Posted on July 20, 2018

Paramount Fires President of TV Unit

Joe Flint, Wall Street Journal, July 19, 2018

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Amy Powell, who ran the unit for five years, was let go because of comments “inconsistent with our company’s values,” said Paramount Pictures Chairman and Chief Executive Jim Gianopulos in a memo to the studio.

The firing came after an investigation by Paramount’s human resources and legal team this week after complaints were made about Ms. Powell’s conduct, according to the memo. “It is imperative that we uphold our values and ensure that all employees feel safe and included in the workplace,” Mr. Gianopulos said.

While the memo doesn’t disclose what Ms. Powell said, a person familiar with the matter said the remarks in question were “racial in nature.” Specifically she made remarks on a conference call about black women being angry and about black children being raised by a single parent.

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The call was in relation to a TV reboot of the movie “The First Wives Club” that Paramount Television is making for its sister cable channel, Paramount Network.

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Later, through a spokesman, Ms. Powell said, “There is no truth to the allegation that I made insensitive comments in a professional setting — or in any setting. The facts will come out and I will be vindicated.”

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Paramount’s TV division is seen as a crucial engine for reviving the studio, which has struggled in recent years. Once one of the top studios, Paramount had all but abandoned the television business when its parent, Viacom, spun off CBS Corp. more than a decade ago. In 2013, Paramount re-entered the TV business with Ms. Powell at the helm.

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