Earlier this week, Warner Bros. Discovery laid off several execs at Turner Classic Movies, leading many to conclude that the channel’s future may be in crisis. To confront the situation, filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and P.T. Anderson scheduled an “emergency call” with WBD CEO David Zaslav to discuss the issue. So how did the call go?  
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In a follow-up to the story, IndieWire reports that through Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, he, Scorsese, and Anderson released a joint statement about their meeting and sounded optomistic about its results. “Turner Classic Movies has always been more than just a channel,” reads the report. “It is truly a precious resource of cinema, open 24 hours a day seven days a week. And while it has never been a financial juggernaut, it has always been a profitable endeavor since its inception.”
“Earlier this week, David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, got in touch to talk about the restructuring of TCM. We understand the pressures and realities of a corporation as large as WBD, of which TCM is one moving part.
We have each spent time talking to David, separately and together, and it’s clear that TCM and classic cinema are very important to him. Our primary aim is to ensure that TCM’s programming is untouched and protected.
We are heartened and encouraged by the conversations we’ve had thus far, and we are committed to working together to ensure the continuation of this cultural touchstone that we all treasure.”
It comes as little surprise that Spielberg, Scorsese, and Anderson rushed to the aid of TCM. Spielberg and Anderson are on the board of The Film Foundation, a film restoration and preservation organization that Scorsese founded in 1990. And Scorsese frequently champions TCM in interviews. Two years ago, the filmmaker talked to the LA Times about the network’s place in the streaming landscape. I fear for the future of TCM, Scorsese said. “So does everyone else I know who loves movies.
Additionally, Scorsese mentioned TCM is a constant companion of his when he’s in post-production on a film, not matter what movies the network plays. “It gives me something to turn to, to bounce off of, to rest in, to reinvigorate my thinking,” Scorsese continued. “Just glancing at some image or combination of images at a certain moment; it’s more like a presence in the room, a reminder of film history as a living, ongoing entity.”  
Despite the emergency call, it’s not as if Zaslav has it out for TCM. Just two months ago, the WBD CEO joined Spielberg and Anderson at the 14th annual TCM Classic Film Festival, and praised the brand. “I’m a fan, just like you,” he said at the festival’s opening. “If I wasn’t here, I would be sitting with you. I watch Turner Classic Movies all the time. It’s the history of our country, the motion pictures.”
Of course, as the CEO of a major studio, Zaslav needs to say things like that. But for now, the future of Turner Classic Movies remains secure, even if the internal shake-ups at Warner Bros. Discovery continue.