Turner’s EMEA staff at risk of redundancy as Gerhard Zeiler’s restructuring gets underway

Turner Broadcasting’s international boss Gerhard Zeiler has appointed a five-strong management team that will conduct a wide-ranging review of its business. All of Turner’s UK staff are involved in a consultation and Turner said it expects redundancies and other adjustments to its operations.

The organisational review affects all of EMEA, although the consultation process is UK-only.

A spokesman added that the consultation does not mean that every position is at risk and that the consultation process should be complete within a couple of months.

Zeiler’s new senior management team comprises Pete Flamman who will oversee kids, Jaime Ondarza who will run Turner’s operations in Italy, France and UK, Domingo Corral in Iberia, Hannes Heyelmann in German-speaking territories and Rani Raad in Turkey, Middle East and Africa. Raad also retains his role as senior VP, CNN International.

Zeiler announced he was leaving the position of RTL CEO to become president of TBS International in February and joined in April.

Since then TBS, president of EMEA, Jeff Kupsky has departed the company and further changes are imminent.

Zeiler reports to Turner Broadcast Systems chairman Phil Kent.

Turner denied that Zeiler’s review of operations has had an impact on programming strategy at any of its channels, although multiple sources tell TBI that programming staff are reticent to make any key decisions while uncertainty prevails about the structure of the Time Warner-owned company’s various operations, which include Cartoon Network, CNN, TCM and TNT.