• HOLLYWOOD
  • WALL STREET
  • SILICON VALLEY
  • WASHINGTON
  • MEDIA
  • FASHION
Get 1 free article
RECENT AUTHORS
  • Matthew Belloni
  • William D. Cohan
  • Dylan Byers

  • Sign In
  • Join Puck
  • Newsletters
  • Authors
  • Podcasts
  • Sign In
  • Join Puck
In The Room

Welcome back, I'm Dylan Byers.

 

You're reading In The Room, my biweekly private email on the intrigue and inside story behind what’s going on in the media industry. 

 

In today’s email: What I’m hearing about the anonymous Reddit post currently circulating among WarnerMedia and Discovery executives, which purports to show the combined company’s “potential leadership structure” after it comes together next month under David Zaslav. The document, I’m told, is mostly bullshit… but not entirely off base.

 

As a reminder, you're receiving the free version of In the Room at {{customer.email}}. Want full access to Puck, to each of my colleagues, and to all of my private reporting? You can subscribe here.

zaslav

The Panic in Zazworld

Discovery and AT&T’s year-long dance will finally be consummated on April 11, replete with a trip to the stock exchange. What happens next is anyone’s guess as tight-lipped C.E.O. David Zaslav has kept his cards close to all those vests of his.

Dylan Byers

DYLAN BYERS

One year ago, David Zaslav, the C.E.O. of Discovery, and John Stankey, the C.E.O. of AT&T who oversaw its ill-advised conquest of the WarnerMedia assets, met for breakfast at a rented Greenwich Village townhouse to start formally discussing what would become one of the biggest media mergers of the decade. Two weeks from Monday, they will officially close that deal, giving birth to a new, Zaslav-led media giant with ambitions to rival the likes of Netflix and Disney. The close of the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger, and the launch of Warner Bros. Discovery, will take place on April 11, sources familiar with the matter tell me. Zaslav and his team are currently making plans to ring the bell on the Nasdaq stock exchange that morning.

 

While the creation of Warner Bros. Discovery is now guaranteed, the organization's corporate structure remains a mystery—even to the vast majority of executives and high-level staff who are poised to be promoted, demoted, or kindly shown the door in the days and weeks after Zaslav takes the helm, sources at WarnerMedia and Discovery told me this week. In the absence of any clear information about the forthcoming org chart, current and future Zaslav lieutenants have adopted a game of high-anxiety telephone, frenzied tea-leaf reading, panic-texting, and trading whatever gossip they can pick up from friends and colleagues...

SUBSCRIBE TO CONTINUE

FOUR STORIES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

cocktail

The Other Oscars

Puck’s first annual, totally subjective and partially grievance-based salute to the interminable Oscar season.

MATTHEW BELLONI

money bag

DeSantis vs. Hawley

The governor’s relative silence on Russia and Ukraine may appeal in Florida, but it could also be the first folly of his ’24 candidacy.

TINA NGUYEN

money bag

Politico's New Establishment

Fifteen years after it broke onto the scene, Politico seems intent on entering its own D.C. sinecure with a new newsroom leader.

DYLAN BYERS

card

Battle of the Bobs

Outgoing C.E.O.s have a habit of hanging around. But Chapek needs to forget about Iger, execute his plan, and let Disney succeed.

WILLIAM D. COHAN

 
swash divider
Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

You received this message because you signed up to receive emails from Puck.

 

Was this email forwarded to you?

Sign up for Puck here.

 

Sent to {{customer.email}}

Unsubscribe

 

Interested in exploring our newsletter offerings?
Manage your preferences.

 

Puck is published by Heat Media LLC.
64 Bank Street
New York, NY 10014

 

For support, just reply to this e-mail.

For brand partnerships, email ads@puck.news

SEE THE ARCHIVES

SHARE
Try Puck for free
  • Featuring unprecedented access to elite journalists.
  • Focused on the inside story at the nexus of Hollywood, Wall Street, Washington, and Silicon Valley.
  • Articles, podcasts, newsletters, conference calls, and more.

Already a paying member? Sign in



  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • FAQ
© 2023 Heat Media All rights reserved.
Become a member

All of the insider knowledge from our top tier authors, in your inbox.

Sign up

Already a member? Sign In

Verify your email!

You should receive a link to log in at .

I DID NOT RECEIVE A LINK

Didn't get an email? Check your spam folder and confirm the spelling of your email, and try again. If you continue to have trouble, reach out to fritz@puck.news.

SIGN UP with Google
SIGN UP with Google
SIGN UP with Apple
SIGN UP with Apple
OR USE EMAIL & PASSWORD
Password strength:

OR
Sign in

Not a member yet? Sign up today

Sign in with Google
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Apple
Sign in with Apple
OR USE EMAIL & PASSWORD
Don't have a password or need to reset it?

OR
Verify Account

Verify your email!

You should receive a link to log in at .

I DID NOT RECEIVE A LINK

Didn't get an email? Check your spam folder and confirm the spelling of your email, and try again. If you continue to have trouble, reach out to fritz@puck.news.

YOUR EMAIL

Use a different sign in option instead

Member Exclusive

Try Puck for free

Use our promo code: DOUBLEDOWN


  • Daily articles and breaking news
  • Personal emails directly from our authors
  • Premium podcast content
Welcome to Puck!

You are logged into a free account as unknown@example.com

Already a member? Sign in with your paid account


Directly Supporting Authors

A new economic model in which writers are also partners in the business.

Personalized Subscriptions

Customize your settings to receive the newsletters you want from the authors you follow.

Stay in the Know

Connect directly with Puck talent through email and exclusive events.