The staff of Fifth Season has been hit with layoffs for the second time this year.
30 staffers — roughly 12% of Fifth Season’s workforce — were let go on Thursday, following the layoffs of eight staffers in April. This time, a spokesperson for the company said that the reduction was caused by “impact on business operations as a result of the ongoing dispute between the AMPTP and WGA & SAG-AFTRA.”
The spokesperson indicated that among the 30 layoffs were people in “executive and administrative roles,” and a source close to the situation tells PvNew that none of the impacted executives were in C-suite positions.
While the exact staffers let go from the company are not yet known, those who exited in April included Sharon Liggins, comms chief; Shelby White, director, TV creative; Daniell Gerber, VP physical production; Kyle Plimpton, manager, TV creative; Ryan Bernstein, director, film creative; Beth McPhee, SVP, marketing; Josh Workman, manager, travel coordinator; and Jennifer Saull, counsel, TV business and legal affairs.
Read the full statement regarding the layoffs below.
Today we made the difficult decision to reduce Fifth Season’s headcount due to the impact on our business operations as a result of the ongoing dispute between the AMPTP and WGA & SAG-AFTRA. This resulted in the loss of 30 positions across executive and administrative roles, approximately 12% of our workforce. Our team is extraordinary and the reduction of staff by even one individual, let alone many, is heartbreaking. We are hopeful the growing financial, creative, and emotional toll of these strikes can be curtailed with a swift resolution and that every person in our industry can return to the business we are all passionate about: storytelling. We will emerge from this period well-positioned and ready to return to producing great films and television series.
