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Disney Names Top Fox Executives to Lead Combined TV Businesses

Disney Names Top Fox Executives to Lead Combined TV Businesses

(Bloomberg) -- Walt Disney Co. named senior Fox executive Peter Rice as co-chairman of its television business once the entertainment giant completes the $71 billion purchase of entertainment assets from 21st Century Fox Inc.

Disney Names Top Fox Executives to Lead Combined TV Businesses

Another Fox executive, Dana Walden, will become chairman of the Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment, according to a statement Monday. Ben Sherwood, the current co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of the Disney-ABC television group, will remain in his role through the transition.

The appointments, while expected, fill key roles at Burbank, California-Disney as it digests Fox entertainment assets including the company’s TV and movie studios and cable networks such as FX and Nat Geo. In March, Disney named James Pitaro co-chairman of media networks and president of ESPN. He and Rice report to Bob Iger, Disney’s chief executive officer.

Disney Names Top Fox Executives to Lead Combined TV Businesses

Executives reporting to Rice include Walden; FX Chairman John Landgraf; Gary Knell, chairman of National Geographic Partners; Disney Channels President Gary Marsh; and the head of ABC News, James Goldston.

Walden will oversee the combined Fox and ABC studios, the Freeform network, the ABC-owned stations group and other operations.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rob Golum in Los Angeles at rgolum@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, Josh Friedman, Rob Golum

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