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Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is attempting to calm the waters after stirring up a storm over Turner Classic Movies earlier this week. Zaslav is moving oversight of the channel to Warner Bros. Pictures bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, sources with knowledge of the situation tell The Hollywood Reporter.
The move is meant to reassure the film community after WBD announced a restructuring this week that saw TCM chief Pola Changnon exit after 25 years, along with key team members.
The move worried cinephiles and sparked an outcry, culminating with Zaslav having a call with filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson. On June 21, the trio released a joint statement, which read in part, “Our primary aim is to ensure that TCM’s programming is untouched and protected. We are heartened and encouraged by the conversations we’ve had thus far, and we are committed to working together to ensure the continuation of this cultural touchstone that we all treasure.”
According to sources, putting TCM under the auspices of De Luca and Abdy — executives who are well regarded in the film community — will satisfy Spielberg, Scorsese and Anderson. The hope is the trio will be involved in curating for the channel. It’s unclear at this stage if any of the TCM staff who departed earlier this week could return, but sources say WBD is prepared to spend more money on the channel and will not consider selling it.
On June 20, WBD announced Michael Ouweleen, the president of Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Discovery Family and Boomerang, would assume oversight of TCM, reporting up to WBD TV networks chief content officer chief Kathleen Finch.
Under the arrangement revealed Friday, Finch and Ouweleen will be administrators on the business side, while De Luca and Abdy will manage the channel on the creative side.
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