In a follow-up to its 2021 report “Damaged Guarantees: Media Mega Mergers and the Case for Antitrust Reform,” the Writers Guild of America West has issued a bulletin on the fallout of final yr’s WarnerMedia/Discovery merger, leading to Warner Bros. Discovery and main content material purging and cancellations for HBO Max. Many animated favorites and extremely anticipated tasks had been among the many titles axed for tax write downs to assist repay the estimated $4.1 -5.3 billion restructure.
“Warner-Discovery is the newest disastrous merger to exhibit the harms of consolidation, and significantly the menace to variety when gatekeepers mix to extend their energy,” mentioned WGAW Director of Analysis and Public Coverage Laura Blum-Smith. “Virtually instantly after closing, Warner Bros. Discovery broke the hole guarantees it had fabricated from merger advantages. In consequence, writers — together with many ladies and other people of shade — have misplaced alternatives and future earnings, whereas customers are left with decreased selection and selection of content material.”
WGAW factors out that going into the merger, Warner and Discovery mentioned it will “enable the brand new firm to spend money on extra unique content material and create extra alternative for underrepresented storytellers.” However in lower than a yr, Warner Bros. Discovery has laid off a whole bunch of staff and jettisoned $2 billion in content material.
One of many content material creators including their voice to the brand new Damaged Guarantees bulletin is Lisa Hanawalt, whose acclaimed animated collection Tuca & Bertie was confirmed canceled in November after three seasons.
[c/o Netflix]
“I initially created Tuca & Bertie for Netflix, however once they cancelled it after only one season, we fought to get the collection picked up at Warner’s Grownup Swim community,” Hanawalt shared. “The ladies-led collection had been a cult hit and a important darling — the Warner execs knew it wanted promoting assist and time to develop viewers within the male-dominated grownup animation house.
“However the merger went by means of proper earlier than the latest season launched, and nearly everybody who labored on the Tuca & Bertie advertising and marketing workforce was laid off. Then, a number of of the present’s foremost executives at Grownup Swim and HBO Max left within the turmoil. Deliberate advertising and marketing tasks to advertise the brand new season didn’t occur. Then we discovered the present had been cancelled.
“It’s already tougher for reveals centered on ladies, and this merger price us the assist we would have liked to thrive.”
Tuca & Bertie premiered on Netflix in 2019 and was then picked up by Warner’s Grownup Swim for seasons two and three (2021-2022). Boasting a 99% critics’ score and 83% viewers rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the present just lately obtained nominations from the Writers Guild of America Awards (Animation) and fiftieth Annie Awards (Greatest TV/Media-Mature, Greatest Writing-TV/Media) for the S3 episode “The Ache Backyard,” written by Hanawalt. The collection beforehand received the Annie for TV writing in 2020 (Shauna McGarry) and the WGA Award for Animation in 2022.
The bulleting factors out that with out authorities intervention and the return of antitrust protections within the U.S., the development of large firm mergers “will probably proceed till it leaves simply three or 4 corporations controlling all content material,” to the detriment of each creators and customers.
Congressman Joaquin Castro (– San Antonio) commented on the WGA report, “These telling accounts from TV writers affirm that this merger undermines hard-fought progress to construct an leisure business that displays the American public. Antitrust regulators should do extra to forestall mergers of this magnitude from stomping out competitors. We have to defend customers, staff and content material creators from the dangerous results of media consolidation.”
In August of final yr, 400 members of the Writers Guild signed the “WGA Animation Pledge,” committing to battle for WGA protection of all animation tasks. The Guild’s board of administrators additionally arrange an Animation Writers Organizing Committee in assist of this mission to safe higher protections for writers working in animation.
[Source: WGA]
