Warner Bros. TV Announces 26% Reduction In Studio Workforce In The Latest Round Of Cuts
Image source: Cartoon Network
It keeps going and going. Another round of cuts has hit the Warner Bros parts of Warner Bros Discovery this week, specifically the television and streaming.
Originally it was announced that the digital short-form programming division Stage 13 and the Warner Bros Television Workshop would be shutting down. Founded in 2017, Stage 13 has been supervised by Warner Bros Television since 2020 and will now absorb any existing Stage 13 projects in development. Warner Bros Television Workshop has been running for more than 40 years. It had been a popular and frequently-pursued pipeline for training emerging writing and directing talent, especially for diverse voices. However, it was announced the next day that the Writers and Directors Workshops within them would be part of the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Unit. It will now be overseen by the unit’s Vice President Grace Moss. This was thanks to the Director’s Guild of America, which pointed out that such programs were mandated through collective bargaining.
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It also came down that Warner Bros Television is shedding 26% of its workforce, which amounts to 125 positions across scripted, unscripted, and animation. Further structural changes occur within these cuts, especially in the latter two. The company combines creative development and programming roles across Warner Horizon Unscripted Television and Telepictures. Bridgette Theriault and Dan Sacks will lead Warner Horizon, while David McGuire will do the same for Telepictures. A complete merger will not occur because of differing union statuses.
The development and main production teams for Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios will be merging in animation. They and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe will continue to be overseen by Sam Register. Output will remain the same as Cartoon Network Studios continues to produce original animated fare for the company’s own outlets like Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and HBO Max. In addition, there will be a renewed push for producing for third-party networks and other platforms, hopefully ensuring a home for the projects turned away from the streamer. A children’s and family series development team will be led by Audrey Diehl, adult animation development by Peter Girardi, and animated long-form series development by Sammy Perlmutter. Bobbie Page will lead the main production.
As of writing, layoffs have also hit WBD Streaming Marketing. However, how much will be eliminated and which side will be hit hardest is unclear.
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