As a long-time gamer and avid fan of animated shows produced by Nelvana, I’m deeply saddened and frustrated by the recent news that Nelvana Studios is shutting down production and losing key executives like Athena Georgaklis. These are the people behind some of my favorite childhood memories, from “Barney” and “Franklin” to “Babar” and “Rolie Polie Olie.” It’s heartbreaking to see such a storied animation powerhouse facing tough times in an industry that’s rapidly evolving.
The renowned animation company Nelvana, known for creating and disseminating popular children’s TV shows for over half a century, is parting ways with its studio production chief due to Corus Entertainment’s cost reduction measures.
Athena Georgaklis, Nelvana Studios’ vice president with TV credits such as “The Hardy Boys,” “Miss Persona,” and “Camp Lakebottom” as her development and production head, is scheduled to depart from Corus on July 26. Notably, Toronto-based Nelvana, known for producing beloved children’s series like “Barney,” “Franklin,” “Babar,” and “Rolie Polie Olie,” has announced a pause in content creation for the remainder of 2024.
On Friday, a representative from Corus admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that they had decided to halt development projects at Nelvana this week, leading to a few layoffs. However, no further information was disclosed. In July 2023, Integrated Media Company, a private equity firm based in New York, acquired Toon Boom Animation from Nelvana for $111 million. This allowed Corus, Nelvana’s parent company, to reduce its debt.
Restructuring Corus, similar to other Canadian television networks, has struggled to keep up with the industry trend of declining cable subscriptions and decreasing advertising income due to audiences shifting towards streaming services. Meanwhile, the expenses for U.S. programming continue to rise.
As a dedicated gamer, I’ve kept an eye on Corus, a significant player in the market for American series from Hollywood studios. In the scorching heat of June 2024, a shocking announcement came from Warner Bros. Discovery: they were transferring Canadian rights to popular lifestyle brands like HGTV, Food Network, and OWN to Rogers Sports and Media.
“John Gossling, our co-CEO, shared with analysts during a recent call after our Q3 earnings report, that we’re closing underperforming business sectors and putting development projects on hold temporarily. This is to focus on enhancing overall efficiency as part of our strategy.”
Recently, following the departure of Warner Bros. Discovery from Corus, Doug Murphy, the long-term CEO, stepped down from his position. In response, the company announced the promotions of CFO Dan Gossling and Troy Reeb, who oversees programming as executive vice president of networks and content, to co-CEO roles.
As a dedicated gamer and a passionate member of Canada’s media community, I can’t help but feel a pang of sadness and frustration each time I hear about industry announcements like the recent cost-cutting measures at Corus. With approximately 10,000 Canadian media workers under our collective representation, including those in broadcast sectors, my organization – Unifor – stands united with those impacted by these changes.
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2024-07-19 20:55