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☆ The battle over Disney’s future is about to be decided in a high stakes board vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Hadas Gold | Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Two competing slates of board seats are now up for a vote against Disney’s. Peltz has criticized Disney’s recent theatrical flops and said the company should reach “Netflix-like margins” with its Disney+ streaming service, among other issues. If Peltz is successful, he and Rasulo could gain up to two seats on the board, displacing Disney’s picks. More than 35% of Disney’s shares are held by these individuals, who could seriously sway the vote. The influential advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Service and Egan-Jones have also thrown their support behind Peltz for at least one seat on the board.

Persons: Nelson Peltz, Jay Rasulo, Peltz, Ike Perlmutter, Bob Iger, ” Barton Crockett, Disney, ” Trian, Rasulo, Iger, Bob Chapek, Peltz —, —, It’s, ” Peltz, Perlmutter, ”, “ They’ve, ’ ” Crockett, Anna, Elsa, Ludwig Von Drake, “ Disney, George Lucas, Jamie Dimon, Michael Eisner, Laurene Powell Jobs, Abigail E, they’ve, ” Jessica Reif Ehrlich, “ Nelson Peltz, Neuberger Berman, Egan, Jones, ” Crocket, CNN’s Liam Reilly, Krystal Hur Organizations: CNN, Disney, Magic Kingdom, Disney’s, Trian Fund Management, Blackwells, Marvel, Netflix, Rosenblatt Securities, ESPN, ABC, Google, JPMorgan Chase, BofA Securities, California, Service Locations: Trian

☆ Disney holds preliminary talks with Nexstar on ABC sale -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 14 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) has held exploratory discussions about selling its U.S. TV network ABC to regional TV station operator Nexstar Media Group Inc (NXST.O), people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Nexstar's interest is preliminary and may not lead to any deal, one of the sources said. Nexstar and Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Disney's ABC comprises a national television network and eight regional stations. It also has affiliation agreements with about 240 local television stations reaching almost all U.S. television households.

Persons: Bob Iger, Michael Eisner, Dawan Chmielewski, Akash Sriram, Josie Kao Organizations: Walt Disney Co, U.S ., ABC, TV, Nexstar Media Group Inc, Disney, Nexstar, Bloomberg News, Capital Cities, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ Disney starts drafting broadcast TV’s grand finale
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

It was pretty much the only way to watch “Gunsmoke” or “Howdy Doody” until cable networks arrived in force in the 1980s, bundled together for a monthly subscription fee. For Disney, ABC represented a watershed moment. Look deeper and the big broadcasters attracted only one in five viewers, while one in three watched cable networks. The TV group, excluding cable networks such as Fox News, generated an EBITDA margin of nearly 12% for the year ending June 30. Assume any deal includes cable networks such as Disney Channel and National Geographic.

Persons: Walt Disney, Bob Iger, ”, Howdy Doody, Fox, Rupert Murdoch, Michael Eisner, Iger, what’s, “ Abbott, Singer, Morgan Stanley, Disney’s, they’re, reckons Morgan Stanley, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Magic Kingdom, ABC, Disney, ESPN, Charter Communications, American Broadcasting Company, NBC, CBS, Capital Cities, RJR Nabisco, Paramount Global, Comcast, Warner Bros Discovery, Fox, Paramount, National Football League, NFL, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Bloomberg, Apple, Nielsen, BET, Wall Street Journal, Charter, U.S . Federal Communications Commission, Local, Disney Channel, Geographic, Apollo Global Management, TPG, Walt Disney, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States

☆ Disney's CEO Bob Iger reportedly refused to give up his office to successor Bob Chapek because it had a private shower and vanity
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Disney's CEO Bob Iger wanted to keep his office at Disney's headquarters when Bob Chapek took over. The office was equipped with a private shower and a vanity, per CNBC. Unnamed sources told CNBC that Iger insisted on retaining his office at the company's headquarters in Burbank, California. These sources said that he was fond of the private shower and a vanity for shaving that was installed in the office and built for former CEO Michael Eisner. Iger officially retired in September 2021 but was reappointed CEO in November 2022 after Chapek was ousted from the company.

Persons: Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, Chapek, Iger, Michael Eisner, Scarlett Johannson, didn't Organizations: CNBC, Service, Disney Locations: Wall, Silicon, Burbank , California

☆ Disney's wildest ride: Iger, Chapek and the making of an epic succession mess
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +88 min

Iger told Chapek that he lived for those "two-shower days," according to people familiar with the conversation. In January 2020, Iger told Chapek the plan was back on. During his 27 years at the company, Chapek had only attended one annual meeting — as a guest in the audience. Bob Iger, Disney CEO, during a CNBC interview, Feb. 9, 2023. WATCH: Disney CEO Bob Iger's exclusive July 2023 CNBC interviewTake the 'A'During Chapek's tenure as CEO, Disney lost more than a quarter of its market value.

Persons: Elham, Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, Iger, wasn't, Chapek, Michael Eisner, —, who's, he's, Clint Eastwood, Eastwood, Arthur Bochner, Jackie Hart, Kareem Daniel, Chapek —, Eisner, Michael Ovitz, Ovitz, Bob, Disney's, Kevin Mayer, Mayer, Bryan van der Beek, he'd, Tom Staggs, Staggs, Staggs —, Steve Jobs, cajoled Ike Perlmutter, George Lucas, Rupert Murdoch, Iger's, Susan Arnold, Arnold, Peter Rice, David Paul Morris, Rice, CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Mark Parker, Mary Barra, Michael Froman, Willow, Parker, John Donahoe, Roy Disney, Walt Disney, Stanley Gold, David A, CNBC Eisner, Big Bob, Little Bob, Christine McCarthy, Patrick T, He'd, McCarthy, Iger —, Coronavirus, Gavin Newsom, Michael Kovac, curtly, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Ben Smith, Smith, Disney, Randy Shropshire, Agnes Chu, Ricky Strauss, Chu, Strauss, Kevin Feige, Kathleen Kennedy, Who's, Alan Bergman, Bergman, Bob Kyncl, Daniel —, Iger didn't, Daniel rankled, Daniel, Chapek didn't, James Pitaro, Jesse Grant, CNBC Chapek, Jimmy Pitaro, Zenia Mucha, didn't, Mucha, Barbara Walters, Charles Eshelman, Scarlett Johansson, Scarlett Johansson —, Florence Pugh, Natasha, Yelena, " Johansson, Bryan Lourd, Johansson, Lourd, Steven Spielberg, Al Michaels, David Muir, Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, Spielberg, Geoff Morrell, Alan Braverman, Alan Horn, Jayne Parker, Bochner, Claire Lee, Paul Richardson, Josh D'Amaro, Ron DeSantis, Morrell, Disney Animation —, George Floyd, Reba Saldanha, Reuters Chapek, DeSantis, Nicholas Maldonado, Octavio Jones, Chapek she'd, we're, " Morrell, CNN's Chris Wallace, Kristina Schake, John Skipper, Daniel steamrolled, Latondra Newton, Newton, Charles Krupa, Pitaro, NBCUniversal's Peacock, Dana Walden, Thomas Murphy, Josh Kushner, Privately, Schake, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama's, David Dee Delgado, Kara Swisher, hadn't, Netflix's, overhiring, McCarthy hadn't, Safra Catz, Kareem, DMED, Horacio Gutierrez, Justin Warbrooke, Alexia Quadrani, Bryan Castellani, Michael Buckner, Quadrani, Lindsay Lohan, Winnie, Nelson Peltz, Catz, Donald Trump's, they'd, Walden, Gutierrez, D'Amaro, Rich Polk, Walden he'd, Iger she'd, Mickey Mouse, Mark Rightmire, haven't, Indiana Jones, Halle Bailey, Ariel, Hamilton Faber, Rich Greenfield, Bob Iger's, — Mayer, McCarthy —, doesn't, they'll Organizations: Disney, Marvel, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty, Walt Disney, Indiana University, Michigan State University, Shanghai Disney, Man, Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney Parks, Resorts, Pixar, Fox, Chapek, Nike, General, Mastercard, Foreign Relations, University of Pennsylvania, Grogan, Disney's, Fallon, ABC, ESPN, ABC News, California Gov, New York Times, Disney confidants, Hollywood, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Television, Walt Disney Studios, Hulu, HBO Max, Walt Disney Company, YouTube, Companies, Netflix, Apple, Disney Media, Entertainment, Stanford, Rights, Junior, petulant, Filmmagic, Brunswick Group, Covid, CAA, onetime Defense Department, Century Fox, Human, Florida Gov, Republican, Disney Animation, Reuters, Human Rights, HRC, Walt Disney World, Employees, American Foundation for Equal Rights, AP, Amazon Prime, Paramount, South Pacific, Capital Cities, Dow Jones, CVS, Kingdom, Variety, Trian Partners, Charter Communications, U.S, Comcast, Charter's, MediaNews, Orange, Allen, Co, Candle Media, Advisors Locations: Burbank , California, Midwestern, Brentwood, Los Angeles, Westlake Village, Iger, Hammond , Indiana, Shanghai, China, Hong, Fox, Willow Bay, Raleigh , North Carolina, Orlando, U.S, Hulu, Iger's Brentwood, coronavirus, Brunswick, Hollywood, Hawaii, Disney's, Marvel's, Anaheim , California, Montana, Florida, Rye , New Hampshire, Chapek, Hong Kong, California, missteps, South, DMED, Burbank, New York, India, Atlantic, Sun Valley , Idaho, America

☆ Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner Strikes Deal to Sell Bazooka Gum Business
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Ben Dummett | Laura Cooper | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/eisner-strikes-deal-to-sell-bazooka-gum-business-2712cef5

Persons: Dow Jones, eisner

☆ Inside CNN's epic PR fail that made a mockery of CEO Chris Licht
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Nicholas Carlson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The Atlantic published a really tough article about CNN CEO Chris Licht. The disaster I'm referring to is Tim Alberta's devastating profile of CNN chair and CEO Chris Licht published Friday. And maybe, the story suggests, that's because that big idea is not really Licht's plan at all but one foisted on him by his boss, Warner Bros. Through the summer, Alberta and Licht and CNN comms people talked about what the story might look like. A handful of sources tell me Kelly was skeptical of whether this was a good idea, Dornic was happy to do whatever, and Licht really, really wanted to do it.

Persons: Chris Licht, CNN's goof, Tim Alberta's, Licht, Licht hasn't, Warner, David Zaslav, Zucker, Jeff Zucker, I've, I'm, Kris Coratti Kelly, Kelly, Matt Dornic, Dornic, Hugo, Evan Agostini, isn't, Michael Eisner, James B, Stewart, Eisner, Stewart's, Tim Alberta, Nikki Haley, Don Lemon, he'd, it's, that's, It's, wasn't, Zaslav Organizations: CNN, Trump Town Hall, Warner Bros, Discovery, Journalism, Licht, Global Communications, American Museum of, Disney, Alberta, Trump, Atlantic Locations: Alberta, Manhattan

☆ That Atlantic magazine story about the CNN CEO has to be scaring the bejeezus out of Elon Musk right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Nicholas Carlson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk gave Walter Isaacson full access for a new biography. According to the story, Licht gave Alberta hours and hours of on the record interviews over the fall of 2022, through the winter, and into the spring. Licht took Alberta on a train ride. Another really famous example is Steve Jobs allowing Walter Isaacson into his life in a way he'd never done before. All of which leads me to something really exciting on the horizon for us readers: Walter Isaacson's forthcoming biography of Elon Musk.

Persons: Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson, I'm, Chris Licht, Tim Alberta, Licht, Michael Eisner, James Stewart, Stewart, Rupert Murdoch, John DeLorean, Richard Branson, Dick Fuld, Rudy Giuliani, Nikki Haley, Steve Jobs, Jobs, Walter Isaacson's, Isaacson, Musk, Ackbar Organizations: CNN Locations: The, Alberta

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger's book hints at how he'll handle company's feud with Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Insider turned to Disney CEO Bob Iger's 2019 book for insight on how he navigates challenges. As Florida's largest attraction with more than 70,000 jobs, Walt Disney World is crucial to both the company and the state. During his first tenure at Disney, Iger orchestrated the $4 billion acquisition of Marvel without a single leak. Under predecessor Disney CEO Michael Eisner, board members said they worried that Marvel was "too edgy" and "would tarnish the Disney brand." File photo of Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Bob Iger's, Walt, Robert Iger, Iger's, Bob Chapek, DeSantis, Donald Trump, Disney, Iger, Steve Jobs, Jobs, Bob Iger, Chris duMond, Neilson Barnard, Scott Miller, Miller, that'd, Biden, he's, gunning, Charles Sykes, Paul Hennessy, Michael Eisner, Marvel, Harris, There's, Griffin, George Lucas, Roy Disney, Walt Disney's, he'd, they've, Lucas Organizations: Disney, Florida Gov, Morning, Walt Disney, Republican Gov, Walt Disney Co, Walt Disney Company, ABC, Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, LucasFilm, Century Fox, Marvel, Apple, Getty, Democrat, Bloomberg, Walt Disney World, Board, GOP, Reuters, Republicans, Harvard, Independents, Twitter, Bauer, Jobs, iTunes, Lucasfilm Locations: Florida, Orlando, Shanghai, American, China

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger has 'very little room for maneuver' as he tackles layoffs, budget cuts, a company reorg, and questions over the future of Hulu and ESPN
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Disney chief Bob Iger will speak Wednesday on his first quarterly earnings call since returning as CEO. Wall Street wants to see how Disney plans to boost profitability this year and whether it will trade ESPN or Hulu. Aside from a quick visit to Disney World in January, Bob Iger has been lying very low. Media investor Ross Gerber told Insider that Iger would get back to focusing on content rather than on the distribution mechanism. Iger tweeted a photo of himself at Disney World, dressed in a relaxed green cardigan and gray slacks as he posed with cast members on January 19.

[1/3] FILEPHOTO: Executive Chairman of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger arrives at the world premiere for the film 'The King's Man' at Leicester Square in London, Britain December 6, 2021. In his 15 years as Disney chief executive, Iger postponed his retirement four times, sidelining would-be successors. read more Part of his mandate, according to Disney, is to work with the board to develop a successor to lead the company. Chapek was among a shortlist of internal candidates vying for Iger's job, according to a source familiar with discussions. Another seen as a top contender was Kevin Mayer, Disney's longtime head of strategic planning who had shepherded the successful launch of Disney+, according to sources.

☆ ESPN would help Disney and Comcast settle a score
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

NEW YORK, Sept 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - When it comes to modern corporate sagas, few deliver the drama between Walt Disney (DIS.N) and Comcast (CMCSA.O). Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts is in position to let his counterpart squirm, but there’s a neat solution to help settle the score: ESPN. He feared Comcast “would have paid more later.”Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterBefore long, Comcast clashed again with Disney. To settle the matter, the two parent companies agreed that in January 2024 Comcast could force Disney to buy its stake or Disney could require Comcast to sell based on a minimum valuation of $27.5 billion. Disney owns two-thirds of Hulu and Comcast owns the rest.

☆ Will Someone Pay $250 Million to Live Atop the World’s Tallest Condo Tower? The Developer Thinks So.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Katherine Clarke | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When construction topped out at New York’s Central Park Tower, the Billionaires’ Row mega-tower set a record for the world’s tallest residential condominium, at 1,550 feet high. Now, developer Gary Barnett is gunning for yet another record, aiming to achieve the country’s highest-ever home sale price. Mr. Barnett’s Extell Development is asking for $250 million for the building’s penthouse, a triplex positioned at a height of more than 1,400 feet. The listing is the most expensive in the U.S., according to the listings website Zillow, topping the $225 million listing for Michael Eisner’s California estate.

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