Walking Excel spreadsheet David Zaslav has been winning over film fans and critics after his ascension to CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery by shelving completed films, gutting streaming services, and now firing the leadership of Turner Classic Movies. Those fired include executive VP and general manager Pola Changnon; senior VP of programming and content strategy, Charles Tabesh; VP of brand creative and marketing Dexter Fedor; VP of enterprises and strategic partnerships Genevieve McGillicuddy; and VP of studio production Anne Wilson. In other words, all the people who made the programming decisions for one of the few remaining bastions of mainstream cinephilia.
The grotesque move — potentially an opening salvo before shuttering the channel completely or turning it into HGTV8 — is one more blow to movies made before 1985 and public film education. TCM is a cultural touchstone still very active in birthing new cinephiles and deepening an appreciation for films of all kinds. It’s also one more item on the chopping block toward the widgetification of art under Zaslav’s leadership.
In fact, Zaslav’s anti-movie decision has united Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson in setting up an emergency call with the CEO to see what can be done to 1) keep the leadership and 2) save TCM. It’s unclear what it might accomplish, but at the very least it looks like Warner Bros. Discovery has made some heavy enemies.
Hilariously, this all comes on the heels of Zaslav claiming that he wants Warner Bros. to be a safe haven for directors — a go-to studio for the best storytellers in the world. How’s that going so far, Mr. Zaslav?
(via IndieWire)
