By Ben Fritz and Merissa Marr
A top Walt Disney Co. executive unexpectedly said Tuesday she
will be resigning, simultaneously adding clarity to the succession
race for chief executive at the media giant and opening up one of
the most powerful jobs in the television business.
Disney Media Networks co-Chairman Anne Sweeney, who oversees the
company's ABC broadcast network and all of its cable channels
except for ESPN, said she would step down at the end of the year to
pursue a career in television directing.
Ms. Sweeney, an 18-year company veteran, said in an interview
that she expects Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger to name her
successor in the next few months.
The announcement comes as the cable channels under Ms. Sweeney
have been performing well and expanding overseas, but the ABC
network has seen its revenue and operating income decline.
Ms. Sweeney was once considered a contender to succeed Mr. Iger,
who plans to retire in June 2016. But her decision to resign caps a
decline in her standing among internal rivals, according to people
at the company. Chief Financial Officer Jay Rasulo and Parks and
Resorts chief Thomas Staggs are now viewed as the top
candidates.
Ms. Sweeney said she didn't want the CEO job and never discussed
it with Mr. Iger or Disney's board. "Many people wanted that job
for me, but I wanted to become closer to the creative process," she
said.
A key player for Disney in increasingly contentious distribution
negotiations throughout the television business, Ms. Sweeney
pointed to a recent hard-fought pact with Dish Network Corp. as an
example of the challenges facing her successor.
Under the agreement, Dish agreed to disable its DVRs'
commercial-skipping technology for ABC shows until three days after
they air and Disney gave the satellite broadcaster rights to its
networks for a new Internet-based TV service.
"One of the most important things...is creating the template for
the future of television," she said.
Among the most powerful women in the entertainment industry
since ascending to her current post in 2004, Ms. Sweeney is the
only female leading a major operating unit at Disney.
Her new career direction surprised many in Hollywood, since the
56-year-old has no background in directing. "I have a lot to learn,
and I know that," she said.
Write to Ben Fritz at ben.fritz@wsj.com and Merissa Marr at
merissa.marr@wsj.com
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