• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, June 21, 2023

Warner Bros. Discovery's latest personnel shakeup, now underway, includes a change in leadership at Turner Classic Movies/TCM, as well as layoffs of executives at other cable TV networks. 

Last year, following April’s WarnerMedia/Discovery merger, the newly created WBD slashed more than 1,000 jobs across its global footprint as it restructured to cut costs. Those layoffs included about 14% of HBO Max’s staff, hundreds at CNN and about 70 at Atlanta studios, Turner Sports and Bleacher Report.

This time around, the layoffs reportedly total about 100.

At TCM, Executive Vice President and General Manager Pola Chagnon, who has been with the company for 25 years and in her current roles since 2020, is leaving. Michael Ouweleen, who previously ran TCM, is being put in charge of the network again. Ouweleen most recently has been president of Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Discovery Family and Boomerang. 

Kathleen Finch, U.S. Group chairman and chief content officer, announced the change in a memo to staff on Tuesday. 

Ouweleen's "vast experience with the brand and its mission will help to ensure a seamless transition," she wrote. "Michael shares our passion for classic films and believes strongly in TCM’s essential role in preserving and spotlighting iconic movies for the next generation of cinephiles. He has full support across WBD, and we look forward to welcoming Michael back to the TCM team,” Finch wrote. ““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. 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.”

Other TCM executives leaving include Charles Tabesh, the network's senior vice president of programming and content strategy; Anne Wilson, VP of studio production; Dexter Fedor, VP marketing and creative; and Genevieve McGillicuddy, VP, TCM Enterprises, according to The Wrap.

Executives at other WBD cable networks now reportedly exiting include Amy Introcaso-Davis, executive vice president, development and production of factual programming for Discovery; Amy Friedman, senior vice president of WBD's Kids & Family division; Gretchen Eisele, Carolyn Gross and Neil Padover, directors of programming and development for Food Network; Paul Lewis, programming and development executive at the Property Brothers: Forever Home network; Andrew Lessner, senior manager of development and production of tentpoles, events and live across Discovery, TBS, TNT, TruTV, Science and Animal Planet; and Danielle Ostroske-D’Ingillo, senior director, development at TLC.

During a Realscreen conference in February, Finch acknowledged the “tough” decisions required to remove operational layers following a merger.