As a result of recent layoffs and acquisitions that have an impact on the brand, Warner Bros. Discovery claims that reports of the collapse of Cartoon Network Studios are untrue.
Warner Bros. Group announced on Wednesday that it had fired 82 employees from its animation, narrative, and unscripted businesses, leaving 43 open positions. Channing Dunney, the chairman of Warner Bros. Discovery, issued a memo outlining the company's anticipated conclusion. Further feeding rumours regarding Cartoon Network's future is the fact that the creative and production teams of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios will consolidate under one division while Hanna Barbera Studios Europe remains a separate crew.
However, a report from Polygon claims that the merger of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios won't have an impact on production or the creation of new shows. A Warner Bros. official confirmed that Cartoon Network Studios is still engaged in a number of ongoing projects. The projects in question include original animated series for HBO Max, Adult Swim, and Cartoon Network.
The article indicates that the united division's goals will be determined by viewer preferences and what Warner Bros. Discovery considers profitable, but this has not been confirmed. Despite the recent breakup, Cartoon Network Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery will continue to exist as separate, independent entities.
The most recent set of adjustments made by Cartoon Network Studios coincide with some of their animated shows being less accessible to viewers. Additionally, Cartoon Network ratings have been declining for some time; according to Nielsen data, viewership fell by 26% in 2021.
Additionally, the personnel adjustments come after AT&T's recent sale of Warner Media to Discovery. President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav has promised to reduce expenses by $3 billion since the takeover. Among those axed programmes was the well-liked series Infinity Train, which ran on Cartoon Network from 2019 to 2021 before being shifted to streaming sites. Cartoon Network completely took down Infinity Train content from the internet in August 2022.
Over the course of nearly three decades of existence, Cartoon Network has produced a number of original animated series, including Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Ed, Edd & Eddy, and Johnny Bravo. It also broadcast well-known anime series including Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z. Additionally, Toonami, which debuted as a late-night block on Adult Swim in 2012 after being terminated in 2004, is another popular programme on Cartoon Network. It was previously a weekday afternoon programming block from 1997 to 2004.
