TCM Twist: Spielberg, Scorsese and PTA to Help Curate as Charlie Tabesh Stays On as Head of Pr

Posted by Larita Shotwell on Wednesday, July 31, 2024

In a cinematic twist, Turner Classic Movies programming executive Charles Tabesh will remain in his post following Warner Bros. Discovery’s public relations black eye over layoffs and dramatic cost-cutting changes at the beloved cable network. Additionally, WBD has set a partnership with filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson to help curate content for TCM.

Tabesh, a 25-year TCM executive who had been slated to leave as part of the downsizing of the network’s 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. Now, they will have an enviable brain trust of some of the most storied names in movies to tap — a group whose credits include “Jaws,” “Raging Bull” and “Boogie Nights.”

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“We have already begun working on ideas with Mike and Pam, both true film enthusiasts who share a passion and reverence for classic cinema that is the hallmark of the TCM community,” Spielberg, Scorsese and Anderson said in a joint statement Wednesday. “This unique arrangement, initiated by David Zaslav, reflects his commitment to honoring the TCM legacy while also involving us on curation and programming. We are thrilled that longtime programmer Charlie Tabesh will be staying with TCM and gratified to know that the team is focused on preserving TCM’s mission of celebrating our rich movie history while at the same time ensuring that future generations of filmmakers and film lovers have TCM as a valuable resource.”

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Tabesh has been senior VP of programming and content strategy at TCM since 2005. News of the departure of Tabesh and TCM general manager Pola Changnon drew outrage from the cinephile community, including Spielberg, Scorsese and Anderson, who had an emergency phone meeting with WBD CEO David Zaslav after the TCM layoffs were announced.

“TCM is a cultural treasure, and we are honored to help steer the future direction of this beloved brand with the partnership of three of the most iconic filmmakers of our time, Steven, Marty, and Paul,” De Luca and Abdy said. “David Zaslav led the charge, driven by our shared love of storytelling, to bring us together for a project about which we are so passionate. Over the last year, we have meaningfully increased our content investment in TCM, and intend to further enhance TCM’s on-air programming and engagement with fans.”

Per WBD’s new org structure, De Luca and Abdy will curate and oversee all creative that is onscreen for TCM, in tandem with the three directors. Distribution, engineering and technological aspects of TCM will remain with WB Discovery’s U.S. Networks group, overseen by Kathleen Finch.

Although the TCM staff cuts were part of broader cost-cutting across WBD, the company says TCM’s content budget has been increased by one-third for 2023.

“TCM is a cultural treasure which WBD is fully committed to safeguarding, supporting, and investing in for the future,” a Warner Bros. Discovery spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. “This year, TCM’s content investment has grown by 30% and we plan to build on that in future years.  That said, TCM is not immune to the very real pressure on the entire linear ecosystem, but we have taken steps to ensure that we stay true to the mission of the network — bringing more titles to the air, driving content investment, and preserving and protecting the culture of cinema. Part of this is the creation of a more sustainable structure behind the screen, one that benefits from the vast resources and promotional engine of WBD’s formidable networks group, so TCM is set up for long term success.”

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