Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson Release Statement Regarding TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES
Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson have joined forces to fight for the future of Turner Classic Movies.
It was recently announced that several employees were laid off from TCM including executive VP and general manager Pola Chagnon, who had been with the company for 25 years. TCM is a network for film buffs and fans are worried about the future of the network as Warner Bros. Discovery continues to cut budgets and change content.
This led to Spielberg, Scorsese, and Anderson having an emergency meeting with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav about the issue. Then last night, the trio released a statement about TCM's future, and its continued efforts to celebrate and curate films. The statement reads:
"Turner Classic Movies has always been more than just a channel. It is truly a precious resource of cinema, open 24 hours a day seven days a week. And while it has never been a financial juggernaut, it has always been a profitable endeavor since its inception. Earlier this week, David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, got in touch to talk about the restructuring of TCM. We understand the pressures and realities of a corporation as large as WBD, of which TCM is one moving part."
"We have each spent time talking to David, separately and together, and it's clear that TCM and classic cinema are very important to him. 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."
Zaslav previously appeared on stage alongside Spielberg and Anderson during TCM's Classic Film Festival, and indicated that film preservation remained a personal priority for him saying: "The movies taught people the stories of America, the stories of the world and in some ways how to be an American.”
While this sounds promising, there are still a good amount of people that no longer have jobs at TCM.