After the exodus of prime Fox movie executives and the shutting down of the revered Fox 2000 label as Walt Disney Studios absorbed the 20th Century Fox film operations, the main target shifted to the TV facet.
As we reported, outdoors of TV distribution (home and worldwide), which was anticipated to endure reductions to get rid of redundancies, the mixed Disney-Fox TV operations had been spared of layoffs, with the 20th Century Fox TV, Fox 21 TV Studios and ABC Studios groups left intact to date. (I hear a handful of pink slips could also be coming at this time or Monday).
In an inner memo on Friday, Craig Hunegs, President of Disney Television Studios, who oversees these manufacturing items, indicated they may proceed to perform as stand-alones, with no present plans to consolidate them as some had feared. He additionally confirmed that supplying Disney’s upcoming direct-to client platform could be a most important precedence for the studios.
“As we go forward, each of our studios – ABC Studios led by Patrick Moran, 20th Century Fox Television led by Jonnie Davis and Howard Kurtzman and Fox 21 led by Bert Salke – will continue to carve out unique identities with their own distinctive creative taste,” Hunegs wrote. “I’m here to help bring it all together, to have us work seamlessly as a group. It’s a time of rapid, fundamental change in television and I’ll work with all of you to make sure we have what we need to grow and succeed. I’ll also focus hard on making DTS the absolute best place to work for talent, for executives and for all our employees.”
Earlier within the day, Hunegs’ boss, Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment chairman Dana Walden, additionally despatched an inner memo rallying the TV troops after a tough day for his or her movie counterparts. “Day three, and the energy and excitement inside our newly merged organization is palpable!,” she wrote.
The prime Disney TV govt, Walt Disney TV chairman Peter Rice, despatched his inner memo yesterday. In it, he talked up the 2 sides of the corporate and all of the individuals who work for them. “I’ve found that Disney and Fox are at their heart, remarkably similar businesses,” he wrote on Thursday. “They’re two of the world’s great storytelling companies. Both are populated by extremely talented people driven by a deep commitment to the highest quality artistry and a truly innovative approach to the business of entertainment.”
Here are at this time’s emails from Hunegs and Walden.
Craig Hunegs:
For these of you I haven’t met, I’m Craig Hunegs, President of Disney Television Studios. I really feel so lucky to hitch Disney, to work for Peter and Dana and to guide our distinctive TV studios.
I’m certain you agree, it’s a really distinctive time to create tv and we enter it with nice energy. Across our studios, we have now an unmatched roster of executives and expertise, the best high quality packages and an thrilling lineup of growth initiatives. Disney has networks and streaming companies with an insatiable want for top of the range, numerous packages. We have unprecedented alternatives for our creators to inform tales and contact audiences.
As we go ahead, every of our studios – ABC Studios led by Patrick Moran, 20th Century Fox Television led by Jonnie Davis and Howard Kurtzman and Fox 21 led by Bert Salke – will proceed to carve out distinctive identities with their very own distinctive artistic style. I’m right here to assist convey all of it collectively, to have us work seamlessly as a bunch. It’s a time of speedy, elementary change in tv and I’ll work with all of you to verify we have now what we have to develop and succeed. I’ll additionally focus onerous on making DTS the best possible place to work for expertise, for executives and for all our staff.
An essential measure for us would be the compelling, breakout…
