Rice, Walden get top Disney roles

Disney CEO Bob Iger (left) and Fox boss Rupert Murdoch

The Walt Disney Company has revealed the new organisational structure for its media networks business ahead of its expected acquisition of 21st Century Fox.

The restructure will see key 21st Century Fox executives assume leadership roles at the Mouse House once the US$71bn acquisition closes and 21st Century Fox’s businesses are incorporated into Disney.

Peter Rice, 21st Century Fox group president and chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group, will become chairman of Walt Disney Television and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks.

This includes oversight of US network ABC, ABC Studios, the ABC-owned television stations group, Disney Channels, Freeform, Twentieth Century Fox Television, FX Networks and FX Productions, Fox 21 Television Studios and the National Geographic channels. Rice will report to Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

Peter Rice

Fox Television Group CEO Dana Walden will take up the new role of chairman, Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment. The changes will result in the departure of Ben Sherwood, co-chairman of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney|ABC Television Group, after more than a decade with the company. Sherwood will remain in his current role until the acquisition closes.

John Landgraf will continue to serve as chairman of FX Networks and FX Productions, while Gary E Knell will be chairman of National Geographic Partners.

Along with Walden, Landgraf and Knell, Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer of Disney Channels Worldwide, and James Goldston, president of ABC News, will all report to Rice.

Meanwhile, Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment; Patrick Moran, president of ABC Studios; Jonathan Davis and Howard Kurtzman, presidents of Twentieth Century Fox Television; Bert Salke, president of Fox 21 Television Studios; Tom Ascheim, president of Freeform; and Wendy McMahon, president of the ABC-owned television stations group, will all report to Walden.

Dana Walden

Gary Newman, who worked alongside Walden atop Fox Television Group, is set to remain with Fox for the near future and is reportedly in final negotiations to determine his role at the company. Further details emerged last week of the management team that will run the new-look Fox company, which is emerging from Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox’s assets.

“The strength of 21st Century Fox’s first-class management talent has always been a compelling part of this opportunity for us,” said Iger. “Upon completion of the acquisition, this new structure positions these proven leaders to help drive maximum value from a greatly enhanced portfolio of incredible brands and businesses.

“I want to personally thank Ben Sherwood for his years of service at ABC and Disney. Ben has been a valued colleague, and I deeply appreciate his many contributions and insights, as well as his professionalism and cooperation in this transition.”

Rice added: “I love making television and have been fortunate to work with incredibly talented executives and storytellers. Disney is the world’s preeminent creative company, and I look forward to working for Bob, and with his exceptional leadership team, to build on that amazing legacy. I also want to thank Rupert, Lachlan and James Murdoch for the privilege of working on such a wide array of movies and television, both entertainment and sports. It has been a wonderful 30 years.”

Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox has received formal approval from shareholders of both companies. The two firms have entered into a consent decree with the US Department of Justice that allows the acquisition to proceed, while requiring the sale of the Fox Sports Regional Networks. The transaction is subject to a number of non-US merger and other regulatory reviews.