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UPDATE: Warner Bros Lawyers Dig In Garbage Over ‘The … I’m told about 40 mostly producers and writers among the 200 in-house producing staff at TV Guide Network got pink slipped by Lionsgate yesterday. And another 35 or so freelancers in the studio/post/crew/operations group were also let go or had their hours cut back drastically. Yet zero employees on the executive floor were axed. 
“The managers say it wasn’t because of the economy or because the channel is losing money. It’s actually making money. It’s apparently a plan designed to make way for (or make money available for) acquisitions in the new ‘Lionsgate Era’,” an insider points out to me. “And what is the first big ‘genius’ acquisition approved by Lionsgate to ‘relaunch’ the network? The syndicated version of Ashton Kutcher’s Punk’d. Which has already run in syndication. Several times. And we hear they bought 4 theatrical movies to run — 3 from Lionsgate’s library, of course — and they are all big box office stinkers. And the movies are gonna run above the TV Guide listings ‘scroll’ because that’s how you want to watch a movie, on half the screen. That’s worth 70-80 people’s jobs?”
Massive Lay-Offs At TV Guide Network
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The scroll has already been announced as being cut almost from the moment Lionsgate came in, probably by September, which is why many cable systems are quickly jettisoning it either off their system or in the obscurity of digital cable next to the 18 infomercial channels.
I’ve been reading your blog for years now, so I figure it was only a matter of time before I read an article about me. Yes I got the pink slip, yesterday, so that more tired content could hit the airwaves. I hope to fail my way to the Top one day too!
I wouldn’t cry for The TV Guide Network. It is going to be off the air within the next few months anyway. All anybody is doing with this channel is using it to see what is on and that anybody is usually Grandma or Idol fans.
I work at an entertainment company in nyc that’s just laid off another 50 employees after they put 100 or so off at the start of the year. Looking around and seeing how the company is poised to take over a new space and started a new show (with three dozen new employees) that is, by the way, not doing so great and oh yeah, the budget projections are (at least in our department) ahead, one wonders: why are people being let go? I think it’s for more reasons like the one in this story.. the company has a project and employees are expendable and in a recession, it’s easier to get rid of people without shareholders holding executives accountable.
I thought that the Tv Guide channel had shut down cause my Time Warner cable service no longer carries it.
Lions Gate needs to save money for War 2 starring jason Statham and Dane Cook. Dane Cook plays an unfunny comedian who has convinced the heads of a mini major studio that he is superstar when my cousin (Pablo who is a manger at Applebee’s in Sacramento) can draw more people to the cinema than Dane Cook.
Totally worth the jobs. I think the new regime at TVG are planning to hire people that actually KNOW how to write and produce TV. They’re just cleaning out the people who are miserable cheesy E! Entertainment rejects or Matt Singerman flunkies.
Nikki – just want to say, is there any story in Hwood you DON’T break?!!! This story JUST got posted on LA Times.com Company Town….you are the true inside journalist. kudos to you
Lionsgate doesn’t have a clue. They need to look at the top to see why this network was run into the ground. How Matt Singerman still has a job is the real question. Keep the bosses who make the decisions and get rid of the people who have to carry it out at 1/5th the salary makes a lot of sense.
They’re dying to spend some money — TVG pushed Spike to a crazy-high 600k+/episode for off-HBO runs of “Entourage” and they’re getting themselves in the conversation on every expensive off-net sitcom out there.
Dumb way to start a network.
Totally agree. Singerman has got to go! What a looser!! Along with the EPs and SPs over there who obviously don’t know how to run a show. Buh Bye!!! Hopefully Lionsgate brings in some talent and new energy.
Honest to god…how is that so many chiefs continue to collect their fat, unearned paychecks, while the lowly indians get whacked time & time again. The names that sorely need to go…SINGERMAN, O’HARA, WOODWARD. It’s been the blind leading the blind there for so long. Keep soaking up those 0.2 ratings…if that.
Yes! Woodward needs to go too. As mentioned above…”miserable cheesy E! Entertainment reject”
O’hara and Singerman–Dumb and Dumber…somebody please give them the ax!
I feel bad for everyone who were let go. Singerman is the worst! That guy only hires people from his FOX frat, and if they’re blonde that’s a plus. O’hara is his enabler cause he doesn’t have a clue what’s going on. If that guy Adler is still there, he just as a made up title. Carey and Woodward are all part of the E! lay offs over five years ago. They didn’t know about entertainment television then and they don’t know it now. If you actually tell them that they don’t know what they’re doing, they put you on the list to be fired. If you’re smart, talented, and actually know how to produce television; that entire group of piss poor VP’s, SP’s, President don’t want you to work there. And if you do, you will be fired! Good Luck Lionsgate, a word of advice fire the executives they are the weakest link and have been for a longtime!
Yeah baby! Not just Adler. How about Giordano…another Singerman ass kisser. These people took big titles for low pay 5 years ago because they suck so bad they couldn’t get a job anywhere else. Wise up Lionsgate! Look at the shitty product these people have been delivering for the past few years. Speaking of piss poor SPs….will somebody please explain production to Rick Saloomy.
I agree, the talented workers never got a chance to shine there. In all his years Singerman never came up with a hit show but plenty of his buddies got paid to do nothing.
Lisa Germani is the one who should get canned. I mean really – she shows up late everyday if she even bothers to come in, gets extravagant trips approved by her superiors and knows just about zero about television. As others mentioned above – and E! reject. Plus she is so incredible rude and condescending. Why does Singerman keep her there….hmm.
It’s obvious Singerman can’t run the network. I think he might actually know this so he surrounds himself with dummies who keep his little secret. These are people with absolutely no exec. skills, creative skills or leadership skills. The proof is in the failed programming, messy overblown budgets and low morale. TVG is famous in this town for being the most miserable, unprofessional place to work.
Germani does nothing all day except for either get more of a fake spray tan…then come in late, and spends all day talking about which purse or pair of jeans the dumb chick bought over the weekend with her over inflated salary. She does NOTHING, is NOTHING and has pissed off a lot of people. NOT a nice person…but perhaps she kisses Singerman’s ass so that’s why she is still there, sitting behind a desk and shopping online instead of working. Pft…
LISTEN! A COMPANY IS AN ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE ATTEMPT TO MAKE MONEY. EVERYONE IS OUT FOR THE GOOD OF THE BOTTOM LINE — $$$$$.
TO ATTACK PEOPLE ON A PERSONAL LEVEL IS BITTER AND DISGUSTING.
WE HAVE ALL CHOOSEN TELEVISION, ONE OF THE ROUGHEST INDUSTRIES IN THE BUSINESS. BUT IT’S NOT BRAIN SURGERY. SO PICK UP, DUST YOURSELF OFF AND GET JOB HUNTING…
…OR MOVE BACK TO THE MIDWEST AND LIVE IN YOUR MOMMY AND DADDY’S BASEMENT.
With love…
~Does it matter who I am?!
These people are self serving knuckleheads! It’s been a tough few days at TVG. People have lost their jobs during a very trying time and what’s Paul Adler doing? Facebooking about his haircut. DUDE! How old are you? What do you do every morning before you go to work? Click your ruby slippers together and chant “there’s no place like TV Guide…there’s no place like TV guide”
A company is NOT meant to be an artistic and creative attempt to earn money you a-hole! It’s not the ballet.
This is a major media corporation and this is hollywood! There are too many talented people out there who can deliver. Name the names people and then forward this blog to Lionsgate. Does it matter who I am is in fear of his job! “Television is one of the roughest industries in the business” WHAT??????
Man…you do not know how to write!
“roughest industries in the business” That’s a good one!
Now we know why you’re NOT a brain surgeon.
A lot of great crew & staffers, along with Fuglesang and Strasser & Lisa Joyner, were slumming at this place. Fuglesang got in so many brilliant digs on the air today it was priceless.