Charles Labesh is the chief programmer for Turner Classic Movies. He’s posted a thank you for all the support he got from the public when he was temporarily fired last week in the David Zaslav purge. Around 70 TCM staff including all the main execs were let go. It became such a scandal that Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson had to intervene. They spoke to Zaslav, owner of Warner Discovery, and got him to reinstate Labesh. The three directors will now be involved with TCM as well.
Labesh wrote: “The support for TCM, and for me, has been wonderful. I just want to say that it’s always taken a true team to make it work. There are too many people to name so I won’t, but the talent and dedication has always been across the network. I know how lucky I’ve been to work with them”
One more TCM note: Apparently part of the cuts to the channel was eliminating the hosts’ outros when the movies are done. The popular feature will vanish over the next few days, but since the uproar will return in the fall.
The support for TCM, and for me, has been wonderful. I just want to say that it’s always taken a true team to make it work. There are too many people to name so I won’t, but the talent and dedication has always been across the network. I know how lucky I’ve been to work with them
— Charles Tabesh (@ctabesh) July 4, 2023
