Kevin Brockman, Disney-ABC Television Group’s executive vice president of global communications, will leave the company following the close of Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox. The 22-year Disney communications veteran, who has been in his present position since 2008, will stay in his role through the transition, according to the company.
Hearst, Tegna and the ABC Stations are producing shows for Facebook’s new national platform that is looking for original news programs.
Discovery and ABC both rely on the cloud — one public, one private — to deliver their cable networks. Now broadcasters are looking at how the cloud can benefit not just distribution but also production, whether that means live news or sports coverage or post-production applications like editing.
A new Disney-ABC Television study reveals that programs with a 1.0 rating or greater deliver twice the ROI of programs that come in below a 0.4 rating. This means these media deals outweigh “the higher costs of premium programming.”
Disney-ABC Television Group has hired Martin Keely to be its top digital exec, serving as executive vice president, product and technology. Reporting to president of business operations Bruce Rosenblum, Keely will oversee all aspects of the TV group’s digital media strategy and products across non-linear and emerging platforms.
Industry vet Mike Napodano has been hired as chief technology officer for Disney|ABC Television Group. Napodano will oversee the DATG’s long-term technology vision and implementation. He also will be responsible for media operations and distribution, network operations and engineering, IT strategy and operations, and an integrated, enterprise-wide consumer data platform.
Exclusives
The company, led by Ben Sherwood, is aiming to reduce costs by 10 percent by the end of the fiscal year. The cutbacks could mean staff reductions and restructuring. However, a source says there is no specific headcount as plans for the possible cutbacks are still in the early planning stages. The group includes broadcast network ABC, as well as cable channels ESPN, Freeform, Disney Channel and Disney XD.
Disney just unveiled plans to revamp its ad sales operation, combining all broadcast, cable network and digital teams — except for ESPN’s — into a new organization led by Rita Ferro, president of sales for Disney-ABC.
Robert Langer has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer of Disney-ABC Television Group. He succeeds Peter Seymour, who announced in November that he would retire following 20 years at the company.
Bruce Rosenblum, the Television Academy chairman-CEO, who recently left Legendary, will serve as president of business operations. Rosenblum will report to Disney Media Networks Co-Chairman Ben Sherwood, assumes his new role immediately.
Hulu is ramping up its slate of kids programming with a multi-network licensing agreement with the Disney-ABC Television Group. The expansive deal, which was announced today, would bring over 500 episodes and a selection of Original Movies from Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD to Hulu. It stands as Hulu’s biggest content licensing agreement with the Disney brand.
Former Walmart senior executive Cindy Davis will join Disney-ABC as EVP of consumer experience, responsible for improving research across media platforms, including consumer insights and analytics. And John Frelinghuysen comes to the company from AOL. He will be EVP of digital media, strategy and business development.
Walt Disney Co. is looking to hire an investment bank to explore a possible sale of its eight ABC owned-and-operated television stations, a move that could reap billions. The is not the first time Disney has flirted with selling its broadcast group, and sources cautioned that the media giant is still mulling the idea and may decide against it.
The layoffs of around 175 people will come primarily in the ABC Owned Television Stations division, but involve the entire Disney/ABC Television Group, which employs about 7,600.
Anne Sweeney, president of Disney-ABC Television Group, says that TV is about to become the most personal medium in the world, as well as the most powerful. Giving her MIPCOM keynote speech in Cannes this afternoon, Sweeney predicted that TV will be ever more customized by a generation used to watching on smartphones, laptops and tablets.
