Warner Bros. Discovery says reports of the demise of Cartoon Network Studios are inaccurate, following recent layoffs and mergers affecting the brand.
On Wednesday, Warner Bros. Group confirmed that it had let go of 82 staffers across animation, scripted and unscripted divisions, leaving 43 of those unfilled positions vacant. A memo was sent out by Warner Bros. Discovery chairman Channing Dunney detailing the company's decision -- a decision that had been expected. Additionally, the development and production teams of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios will combine under one division, while Hanna Barbera Studios Europe maintains a separate team, further fueling speculation about Cartoon Network's future.
According to a report from Polygon, however, the consolidating of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios will not affect output or show development, with one Warner Bros. representative confirming that Cartoon Network Studios is still working on multiple projects. Said projects include original animated programming for Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and HBO Max.
There is no confirmation regarding how the merged division will set its priorities, though the report states that will depend on viewer preferences and what Warner Bros. Discovery deems profitable. In the meantime, Cartoon Network Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery will remain distinct individual brands despite the newly-formed division.
The latest set of changes at Cartoon Network Studios coincides with the decreased availability of some of their cartoons, as they've become harder for viewers to find. Additionally, Cartoon Network ratings have been plummeting for some time, seeing a 26 percent dip in viewership in 2021, according to Nielsen data.
Furthermore, the staffing changes follow Discovery's recent acquisition of Warner Media from AT&T. Since the takeover, Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav pledged to cut the company's costs by $3 billion. Those cuts included Infinity Train, a popular series that aired on Cartoon Network from 2019 to 2021 before being moved to streaming services. In August 2022, Cartoon Network removed Infinity Train content from the internet entirely.
Cartoon Network is known for producing several original cartoons over its three decades of existence including Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Ed, Edd n Eddy and Johnny Bravo. It also aired notable anime series like Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon. Additionally, Cartoon Network is known for Toonami, which was originally a weekday afternoon programming block from 1997 to 2004 before being canceled and then relaunched in 2012 as a late-night block on Adult Swim.
Source: Variety, via Polygon