The Apex Times
Above the Noise
Culture Wire
CultureAlison Arngrim says she will reprise a role in Netflix’s “Little House on the Prairie” reboot, offering advice to the new NellieThe Apex TimesCultureL7 bassist Jennifer Finch dies at 59, weeks after announcing aggressive brain cancer battleThe Apex TimesCultureLuke Wilson Reacts to Reported Development of ‘The Family Stone’ Sequel, Written by Tom BezuchaThe Apex TimesCultureTom Holland says he felt he “could relax” after learning Robert Pattinson was cast in Christopher Nolan’s The OdysseyThe Apex TimesCultureLena Headey Says Hollywood Offers “Weird Protection” to “Predatory Men,” Responds to Backlash Over ‘Game of Thrones’ NudityThe Apex TimesCultureChristopher Nolan Says “The Odyssey” Pushed Him to “Hit the Limits” of His Stamina, Plans Next Film “At Least” 3 Years OutThe Apex TimesCultureBAFTA Student Awards Name Honorees From Spain, France, China and the United States at Los Angeles CeremonyThe Apex TimesCulture‘Today’ show intruder allegedly filmed on camera before storming studio, Page Six reportsThe Apex TimesCultureFreddy “Boom Boom” Cannon, Early Rock & Roller Behind Hits Like “Tallahassee Lassie” and “Palisades Park,” Dies at 89The Apex TimesCultureTaylor Sheridan Co-Writes Peter Berg’s ‘Call of Duty’ Film Set in the ‘Modern Warfare’ Universe, Studio Dates 2028 ReleaseThe Apex TimesCultureDwayne Johnson’s latest film “Moana” remake underperforms at the box office in early numbers, according to reportsThe Apex TimesCultureBTS’ ‘NORMAL’ Music Video Breaks Spotify’s Single-Day Streaming RecordThe Apex TimesCultureAlison Arngrim says she will reprise a role in Netflix’s “Little House on the Prairie” reboot, offering advice to the new NellieThe Apex TimesCultureL7 bassist Jennifer Finch dies at 59, weeks after announcing aggressive brain cancer battleThe Apex TimesCultureLuke Wilson Reacts to Reported Development of ‘The Family Stone’ Sequel, Written by Tom BezuchaThe Apex TimesCultureTom Holland says he felt he “could relax” after learning Robert Pattinson was cast in Christopher Nolan’s The OdysseyThe Apex TimesCultureLena Headey Says Hollywood Offers “Weird Protection” to “Predatory Men,” Responds to Backlash Over ‘Game of Thrones’ NudityThe Apex TimesCultureChristopher Nolan Says “The Odyssey” Pushed Him to “Hit the Limits” of His Stamina, Plans Next Film “At Least” 3 Years OutThe Apex TimesCultureBAFTA Student Awards Name Honorees From Spain, France, China and the United States at Los Angeles CeremonyThe Apex TimesCulture‘Today’ show intruder allegedly filmed on camera before storming studio, Page Six reportsThe Apex TimesCultureFreddy “Boom Boom” Cannon, Early Rock & Roller Behind Hits Like “Tallahassee Lassie” and “Palisades Park,” Dies at 89The Apex TimesCultureTaylor Sheridan Co-Writes Peter Berg’s ‘Call of Duty’ Film Set in the ‘Modern Warfare’ Universe, Studio Dates 2028 ReleaseThe Apex TimesCultureDwayne Johnson’s latest film “Moana” remake underperforms at the box office in early numbers, according to reportsThe Apex TimesCultureBTS’ ‘NORMAL’ Music Video Breaks Spotify’s Single-Day Streaming RecordThe Apex TimesCultureAlison Arngrim says she will reprise a role in Netflix’s “Little House on the Prairie” reboot, offering advice to the new NellieThe Apex TimesCultureL7 bassist Jennifer Finch dies at 59, weeks after announcing aggressive brain cancer battleThe Apex TimesCultureLuke Wilson Reacts to Reported Development of ‘The Family Stone’ Sequel, Written by Tom BezuchaThe Apex TimesCultureTom Holland says he felt he “could relax” after learning Robert Pattinson was cast in Christopher Nolan’s The OdysseyThe Apex TimesCultureLena Headey Says Hollywood Offers “Weird Protection” to “Predatory Men,” Responds to Backlash Over ‘Game of Thrones’ NudityThe Apex TimesCultureChristopher Nolan Says “The Odyssey” Pushed Him to “Hit the Limits” of His Stamina, Plans Next Film “At Least” 3 Years OutThe Apex TimesCultureBAFTA Student Awards Name Honorees From Spain, France, China and the United States at Los Angeles CeremonyThe Apex TimesCulture‘Today’ show intruder allegedly filmed on camera before storming studio, Page Six reportsThe Apex TimesCultureFreddy “Boom Boom” Cannon, Early Rock & Roller Behind Hits Like “Tallahassee Lassie” and “Palisades Park,” Dies at 89The Apex TimesCultureTaylor Sheridan Co-Writes Peter Berg’s ‘Call of Duty’ Film Set in the ‘Modern Warfare’ Universe, Studio Dates 2028 ReleaseThe Apex TimesCultureDwayne Johnson’s latest film “Moana” remake underperforms at the box office in early numbers, according to reportsThe Apex TimesCultureBTS’ ‘NORMAL’ Music Video Breaks Spotify’s Single-Day Streaming RecordThe Apex TimesCultureAlison Arngrim says she will reprise a role in Netflix’s “Little House on the Prairie” reboot, offering advice to the new NellieThe Apex TimesCultureL7 bassist Jennifer Finch dies at 59, weeks after announcing aggressive brain cancer battleThe Apex TimesCultureLuke Wilson Reacts to Reported Development of ‘The Family Stone’ Sequel, Written by Tom BezuchaThe Apex TimesCultureTom Holland says he felt he “could relax” after learning Robert Pattinson was cast in Christopher Nolan’s The OdysseyThe Apex TimesCultureLena Headey Says Hollywood Offers “Weird Protection” to “Predatory Men,” Responds to Backlash Over ‘Game of Thrones’ NudityThe Apex TimesCultureChristopher Nolan Says “The Odyssey” Pushed Him to “Hit the Limits” of His Stamina, Plans Next Film “At Least” 3 Years OutThe Apex TimesCultureBAFTA Student Awards Name Honorees From Spain, France, China and the United States at Los Angeles CeremonyThe Apex TimesCulture‘Today’ show intruder allegedly filmed on camera before storming studio, Page Six reportsThe Apex TimesCultureFreddy “Boom Boom” Cannon, Early Rock & Roller Behind Hits Like “Tallahassee Lassie” and “Palisades Park,” Dies at 89The Apex TimesCultureTaylor Sheridan Co-Writes Peter Berg’s ‘Call of Duty’ Film Set in the ‘Modern Warfare’ Universe, Studio Dates 2028 ReleaseThe Apex TimesCultureDwayne Johnson’s latest film “Moana” remake underperforms at the box office in early numbers, according to reportsThe Apex TimesCultureBTS’ ‘NORMAL’ Music Video Breaks Spotify’s Single-Day Streaming RecordThe Apex Times
Back to front
Academy CEO Bill Kramer announces chief Oscars officer Teni Melidonian will leave full-time role as AMPAS reorganizes ahead of YouTube-era Oscars
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Jul 2, 2:06 PM EDT

Academy CEO Bill Kramer announces chief Oscars officer Teni Melidonian will leave full-time role as AMPAS reorganizes ahead of YouTube-era Oscars

Teni Melidonian will exit her full-time position as chief Oscars officer immediately, with a one-year consulting period, as the Academy realigns departments covering screenings, ticketing, awards production and marketing content ahead of the awards’ 2028 centennial and the planned 2029 move to YouTube.

3 min readEditor-approved Apex article

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has begun a top-level restructuring that will change how several Oscars-related functions are managed, according to reports published July 2. Academy CEO Bill Kramer told members and staff that Teni Melidonian, who had been serving as the organization’s chief Oscars officer, would leave her full-time role effective immediately while remaining available in a consulting capacity for the next year.

Kramer’s message, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter and TheWrap, tied the staffing change to planning for upcoming milestones. The Academy has been preparing for its 100th year as an organization, its 100th Oscars ceremony in 2028, and a transition for the Oscars that includes moving broadcasting from ABC to YouTube and shifting the event to a new venue in downtown Los Angeles in 2029.

According to the reported staff memo, the Academy’s reorganization is designed to align teams around responsibilities that management describes as “immediate priorities” and a longer-term vision for the awards. Kramer wrote that he wanted related functions brought more closely together to strengthen collaboration, efficiency and strategic alignment.

As part of the new structure described in the reporting, member screenings and awards ticketing are expected to move under Meredith Shea’s Membership, Impact and Industry team. Awards production, special events, and talent relations, meanwhile, would shift under Jennifer Davidson’s Marketing, Communications and Content umbrella, according to the accounts of Kramer’s internal communication.

Melidonian’s role had included acting as a key link between the Academy and Disney, which has long held broadcasting rights to the Oscars through ABC, the Hollywood Reporter said. Her departure, in that characterization, is part of a broader personnel reconfiguration ahead of the awards’ planned platform and venue changes.

TheWrap reported that the Academy had not immediately responded to requests for comment and that representatives did not provide additional detail beyond Kramer’s memo described in coverage. The two outlets also reported that Melidonian’s consulting work would be time-limited to help with continuity during the transition period.

In the near term, the changes mean that internal handoffs around Oscars programming, ticketing logistics, and external-facing communications will follow the new departmental lines as the Academy continues to prepare for the 2028 ceremony and the subsequent 2029 shift to YouTube and a downtown Los Angeles venue. The Academy’s posted governance structure and any follow-up staffing announcements were not detailed in the reporting.

The restructuring also places added emphasis on how the Academy manages the intersection of member-facing programming and industry outreach, given that the reported reassignments move screenings and ticketing to one operational unit while consolidating production and talent-related work under the marketing and communications leadership team. For Oscars stakeholders, the practical impact will depend on the timing of internal planning and any further role definitions as the Academy completes its transition timeline.

Why It Matters

  • The leadership and departmental changes could affect how the Academy manages major logistics, including ticketing, screenings, and production planning during a multi-year transition period.
  • The Oscars shift away from ABC to YouTube and the planned 2029 venue change make timing and operational continuity a central concern for the Academy and its members.
  • Consolidating functions under marketing and communications leadership may change how external messaging and industry-facing relationships are coordinated as the awards broaden their distribution strategy.
  • The reported restructuring underscores how institutional staffing decisions at AMPAS can impact industry participants, including talent relations workflows and special-events planning tied to the Oscars program.

Sources

Key Facts

  • The Academy CEO Bill Kramer informed members and staff that Teni Melidonian would exit her full-time role as chief Oscars officer effective immediately.
  • Melidonian is expected to remain available to the Academy as a consultant for the next year, according to reports.
  • Kramer tied the reorganization to planning for the Oscars’ 100th ceremony in 2028 and a later transition that includes moving the Oscars from ABC to YouTube and to a new downtown Los Angeles venue in 2029.
  • Member screenings and awards ticketing are reported to move under Meredith Shea’s Membership, Impact and Industry team.
  • Awards production, special events, and talent relations are reported to move under Jennifer Davidson’s Marketing, Communications and Content team.
  • Kramer wrote that the changes are meant to align teams around priorities to strengthen collaboration, efficiency and strategic alignment.
Academy CEO Bill Kramer announces chief Oscars officer Teni Melidonian will leave full-time role as AMPAS reorganizes ahead of YouTube-era Oscars | The Apex Times