After all the furor over the layoffs of Turner Classic Movies’ top brass, which saw the ousting of longtime executives who’d been key to steering the brand to the level of adoration its fans feel for it, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson are here to sound a moderating note.
In a joint statement released via Spielberg’s production company, Amblin, the three directors go out of their way to praise Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
“Turner Classic Movies has always been more than just a channel,” the statement reads. “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.”
As to what that could mean — bigger plans for the brand that involve the directors? — what’s at stake is more than TCM’s survival. TCM was shaped into what it is because of the passionate cinephiles in executive roles. A brand is powered by the people who work at it day to day. What follows will be, at the very least, a different TCM.
One thinks of what writer and film journalist Mark Harris wrote on Twitter earlier today: “David Zaslav may answer this by saying, ‘But we’re not folding TCM.’ But TCM isn’t just a library, it’s a small, intense, and exceptional talent pool. It isn’t defined simply by its content, but by the people who curate and nurture it. That is true of all great culture brands.”
