In a shocking turn of events, Peter Rice was ousted as head of Disney TV content, to be replaced by his top lieutenant, Dana Walden.
The move reinforces Walden’s standing as one of the most powerful and prominent executives in the content business. Within Disney, it places Walden above her longtime colleague John Landgraf of FX Networks. Walden’s responsibilities include ABC Entertainment, ABC News, Disney Branded Television, Disney Television Studios, Freeform, FX, Hulu Originals, National Geographic Content and Onyx Collective. She will now report directly to Chapek.
“Dana is a dynamic, collaborative leader and cultural force who, in just three years, has transformed our television business into a content powerhouse that consistently delivers the entertainment viewers demand,” said Chapek. “Their well-deserved reputation for nurturing creative talent and developing programming that truly captures the cultural zeitgeist has resulted in hit after hit, from ABC’s ‘Abbott Elementary’ and Onyx Collective’s Oscar-winning ‘Summer of Soul’ to Hulu Originals like ‘Only Murders in the Building’, ‘Dopesick’, ‘The Dropout’ and ‘The Kardashians’. She and Peter have worked closely together for years to create the best programming in the industry and I can’t think of anyone better than Dana to take Disney General Entertainment to even greater heights.”
Susan Arnold, Chair of The Walt Disney Company, also released a statement, writing, “The strength of The Walt Disney Company’s businesses as it weathered the pandemic is a testament to Bob’s leadership and vision for the company’s future. At this important time of company growth and transformation, we are committed to keeping Disney on the successful path it is on today, and Bob and his leadership team have the board’s support and trust.”
Rice, who served as chairman of general entertainment content, joined Disney in 2019 with the acquisition of 21st Century Fox, as did Walden. His firing comes as a shock to Disney insiders and the entertainment community.
Sources close to the situation said the decision was made by Chapek on Wednesday and surprised virtually everyone at the Burbank property. Multiple sources say the decision was purely business and strategic and had nothing to do with Rice’s personal conduct.
“It’s all business,” said a source familiar with the situation. “Peter was blind.”
There’s more to come
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