Tom Ascheim, the former Freeform president who joined WarnerMedia in April 2020, is out at the newly merged company. The exec’s role as president of Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics at WarnerMedia has been eliminated. Ascheim previously oversaw Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Adult Swim and Warner Bros. Animation. The exec, who also added oversight of Warners’ Harry Potter franchise and J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World properties, will not be replaced.With Discovery’s Kathleen Finch being handed oversight of WarnerMedia’s linear networks, Ascheim’s role was eliminated. Ascheim is the second WarnerMedia exec to be shown the door following the Warner Bros. Discovery reorganization, with TNT, TBS and TruTV GM Brett Weitz also leaving the company. Both will stay on through a brief transition period.Ascheim was hand-picked by Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff, with whom he previously worked at Nickelodeon where he was part of the team that created Noggin. Ascheim was Noggin’s first employee and GM. Sources say the duo have remained friendly since.“I was fortunate to have two unbelievably exciting years rejuvenating some of the world’s most iconic franchises and IP, and helping create a vision for kids, young adults and classics within Warner Bros. While it’s now time for me to move on, I hope the new Warner Bros. Discovery leadership team will continue to nurture future generations of fans and the incredible teams who are so committed to these brands,” Ascheim said in a statement Wednesday.
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