Sam Register, President of Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, is departing after three decades at the company. The news was announced internally Tuesday by Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group and U.S. Networks, to whom he reported.
“It’s with mixed emotions that I announce the studio and our head of animation, Sam Register, have mutually agreed not to renew his contract,” Dungey said in the memo to WBA staff.
She said that there will be a search for replacement, which is notable in light of Warner Bros parent Warner Bros Discovery’s pending acquisition by Paramount, which has its own animation operation and leadership. It is unclear whether Register’s departure is connected to the transaction.
In the meanwhile, Matt Matzkin will continue to lead Business Operations, and the current creative department heads — Jay Bastian (Current Series), Jason DeMarco (Anime & Action Series), Audrey Diehl (Kids & Family), Sarah Fell (Hanna-Barbera Studios, UK), Peter Girardi (Alternative Programming/Adult) and Sammy Perlmutter (Long Form & Specials) — will lead their respective departments, Dungey said.
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Register, who was appointed by the previous Warner Bros TV Group regime, joined WBA in November 2007 as a producer with a development and production deal and was named EVP Creative Affairs a year later. He was promoted to president in 2014. Prior to that, Register was a producer and senior animation executive at Cartoon Network for 10 years.
With basic cable on the decline and HBO Max pulling away from kids and family original programming, Register’s domain has undergone contraction since Warner Bros Animation’s heyday.
“It’s time for me to move onto the next chapter in my life, and I’m grateful to have Channing’s support as I exit Warner Bros Animation,” he said. “It’s been an amazing ride and I want to extend my sincere thanks to all the great people I’ve worked with — we’ve built some incredible things together. I wish you all the best moving forward, and I’m excited to explore all the possibilities in my future.”
The news of Register’s departure was first reported by Variety.
