Anne Sweeney

In the realm of power list injustices, this one was a stinker. Forbes magazine released its annual "100 Most Powerful Women" list Wednesday, and Walt Disney Co.'s Anne Sweeney appeared to suffer a bruising fall from grace. A year ago, Sweeney -- who as co-chairwoman of Disney Media Networks oversees such influential TV institutions as ABC, the Disney Channel and ABC Family -- ranked a respectable No. 30. This year, even though her job didn't change, Sweeney came in at No. 98. Forbes, say it isn't so. In fact, it wasn't.

Los Angeles Times In the second top-management shake-up this month at Walt Disney Co., the executive in charge of the entertainment giant's powerful Disney Channel is leaving the company after less than two years on the job. The departure of Carolina Lightcap, president of Disney Channels Worldwide, comes on the heels of the abrupt resignation last week of Disney Consumer Products Chairman Andy Mooney. Taking over for Lightcap is Disney Channel veteran Gary Marsh, who was president of entertainment and chief creative officer for Disney Channels Worldwide.

Hollywood is full of know-it-alls. Walt Disney Co.'s Anne Sweeney isn't among them. "She's comfortable not having all the answers," said cable industry pioneer Geraldine Laybourne, who built the Nickelodeon channel and was Sweeney's mentor. "I put her in one new situation after another, knowing she could figure it out." That trait is sure to be put to the test as Sweeney now tackles the biggest challenge of her career: trying to turn around ABC Television.

After a tumultuous six-year reign, ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson stepped down, the network said Tuesday, after repeated clashes with his bosses that reached a climax in the last few days after he got wind that a replacement was in the wings. The move comes less than two months before the start of the fall TV season, and just six days before ABC executives are scheduled to tout their new shows to the nation's TV critics in Beverly Hills. Although a drumbeat of rumors about McPherson's fate had been building for months, many in the television industry expected ABC and its owner, Walt Disney Co., to wait and see how the new fall shows fared before making a decision.

Anne Sweeney has resigned as chairman and chief executive of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s fX Networks to become president of Walt Disney Co.'s Disney Channel, filling a position vacated a year ago by John Cooke, who now heads corporate affairs in the company's executive suite. Sweeney becomes the first major hire by Geraldine Laybourne, the builder of Viacom Inc.'s successful Nickelodeon network, who joined Capital Cities/ABC Inc. earlier this month as president of Disney/ABC Cable Networks.

Los Angeles Times In the second top-management shake-up this month at Walt Disney Co., the executive in charge of the entertainment giant's powerful Disney Channel is leaving the company after less than two years on the job. The departure of Carolina Lightcap, president of Disney Channels Worldwide, comes on the heels of the abrupt resignation last week of Disney Consumer Products Chairman Andy Mooney. Taking over for Lightcap is Disney Channel veteran Gary Marsh, who was president of entertainment and chief creative officer for Disney Channels Worldwide.

Walt Disney Co. agreed Thursday to join News Corp., NBC Universal and Providence Equity as a joint venture partner of online video site Hulu. Disney will offer full-length episodes of its most popular prime-time shows from its ABC network, including "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives," as well as such cable offerings as ABC Family's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and Disney Channel's "Wizards of Waverly Place."

Walt Disney Co. is stitching together a plan to shake up its troubled ABC network by tossing out its top programmer and turning the reins over to one of the company's rising stars. Details of the new management structure were far from settled Tuesday. But company sources said Anne Sweeney, president of the ABC Cable Networks Group and Disney Channel Worldwide, was expected to take over as president of the broadcast network, which continues to lag behind its competition.

After a tumultuous six-year reign, ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson stepped down, the network said Tuesday, after repeated clashes with his bosses that reached a climax in the last few days after he got wind that a replacement was in the wings. The move comes less than two months before the start of the fall TV season, and just six days before ABC executives are scheduled to tout their new shows to the nation's TV critics in Beverly Hills. Although a drumbeat of rumors about McPherson's fate had been building for months, many in the television industry expected ABC and its owner, Walt Disney Co., to wait and see how the new fall shows fared before making a decision.

When Mary Ann McSweeney arrived in Los Angeles in 1983, conditions were hardly ideal for her in terms of a career in jazz. She had quit San Jose State Univer sity because her teacher had been fired. "He was my reason for being there, but I thought it was time to come to L. A. and check things out." Her instrument was the bass. She knew hardly anyone in town. She was a 21-year-old woman in what remained essentially a man's monopoly. Little by little things fell into place.

In the realm of power list injustices, this one was a stinker. Forbes magazine released its annual "100 Most Powerful Women" list Wednesday, and Walt Disney Co.'s Anne Sweeney appeared to suffer a bruising fall from grace. A year ago, Sweeney -- who as co-chairwoman of Disney Media Networks oversees such influential TV institutions as ABC, the Disney Channel and ABC Family -- ranked a respectable No. 30. This year, even though her job didn't change, Sweeney came in at No. 98. Forbes, say it isn't so. In fact, it wasn't.

Walt Disney Co. agreed Thursday to join News Corp., NBC Universal and Providence Equity as a joint venture partner of online video site Hulu. Disney will offer full-length episodes of its most popular prime-time shows from its ABC network, including "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives," as well as such cable offerings as ABC Family's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and Disney Channel's "Wizards of Waverly Place."

Hollywood is full of know-it-alls. Walt Disney Co.'s Anne Sweeney isn't among them. "She's comfortable not having all the answers," said cable industry pioneer Geraldine Laybourne, who built the Nickelodeon channel and was Sweeney's mentor. "I put her in one new situation after another, knowing she could figure it out." That trait is sure to be put to the test as Sweeney now tackles the biggest challenge of her career: trying to turn around ABC Television.

Walt Disney Co. is stitching together a plan to shake up its troubled ABC network by tossing out its top programmer and turning the reins over to one of the company's rising stars. Details of the new management structure were far from settled Tuesday. But company sources said Anne Sweeney, president of the ABC Cable Networks Group and Disney Channel Worldwide, was expected to take over as president of the broadcast network, which continues to lag behind its competition.

Anne Sweeney has resigned as chairman and chief executive of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s fX Networks to become president of Walt Disney Co.'s Disney Channel, filling a position vacated a year ago by John Cooke, who now heads corporate affairs in the company's executive suite. Sweeney becomes the first major hire by Geraldine Laybourne, the builder of Viacom Inc.'s successful Nickelodeon network, who joined Capital Cities/ABC Inc. earlier this month as president of Disney/ABC Cable Networks.

When Mary Ann McSweeney arrived in Los Angeles in 1983, conditions were hardly ideal for her in terms of a career in jazz. She had quit San Jose State Univer sity because her teacher had been fired. "He was my reason for being there, but I thought it was time to come to L. A. and check things out." Her instrument was the bass. She knew hardly anyone in town. She was a 21-year-old woman in what remained essentially a man's monopoly. Little by little things fell into place.

The alley behind the theater erupted into shrieks Wed- nesday night after band members stepped out of the stage door and walked to their cars. A crush of girls pressed up against the razor-wire fence; some lobbed roses and stuffed animals over the barrier. Then the screaming mob dashed into the street for one last glimpse as the police-escorted motorcade drove off. A scene from "A Hard Day's Night"? Nope. This is Jonas mania, not Beatlemania.

ESPN has a new skipper. Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Robert Iger on Tuesday announced he was elevating John Skipper to lead the company's sports programming juggernaut. For the last six years, the former Rolling Stone and Spin magazine executive has been in charge of programming and production across ESPN's phalanx of media platforms, including its TV channels, radio network and the Internet. Skipper, 55, will become ESPN president and co-chairman of the Disney Media Networks, replacing George Bodenheimer, who has been running Disney's most profitable division for 13 years.