News Bob Iger outlines the need to transform the Walt Disney Company resulting in 7000 job losses and $5.5 billion in cost savings

[DCBaker]

"At ESPN, the cuts come as Disney tries to figure out the sports-media outlet’s next chapter. Russell Wolff, a veteran executive who oversaw the ESPN+ streaming service, is among those leaving the company, according to people familiar with the situation."

-----

"Mr. Wolff has been with ESPN for 26 years in a variety of roles, including as executive vice president, managing director of ESPN International. It is unclear who will be taking over ESPN+ after his departure."

Full article below.

WSJ News Exclusive | Top ESPN+ Executive Cut in Latest Round of Disney Layoffs

Russell Wolff, a veteran executive who oversaw the ESPN+ streaming service, is among those leaving the company as it pursues its previously unveiled plan to trim 7,000 jobs.

www.wsj.com

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

"At ESPN, the cuts come as Disney tries to figure out the sports-media outlet’s next chapter. Russell Wolff, a veteran executive who oversaw the ESPN+ streaming service, is among those leaving the company, according to people familiar with the situation."

-----

"Mr. Wolff has been with ESPN for 26 years in a variety of roles, including as executive vice president, managing director of ESPN International. It is unclear who will be taking over ESPN+ after his departure."

Full article below.

WSJ News Exclusive | Top ESPN+ Executive Cut in Latest Round of Disney Layoffs

Russell Wolff, a veteran executive who oversaw the ESPN+ streaming service, is among those leaving the company as it pursues its previously unveiled plan to trim 7,000 jobs.

www.wsj.com

Hopefully Personally Steve Smith is fired

 

[MisterPenguin]

FiveThirtyEight Founder Nate Silver Leaving ABC News as Disney Layoffs Continue

ABC News plans to hold onto the FiveThirtyEight brand despite founder Nate Silver's exit.

variety.com

Disney TV Layoffs: Steven Melnick, Sonia Borris, Sharon Merle-Lieberman, Sarah Lindman, Julie Jarmon, Dana Sharpless, Stacey Adams & Dawn Solér Among Execs Leaving Amid Consolidation – Update

Day 1 of Disney's second wave of layoffs is impacting ABC and Freeform's senior programming ranks, Disney TV Studios marketing and its music operations.

deadline.com

 

[Lilofan]

Hopefully Personally Steve Smith is fired

Would save the company $40M salary over 5 years.

 

[Ayla]

FiveThirtyEight Founder Nate Silver Leaving ABC News as Disney Layoffs Continue

ABC News plans to hold onto the FiveThirtyEight brand despite founder Nate Silver's exit.

variety.com

Disney TV Layoffs: Steven Melnick, Sonia Borris, Sharon Merle-Lieberman, Sarah Lindman, Julie Jarmon, Dana Sharpless, Stacey Adams & Dawn Solér Among Execs Leaving Amid Consolidation – Update

Day 1 of Disney's second wave of layoffs is impacting ABC and Freeform's senior programming ranks, Disney TV Studios marketing and its music operations.

deadline.com

Not the least bit sad to see Silver axed.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Not the least bit sad to see Silver axed.

He wasn't.

 

[doctornick]

He wasn't.

Kinda of makes sense if the company is retaining ownership of 538. I wonder how that works - did Disney previously buy 538 entirely or if he still had some sort of ownership stake while working there.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Unfortunately, that self-serving, arrogant, egotistical, greedy, uncreative and manipulative layer of upper management will be the last to feel any pain. Multiple layers of employees will suffer well before the upper levels feel anything.

Care to revisit this?

 

[Magenta Panther]

If Latoya Raveneau isn't fired, that will signal to the general public that nothing substantive will change at the Robert Iger Company.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Care to revisit this?

Why? The point is valid.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Why? The point is valid.

VPs, SVPs, and EVPs are being laid off left and right.

 

[Lilofan]

VPs, SVPs, and EVPs are being laid off left and right.

Probably means company doesn't need their admin assistants also. When my execs were let go , their secretaries got the ax too.

 

[Ayla]

He wasn't.

Laid off = axed. While Silver is claiming he'll be leaving when his contract ends, it's the same thing.

 

[Lilofan]

Yes. Fully agree with you. Unfortunately, that self-serving, arrogant, egotistical, greedy, uncreative and manipulative layer of upper management will be the last to feel any pain. Multiple layers of employees will suffer well before the upper levels feel anything. Oh! but those executive bonuses will be paid out, count on that. Aahhhh let us not forget the walking talking monetary resources, yes, the customers, tourists, travelers and fans who are merely looked at as money sources to be exploited. Hopefully there is some humbling at the top but I believe for that to truly happen there will be a lot more pain first.

The ones that are high profile execs will make media news in terms of " leaving the company ". The rank and file among the 7K being laid off will not make the news reports. Rank and file severance will not be like the golden parachute some execs would receive to " leave the company ".

 

[doctornick]

Why? The point is valid.

I think the point is that numerous well paid executives are part of these cuts, so the idea that only lower level folks would be impacted and higher ups would be protected doesn't seem valid.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

It’s amazing how large Disney really is, I didn’t even realize they owned 538 until I read about their layoffs.

 

[DCBaker]

"Day 2 of Disney’s second wave of layoffs has involved staff reduction in unscripted/alternative and PR so far. We will update with more as we hear today.

On the unscripted side, leaving are Alicia Martino, VP, Alternative Series at Walt Disney Television Alternative and Marc Buhaj, VP, Unscripted Series and Specials, Disney Branded Television.

Also leaving are Claire McCabe, VP, Brand Partnerships and Kids and Meghan de Boer, Executive Director, Brand Partnerships and Kids. The pair were promoted last year as part of a restructuring of Disney Branded Television’s unscripted and non-fiction arm.

George Monas, an unscripted production executive at Freeform, is also leaving.

On the PR Side, departing as part of the layoffs is Ryan Aguirre Executive, Director, Publicity, at Disney Television Studios."

Disney TV Layoffs: Cuts In Animation, Syndication, Marketing, PR & Unscripted Lead Day 2 – 2nd Update

UPDATED: Day 2 of Disney’s second wave of layoffs has involved staff reduction in first-run syndication, unscripted/alternative as well as marketing and communications. Disney TV Animation, responsible for 1,200 half-hours of animated content, including Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, is...

deadline.com

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Laid off = axed. While Silver is claiming he'll be leaving when his contract ends, it's the same thing.

Silver was neither laid off nor axed.

 

[Lilofan]

Silver was neither laid off nor axed.

Nicer way to say he said he's leaving at end of contract when it ends soon instead of being described as being fired and or laid off.

 

[DCBaker]

"Day 2 of Disney’s second wave of layoffs has involved staff reduction in unscripted/alternative and PR so far. We will update with more as we hear today.

On the unscripted side, leaving are Alicia Martino, VP, Alternative Series at Walt Disney Television Alternative and Marc Buhaj, VP, Unscripted Series and Specials, Disney Branded Television.

Also leaving are Claire McCabe, VP, Brand Partnerships and Kids and Meghan de Boer, Executive Director, Brand Partnerships and Kids. The pair were promoted last year as part of a restructuring of Disney Branded Television’s unscripted and non-fiction arm.

George Monas, an unscripted production executive at Freeform, is also leaving.

On the PR Side, departing as part of the layoffs is Ryan Aguirre Executive, Director, Publicity, at Disney Television Studios."

Disney TV Layoffs: Cuts In Animation, Syndication, Marketing, PR & Unscripted Lead Day 2 – 2nd Update

UPDATED: Day 2 of Disney’s second wave of layoffs has involved staff reduction in first-run syndication, unscripted/alternative as well as marketing and communications. Disney TV Animation, responsible for 1,200 half-hours of animated content, including Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, is...

deadline.com

See below for an update to the article above.

"Disney’s first-run syndication operation has been dissolved. Departing as part of that is Brent Jones, director and head of production finance & operations for first-run syndication.

Also leaving are VP Kim Harbin, a respected communications executive who has been at Disney for 25 years, as well as Tom Connor, VP Creative Marketing. Their functions will be absorbed by the marketing divisions of the brands that carry the syndicated shows.

Once a major force in the space, Disney-ABC’s syndication division was split into two a couple of years ago, with off-network sales moving to the DMED division that is now being dismantled. The first-run syndication unit, which remained within Disney Entertainment, is now going away. Like other media companies, Disney has largely pulled away from that increasingly challenging daytime syndication business over the past couple of years, with its most recent hit, Tamron Hall, moving under ABC News oversight in 2021.

In PR, in addition to Harbin, leaving are two other well-respected veterans: Patti McTeague, SVP Disney Branded Television Publicity and a fixture in Disney kids and family television for more than two decades, including a long tenure at Disney Channels Worldwide; and Lisa Schreibfeder, Director, Communications and PR, Disney+, the top publicity executive at the streamer, who has been at Disney for 22 years.

The marketing team at Disney+ has been dissolved, with Trevor Kelley, SVP of marketing; Chris Bettes VP, Global Marketing; Angie Poston, VP, Marketing Strategy, and Natalie Benson, director digital marketing all leaving."