LETTER TO TO STAFF FROM INCOMING TUNER BROADCASTING HEAD
Tue Feb 18 2003 21:08:14 ET
**Exclusive**
From Philip I. Kent
Dear TBS Colleagues,
I'm very happy to be back at Turner Broadcasting, and feel particularly
privileged to be taking on this position at this time in our industry.
You are what has brought me back to this company. I'm looking forward to
working once again with you - incredible people who commit your skills,
intellect, experience and passion to such meaningful enterprises as CNN, Cartoon
Network, TNT and our other networks and sports teams. Whether you work in
programming, sales, distribution or the myriad of supporting functions, I know
you share my excitement about the brands and products of Turner Broadcasting. I
have worked with many of you, in our home city of Atlanta and in every corner of
the globe, and have seen these qualities everywhere.
Those of you who have worked with me before know that, above all, I value
teamwork at all levels of the company and I will ask the senior managers in
particular to help me set that example. With smart, passionate people working
this way - both within Turner and across AOL Time Warner - and backed with the
resources of our company, we can accomplish just about anything. We have many
challenges ahead, but I have enormous confidence in this organization.
We're very lucky to work in a company founded by one of the great entrepreneurs
of the 20th century. Ted Turner's imagination, energy and principles are with
us, regardless of whether he has a corporate title or not. His name is on the
"door" and most of the senior management of this company came up under Ted's
leadership. We will continue to stand for high-quality balanced journalism,
ingenuity in the way we use our resources in both news and entertainment, and a
commitment to improving the world and our own communities.
When I left CNN, I thanked Ted, Scott Sassa, Terry McGuirk, Steve Heyer and
Wayne Pace for the opportunities I have been given in this company. Today, I
want to add my thanks to Jeff Bewkes and Dick Parsons for their belief in me and
the invitation to come back and lead this great organization.
I also want to thank Jamie Kellner for his leadership over the past two years.
Our entire company has benefited from his inspiration and high standards, and I
know you'll join me in wishing him well as he and his wonderful wife and son
return to California, where he'll continue to oversee The WB, a very important
and successful part of AOL Time Warner's Entertainment & Networks Group.
I will try in the next few weeks to meet many of you in divisional meetings and
other gatherings. I prefer the informal to the formal, and there will be many
opportunities to share our thoughts and concerns as I make my way around to our
offices and facilities. I also will make full use of our I.T. capability to do
online chats, videoconferences and the like.
Every one of you who works for Turner makes a contribution to something larger
than all of us. To be part of this, and to work with people you respect and
enjoy, is something I didn't fully appreciate until I had left this company.
Quite simply, it's why I jumped at the chance to come back. We have a lot of
challenging and fun days ahead. I am looking forward to them and I hope you
will, too.
END
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