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☆ Warner Bros. Discovery's sales chief Jon Steinlauf is battling for business in a tough TV ad market. Meet his 8 top deputies.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Discovery's Jon Steinlauf is helping the company rebuild but faces a soft ad market. The task of grabbing a greater share of that ad market falls to chief US advertising sales officer Jon Steinlauf. He'd led its ad sales since 2018, having joined Discovery through its acquisition of Scripps Networks. He also has Warner experience, having served as VP of ad sales for Turner Broadcasting's TBS and TNT networks in the '90s. And it shared with Insider that four of Steinlauf's eight direct reports are women and that 56% of the ad sales leadership team are women.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery CEO says writers' strike will be ended by 'love for the business and the love for working'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Discovery's CEO said he thinks a "love for working" will end the writers' strike. David Zaslav also said the 10,000 striking writers deserved to be paid fairly. Discovery says he thinks the widespread writers' strike will be ended by writers' "love of storytelling and lover for working." While Zaslav lent into emotive arguments to end the strike, he did also suggest writers deserved a better pay package. "In order to create great storytelling, we need great writers," Zaslav said in the interview.

☆ We need to redefine news outside of politics, says Yale's Joanne Lipman on CNN's pivot to center
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe need to redefine news outside of politics, says Yale's Joanne Lipman on CNN's pivot to centerJoanne Lipman, Yale University lecturer, and Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times reporter, join 'Last Call' to discuss Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav's attempt to pivot CNN to a centrist network.

☆ We mapped out the 113 most powerful people at Warner Bros. Discovery after a blockbuster merger and a tumultuous year of layoffs and cuts under CEO David Zaslav
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | Taylor Tyson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav is focused on rebuilding but faces economic headwinds and an advertising slump. Insider mapped out the 112 most powerful people under Zaslav leading WBD film and TV studios, HBO, CNN, and more. One year after the merger that created Warner Bros. While Kathleen Finch has joined the mix with her portfolio of Discovery channels, top TV execs from the WarnerMedia regime — HBO's Casey Bloys and Warner Bros. TV studios chief Channing Dungey — are still in place.

☆ In renaming 'HBO Max,' Warner Bros. Discovery hedges its bets in streaming
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled its new streaming service Wednesday, featuring a combination of programming from HBO Max and Discovery+. Discovery logo is displayed on a smartphone screen and in the background, the HBO Max and Discovery Plus logos. Those who want HBO already know where to find it, and HBO Max will simply morph into Max on most platforms. Warner Bros.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery unveils its revamped 'Max' streaming service
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 12 - Warner Bros Discovery Inc(WBD.O) said on Wednesday it will launch on May 23 its long-awaited new streaming service, christened "Max", which combines HBO Max's scripted entertainment with Discovery's reality shows. The opportunity to better capitalize on the streaming video revolution was one of the justifications for the merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia in 2022. "We are not trying to win the direct-to-consumer spending war," Zaslav assured investors, shortly after the merger was finalized. Zaslav repudiated his predecessor's COVID-19 era strategy of releasing new movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home, via HBO Max. Instead, Warner Bros films would enjoy a traditional theatrical release, and reap box office proceeds, before becoming available on the streaming service.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery unveils revamped 'Max' in push for streaming growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Warner Bros Discovery eliminated "HBO" from the name of the streaming service, which for some viewers connotes bespoke series but repels others. He repudiated his predecessor's COVID-19 era strategy of releasing new movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home, via HBO Max. Instead, Warner Bros films would enjoy a traditional theatrical release and reap box office proceeds before becoming available on the streaming service. It licensed some of these shows to other streaming services, as Warner Bros Discovery looked for new ways to monetize its film and television libraries. Like other media companies, Warner Bros Discovery has yet to turn a profit on its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services, though the company has reduced losses from them.

☆ Shareholder votes offer check on unjustified CEO pay at S&P 500 companies, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Ross Kerber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Compensation for S&P 500 (.SPX) chief executives has soared in recent years even as investors cast more of their advisory "Say on Pay" votes against management, leading to doubts about the ballots' usefulness. Discovery's total shareholder return for 2021 was minus 22%, versus a gain of 29% for the S&P 500. Warner Brothers Discovery, created last year when Discovery Inc bought AT&T's (T.N) media assets, has not set the frequency of its pay votes. To rank CEOs as "overpaid," As You Sow used criteria including shareholder returns, critical shareholder pay votes and the ratio of CEO to worker pay. It noted the average share of votes cast "against" executive pay at S&P 500 companies climbed to 12.6% last year, from 11.7% in 2021 and 10.4% in 2020.

☆ Exclusive: Warner Bros Discovery licenses movies and TV shows to Roku, Tubi
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 31 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery Inc (WBD.O) has reached deals with streaming services Roku Inc (ROKU.O) and Fox Corp's (FOXA.O) Tubi to license 2,000 hours of movies and TV series, as it becomes the latest media company to embrace free, ad-supported streaming TV. The streamers announced Tuesday they plan to use the content to launch Warner Bros-branded free, ad-supported TV (or FAST) channels. For the first nine months of 2022, Warner Bros Discovery's streaming business, which includes HBO Max, lost $1.38 billion. The studio is seeking to capitalize on a growing segment of the streaming universe, which industry executives see as complementing subscription streaming services. AMC Networks Inc (AMCX.O), Comcast Corp's (CMCSA.O) NBCUniversal and the National Hockey League have launched FAST channels over the last year.

Discovery CEO David Zaslav has assembled a Discovery-heavy leadership team to transform the company. Here are the 20 corporate, creative, and business execs charged with helping him pull it off. Discovery merger, CEO David Zaslav faces massive challenges as he tries to pump out cash to pay down debt while slashing billions in costs. Many of the corporate and business leaders Zaslav has assembled are Discovery execs he's worked with closely for years and who were given bigger roles after the merger. These 20 execs, listed alphabetically, are the power players Zaslav has put in place to help him get there.

☆ How Warner Bros. Discovery layoffs, content cuts, and reorganization shocked Hollywood and fired up Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Lucia Moses | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

David Zaslav has been enjoying a stock runup after Wall Street analysts expressed increased optimism about Warner Bros. Discovery, with much cost-cutting behind it and growth ahead as it plans to launch a new streaming service. AT&T's WarnerMedia merged with Discovery in 2022 in a $43 billion deal, creating a content behemoth combining Warner's HBO, CNN, and famed Warner Bros. film studio with Discovery's lifestyle and reality fare. Read more:A new content strategy that could tarnish crown jewel HBOWBD also looked for savings and revenue by shifting its content strategy ahead of combining HBO Max and Discovery+ into a mega streaming service to launch this spring. WBD shocked entertainment insiders by canceling high-profile projects like "Batgirl" and yanking episodes of shows including "Sesame Street" from HBO Max, and it has made other moves that concerned Hollywood creatives.

☆ 12 media executives anonymously predict 2023's biggest deals, trends and changes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Candle Media has acquired intellectual property assets including Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine production company and Moonbug, which owns the animated kids series "CoComelon." Executive 3: Iger extends his contract There's been lots of speculation over who Iger will choose as his successor. History suggests he has a hard time leaving the role of Disney CEO. Christine M. McCarthy, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer The Walt Disney Company. "I love Shari [Redstone], but ViacomCBS is not long for this world as it stands today," said a media executive last year.

☆ David Zaslav's top priority at Warner Bros. Discovery: Get the cash flowing again
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Discovery will generate more than $3 billion in free cash flow this year, about $4 billion next year and close to $6 billion in free cash flow in 2024, according to company forecasts. Warner Bros. The one certainty is Zaslav's decision will be squarely based on how a deal affects the company's free cash flow.

☆ HBO is No. 1 as 14 TV insiders rank the streamers where they want to sell shows: Apple's a big spender and 'there's a sheen when you're a Hulu show,' but there's 'fear in the air' at Netflix
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Elaine Low | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

"It's definitely been not the most exciting and robust year," said one TV agent at a major agency. Around 70 people at HBO and HBO Max have been let go this year, and their comedy development teams have merged. While WBD doesn't break out streamer-specific figures, it said on Thursday's earnings call that HBO Max, HBO, and Discovery+ have a combined 94.9 million subscribers, ensuring that any show on HBO Max has the chance to get a lot of eyeballs. They'll also take smaller swings in the genre department, do things at a lower budget," said the second TV agent. Echoed the first TV agent: "You pitch and sell to them if no one else wants it."

☆ Ad market worse than during lows of the pandemic, says Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The advertising market is currently weaker than at any point during the coronavirus pandemic slowdown of 2020, Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav said at an investment conference Tuesday. Advertisers have reduced spending as the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates to cool inflation, pressuring equities including media companies'. Merging Discovery with WarnerMedia earlier this year has brought a series of unforeseen challenges because some assets were "unexpectedly worse than we thought," Zaslav said. "It's messier than we thought, it's much worse than we thought," Zaslav said.

☆ CNN CEO Chris Licht details layoff plans at all-hands company meeting
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

CNN CEO Chris Licht detailed layoff plans to staff amid tough conditions for parent Warner Bros Discovery. CNN Worldwide Chairman and CEO Chris Licht attempted to assert his authority at an all-hands meeting with staff Tuesday morning about the coming layoffs and his plans for the news organization. Licht took some fire at the all-hands over his previous assertions in June that there would be no major layoffs. He told staff there will be a wider reorganization of newgathering staff. Licht also said there would be no layoffs at CNN Digital, although some newsgathering staff are part of CNN Digital.

☆ 14 TV insiders rank the streamers where they want to sell shows now as Apple TV+ closes in on HBO Max amid turmoil at Warner Bros. Discovery
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Elaine Low | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

☆ CNN CEO Chris Licht is facing an increasingly angry newsroom as more layoffs loom, plans are murky, and staff have lost confidence after 'horrible programming decisions'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

CNN CEO Chris Licht has been faulted by the newsroom for too many changes and not enough communication. Chris Licht needs a hit. "People are starting to believe there is no plan," said one executive familiar with the workings of CNN. "Is Chris Licht going to be there for them and push back on government officials? Many on the ad sales team that was formerly dedicated to CNN have either been pink-slipped or joined the broader ad sales group under WBD ad honcho Jon Steinlauf.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery is swirling with talk of more layoffs and concerns about integrating streamers HBO Max and Discovery+
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Discovery insiders are bracing for another round of layoffs the week of November 7. This round is expected to hit sales support roles as the company looks for $3B in cost cuts. Some are also speculating that the planned streamer combining Discovery+ with HBO Max will be delayed. A second insider said WBD was closely scrutinizing vendor contracts as it tries to find cost savings wherever possible. Questions are also swirling about the company's new streaming service that will combine Discovery+ with HBO Max.

☆ CNN chief Chris Licht has big ideas, but employees are nervous, and more job cuts are coming
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Courtesy: CNNShifting from ZuckerPart of Licht's challenge as the new leader of CNN is he's not the old leader. There's also a hangover effect from the sudden collapse of CNN+, which Zucker pushed relentlessly as the future of the business. The comments heightened anxiety for many CNN staffers, according to six people who were at the company at the time. The changes should also bring workflow alignments to CNN digital and linear, which should help both entities' content and organization. CNN still hasn't named a chief digital officer, although the company's job posting now says it's filled.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav faces 3 key challenges as financial headwinds disrupt his strategy and threaten his promises to Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman crystallized the daunting task ahead for Zaslav and WBD in his August 5 report "Reality First. The honeymoon was short-lived," said one senior Hollywood insider. It turns out there are five, housing some 40,000 employees globally: Warner Bros., HBO Max, the Turner entertainment channel business, CNN, and Discovery. The WBD insider said there isn't a rush to hire a new chief and that the company will continue to meet people. Under the ownership of AT&T, WarnerMedia's financials were buried in its parent's spreadsheets — now as a pure-play entertainment company, Warner Bros.

☆ How Warner Bros. Discovery's reorganization, content cuts, and layoffs have shocked Hollywood and delighted Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-04 | by ( Lucia Moses | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Discovery formed in 2022, combining a rich array of properties from Warner Bros. to CNN. David Zaslav has been enjoying a stock runup after Wall Street analysts expressed increased optimism about Warner Bros. Discovery, with much cost-cutting behind it and growth ahead as it plans to launch a new streaming service. AT&T's WarnerMedia merged with Discovery in 2022 in a $43 billion deal, creating a content behemoth combining Warner's HBO, CNN, and famed Warner Bros. film studio with Discovery's lifestyle and reality fare. WBD shocked entertainment insiders by canceling high-profile projects like "Batgirl" and yanking episodes of shows including "Sesame Street" from HBO Max, and it has made other moves that concerned Hollywood creatives.

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