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TCM Twist: Spielberg, Scorsese and PTA to Help Curate as Charlie Tabesh Stays On as Head of Programm
By Jennifer Maas/Variety
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.”
“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.”
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.
Read more: https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/tcm-spielberg-scorsese-paul-thomas-anderson-partnership-charlie-tabesh-1235656973/