Pola Changnon: Last News

The 15th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival will take place April 18-21, 2024 in its traditional Hollywood Boulevard location with a lineup exploring tales of conflict in cinema under the theme “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film.”

Warner Bros Discovery has finalized the creative-side structure at Turner Classic Movies, a week after directors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson called an emergency meeting with WBD chief David Zaslav about restructuring plans at the channel.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery has walked back its decision to cut longtime Turner Classic Movies programming exec Charles Tabesh following a PR black eye over dramatic cost-cutting changes at the beloved cable network, and announced a partnership with filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson to help curate content at TCM. Tabesh, a 25-year TCM executive who had been slated to leave as part of the downsizing of TCM staff, will now stay in his post and report to Warner Bros. film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, who Variety previously reported were slated to take oversight of the operations at the network.

Variety, in wake of the exit of network head Pola Changnon this week. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav had been considering bringing in De Luca and Abdy for some time, insiders said, to rely on their cinephile instincts and shape the best possible programming slate for the channel — one beloved by Hollywood titans and film fans for its showcase of film history. TCM will still exist with the US Networks Group run by Kathleen Finch. While De Luca and Abdy will advise, a senior executive in charge of operations is expected to be named in the future. Warner Bros. Discovery had no comment on the matter.

Amidst mounting concern for the future of Turner Classic Movies following the latest in restructuring at Warner Bros Discovery, CEO David Zaslav has looked to assuage fears by placing the channel under the control of Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, the Co-Chairpersons and CEOs of Warner Bros Film Group, Deadline can confirm.

Angelique Jackson After Warner Bros. Discovery announced layoffs at Turner Classic Movies (TCM) on Tuesday, filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson conferred with WBD chief David Zaslav about the future of the cinema network. Variety has learned that the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO convened a call with the trio of top filmmakers on Wednesday for guidance following the departure of top TCM execs, including general manager Pola Changnon, who stepped down after more than 25 years with the network and Turner. Spielberg, Scorsese and Anderson are key parties of the Film Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of classic cinema. The Film Foundation was founded in 1990 by Scorsese, with Spielberg serving on its original board of directors and Anderson joining in 2006. In 2022, TCM expanded its partnership with the nonprofit, announcing a multi-year financial commitment to fund education and restoration of classic movies. The expansion was commemorated at this year’s TCM Classic Film Festival, where Spielberg made a special appearance to debut a 4K restoration of the Warner Bros.’ classic “Giant.” In April, Spielberg, Anderson and Zaslav also sat for a Q&A at the festival following a special screening of the 4K restoration of “Rio Bravo,” moderated by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz.

Filmmaking titans Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson will convene with Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav today for an “emergency call” concerning the future of Turner Classic Movies following a recently announced set of layoffs at the beloved pay-TV network, according to a report from Deadline’s sister site Indiewire.

Pola Changnon, who runs Turner Classic Movies (TCM), is the latest executive to leave as part of the Warner Bros. Discovery shakeup.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Warner Bros. Discovery has begun implementing layoffs in its domestic cable group, cuts that will affect about 100 employees across legacy Discovery and Turner outlets. Amid the shuffle, TCM general manager Pola Changnon is leaving the classic movie channel after more than 25 years with TCM and Turner. Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Discovery Family and Boomerang, will oversee TCM, as he did prior to the Warner Bros.-Discovery merger in 2022. The plan for layoffs across Warner Bros. Discovery’s major divisions were signaled late last year when the company faced extreme financial pressure amid rising losses from its streaming operations and the weakening macroeconomy. WBD’s domestic cable channels — including Discovery, TNT, TBS, TLC, HGTV, Food Network and CNN — were once the envy of the industry in terms of viewership and profitability. But the fast-changing pay TV marketplace and the rise of on-demand streaming has upended the reliable cable TV earnings power that made the former Time Warner a dynamo in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Jordan Moreau Discovery exec Kathleen Finch has revealed her revamped leadership team at the newly merged Warner Bros. Discovery after a series of c-suite exits, which includes Tom Ascheim, Brett Weitz and more, Variety has confirmed.Nancy Daniels, who was Chief Brand Officer of Discovery & Factual, will take on content oversight at the Turner networks after the departure of Brett Weitz. She currently oversees male-focused networks like Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Science Channel, will take on TNT, TBS and truTV.