Two key American Cybercast employees have resigned in the latest development in a growing dispute between management, producers, and fans of the company that created the Web’s most popular serial, The Spot
Producer Scott Nourse and director/photographer Brian Harding, both of whom worked on the sci-fi soap EON4, left Monday over disagreements with management, sources say. Their exit comes on the heels of company layoffs on 17 November that left 12 people jobless and triggered a protest by a group of The Spot‘s fans.
At the core of the dispute is AMCY management’s decision to make content more palatable to a mainstream audience. The EON4 resignations may likely trigger more departures. “It’s just like a game of Jenga,” an inside source says. “Take out one piece and the whole thing falls. I think Scott Nourse was that piece.” American Cybercast representatives did not return phone calls seeking comment Wednesday.
Fans of EON4 have set up a site protesting AMCY management, joining a boycott started last week by angry fans of The Spot. The protest, organized by Harry Zink, includes a boycott of AMCY soaps and an alternative bulletin board, the Spot Bored, to discuss AMCY management decisions. EON4 fans share the opinion of The Spot fans that AMCY should consult its readers before making changes in the content, or, as in the case of EON4, adding advertising banners.
