January layoffs at media and entertainment companies are as much a part of ringing in a new year as Hallmark’s romantic comedies are to Christmas, and speaking of, on Wednesday Hallmark Media let an unspecified number of executives go in what it says is a move to “a new, more streamlined structure.”
The layoffs appear to impact a very small number of employees, and in a statement provided to TheWrap, Hallmark characterized the cuts as more of a shift in focus as opposed to a downsizing.
“Hallmark Media organizational changes were announced internally today representing a new, more streamlined structure. As such, some executive leadership roles were eliminated, while new and expanded roles were created in order to forge new opportunities that will strengthen our focus on our core, and build new capabilities for our consumers and viewers,” the statement said. “The Hallmark Media business remains committed to creating compelling content and Hallmark Channel recently closed out the entire 2023 year as the #1 most-viewed cable entertainment network among key demos, demonstrating a clear pathway for continued success.”
The full scale of the layoffs — and whether anyone below the executive level was affected — is not known. The names of the executives who were let go have not been made public, but according to Deadline, which first reported the news, the affected execs are Lara Richardson, Chief Marketing Officer, Pamela Wolfe, Chief People Officer, Robin Thomas, Executive Vice President of Research Strategy, and Judy Lopez, Head of Distribution.
Hallmark’s move follows news earlier on Thursday that Amazon has decided to consolidate the Amazon Studios and MGM teams following a much larger round of layoffs.