertainment channels, primarily those in the Turner and Discovery portfolios, and will see the departures of several key executives.
Pola Changnon, the general manager of Turner Classic Movies (TCM), will leave the company as part of the job cuts. Michael Ouweleen, the president of WBD’s children’s cable channels (Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Discovery Family), will succeed Changnon at TCM.
“While change is never easy and can create a sense of uncertainty, I want to assure you that we remain fully committed to this business, the TCM brand, and its purpose to protect and celebrate culture-defining movies,” Kathleen Finch, the chief content executive in charge of WBD’s U.S. cable networks, wrote in a memo to staff on Tuesday. “As storytellers, that is our legacy, and we will continue bringing the history and impact of classic films to life on-air and in other ways.”
Additional layoffs are expected at WBD later this summer, and could impact workers at the company’s film and television production studios. The pink slips are part of a broader restructuring effort meant to save $1 billion in expenses.
