Who will replace Anne Sweeney?
Disney chief Bob Iger has vowed to move quickly to appoint a successor to Disney/ABC TV Group president Anne Sweeney. Here’s a look at industry execs who are logical candidates to be on Iger’s radar for the job.
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Gail Berman
The former Fox entertainment chief and Paramount Pictures president recently left her successful partnership with Lloyd Braun after seven years. Her digital experience with BermanBraun could be a big plus.
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Nancy Dubuc
The A+E Networks chief is well known to Disney through its partnership with Hearst Corp. in A+E. Dubuc has a proven touch with programming.
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Ted Harbert
The chairman of NBC Broadcasting worked shoulder-to-shoulder with Iger for years at ABC in the 1980s and ‘90s. And he learned the cable business by running E! for Comcast well before the NBCU merger.
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Nancy Tellem
Tellem is only about 18 months into her tenure at Xbox Studios, but the former CBS Entertainment bigwig has the kind of managerial experience and strategic thinking skills that Iger may covet.
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Dana Walden
The chairman of 20th Century Fox TV is co-head of a studio that produces more programming in a year than many networks. She’s respected for her taste in projects and people.
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Tony Vinciquerra
The former Fox Networks Group head has plenty of cable and broadcast experience. His recent consulting work for private equity giant TPG and others gives him a perspective on where media investment dollars are going.
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Bruce Rosenblum
The former Warner Bros. TV Group prexy moved to Legendary last year as head of TV and digital, but he might miss the studio life.
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Steve Mosko
Sony Pictures TV’s chief has broadcasting experience, which would be a plus in overseeing ABC, and has helped drive Sony’s push into international production and channels.
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Lauren Zalaznick
The former NBCUniversal cable maven might be a bit of a maverick for the Disney culture, but her programming flair and digital smarts could pique Iger’s interest.
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Paul Lee
The ABC Entertainment Group president has had his programming struggles at ABC of late, but insiders say Lee remains well liked internally and might be seen as a better fit with a managerial role.
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Gary Marsh
The Disney Channels Worldwide chief is known as a creative guy through and through, but he’s gained managerial experience during the past two years in running the sprawling international collection of Disney-branded channels. -
Ben Sherwood
The ABC News chief has steered the rise of “Good Morning America” and is known to have bigger ambitions beyond the news biz.