Cartoon Network’s future in doubt as Warner Bros. Discovery slashes costs

The future of The Cartoon Network has been thrown into question as the cable channel gets gutted by corporate parent Warner Bros. Discovery, whose CEO David Zaslav is looking to trim at least $3 billion from the sprawling media giant.

The media company, which also owns HBO, CNN, Food Network and Warner Bros. movie studio, recently took aim at the Cartoon Network Studios, home to “Powerpuff Girls” and “Dexter’s Laboratory” when it laid out plans to merge it with Warner Bros. Animation, which has produced classics like “Looney Tunes,” “Scooby Doo” and “Tom & Jerry.”

The plans coincide with sweeping layoffs at parent division Warner Bros. TV, which saw 82 jobs cut and 43 open positions eliminated on Tuesday.

Warner Bros. TV CEO Channing Dungey told staffers at the time that Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Animation will share“development and main production teams,” which according to The Verge, doesn’t bode well for the future of Cartoon Network.

Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Animation, home to “Scooby-Doo,” will merge its production teams, stoking concerns of their future at parent Warner Bros. Discovery.

©Warner Bros/courtesy Everett C

The publication said “it’s tough to see how two separate production branches that once had their own budgets could possibly maintain their old levels of output after being made to share resources this way.”

A source close to the situation said fear of the Cartoon Network going away is “BS” and is driven by changes at Warner Bros TV.

“Speculation that Cartoon Network is going away is categorically false,” a rep for Cartoon Network told The Post. “Cartoon Network Studios has moved under the leadership of WBTV and will continue to create great content for the network, as will Warner Bros Animation and beyond. In 2023, Cartoon Network is slated to premiere more new and returning originals than at any other time in its history and much of that content will also be available to audiences on HBO Max.”

Polygon reported that a rep from Warner Bros. said Cartoon Network “is not disappearing” and has “many projects in development.”

Media outlets suggested that Cartoon Network, known for “Dexter’s Laboratory” and other popular shows, is being gutted by Warner Bros. Discovery.

©Cartoon Network/Courtesy Evere

Still, media outlets pointed to steep cuts in production at Cartoon Network, whose hit shows “Jessica’s Big Little World” and “Craig of the Creek,” have had their season episode orders cut back by much as 50%, which may indicate the network is suffering a slow death.

In recent months, Warner Bros. Discovery has zeroed in on cutting expensive, profit-losing projects. Earlier this year, the company made headlines when it pulled “Batgirl” before it hit theaters, and canceling shows like J.J. Abrams’ pricey unreleased “Demimonde” series.