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renew: Details start to emerge about the first wave disney layoffs. It involved integrating the production operations of Disney TV Studios, Hulu, Freeform and FX under the leadership of Carol Turner, as well as closing the studio’s creative buying arm.
carol turner
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Mark LevensteinSenior Vice President of Production, Hulu, and jayne bieberFreeform’s senior vice president of production management and operations is leaving as Turner, executive vice president and head of production at ABC Signature, is taking on a larger role as Disney Entertainment’s network and platform production of scripted television consolidates under her leadership. Nissa Diederich, Executive Vice President and Head of Production at 20th Television, and Nick Lombardo, Senior Vice President and Head of FX Production, will now report to her.
In her new role, Turner will report to Eric Schrier of Walt Disney Television Studios and Global Original Television Strategy for Disney Entertainment.
also, Elizabeth Newman, the vice president of development who oversaw creative acquisitions at Disney Television Studios at 20th Television is leaving, and the unit will be disbanded. Its functions will be absorbed by the studio.
Creative Sourcing, launched in 2021, with the goal of identifying and securing the rights to upcoming bestsellers, podcasts, news stories and other intellectual property that can be sourced from showrunners, writers, directors and talent from ABC Signature and 20th Television Roster development for platforms like ABC, Hulu, Freeform, FX, Disney+, NatGeo and more.
Newman initially co-run the division with Jordan Moblo, who soon left to join Netflix and later Universal Studios.
Production has been one of the areas that has been consolidated quite often, with many TV companies merging operations from multiple divisions over the past few years.
Disney CEO Bob Iger this morning comfirmed The first of three rounds of layoffs will begin this week as the company looks to shed about 7,000 workers.
The second and biggest one is scheduled for April, when Disney’s TV business is expected to take a big hit. A third and final round of notifications is expected before the start of summer.