LOS ANGELES — Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav addressed the significant cuts made at the company during the last six months, framing them as part of a fundamental “rethinking and reimagining” of how the media giant works as the entertainment industry endures a period of dramatic transformation.
Since the April merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc., the combined firm has shed hundreds of jobs from units including Warner Bros. Television, HBO and HBO Max and Turner networks. CNN head Chris Licht recently told staff to brace for budget cuts, and the news network has pulled back on commissioning original films and series. The company has mothballed projects including “Batgirl” and pulled shows including “Sesame Street” from HBO Max, causing anxiety among directors, writers and producers.
But speaking bluntly to analysts on Thursday, Zaslav made no apologies for such cuts.
