News The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors Extends Robert A. Iger’s Contract as CEO Through 2026

[Sirwalterraleigh]

A CFO really needs to be a finance person -- a CPA, CFP, etc.

They don't absolutely have to be, but that's generally what a company wants in that position.

Ehh…if any company doesn’t need a stiff…it’s Disney

It’s not like they have to sweat for cash

The reason they’re what they are is they chose the ideas over the math

 

[MisterPenguin]

The big question is, will Iger be pulling the strings from behind the curtain? Time will tell.

Yes, for a year's mentorship.

 

[Andrew C]

Yes, for a year's mentorship.

Sounds familiar...

 

[Disstevefan1]

Yes, for a year's mentorship.

Like Chapek

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yes, for a year's mentorship.

…one born every minute

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

When someone has Been rotting Internally for decades…where’s the mystery?

 

[Tom P.]

Why do people keep bringing this up? Kimmel's going to be cancelled anyway. If anything, the whole kerfuffle extended his life-support show for a year longer than it was going to last. Iger is too personally invested in it now, so it will be the call of the next CEO, but it will happen.

I'm late to this party, but I agree with you.

The traditional late night talk show is essentially dead. In fact, it has always been a more difficult format to sustain than people think. Especially that 11:30 p.m. block that has traditionally been dominated by The Tonight Show.

There are a few names that made that genre. Johnny Carson. David Letterman. Jay Leno. That's about it. Perhaps an honorable mention for Arsenio Hall. Many, many, many others have tried and failed. Late night talk shows may be cheap to produce, but they still have to get ratings to be profitable.,

IMHO, the current crop of late night hosts pretty much universally don't have it, whatever "it" is. That is not a political statement. It's the fact that I think they are all painfully unfunny and not entertaining, and their shows are all bland carbon copies of one another, a disease which infects the entire entertainment industry right now. Is anyone doing the kind of unique, innovative things that, for example, Letterman was doing back in his heyday?

No, I don't think companies should cancel shows because the current president gets his feelings hurt. However, I think that political controversy has just obscured the coming end of the late night talk show genre that was already happening and is still going to happen.

 

[denyuntilcaught]

I'm late to this party, but I agree with you.

No, I don't think companies should cancel shows because the current president gets his feelings hurt. However, I think that political controversy has just obscured the coming end of the late night talk show genre that was already happening and is still going to happen.

Well said and perfect capture of what the whole crisis was really about. Late night is dying - isn't that, in part, what the latest series of the fantastic Hacks on HBO was about anyways? - and Iger could have used the opportunity to kill what is surely a money loser.

However, for the sake of democracy and free speech it could not and cannot be at the behest of a president. So Iger the opportunist could have A) cancelled the show to save money but capitulate to ever-increasing limits on free speech or B) Iger the strategist could have kept the lights on for another season or two as to not give in and risk upsetting the already fragile public perception of Disney, and bite the bullet on the finances behind the decision.

I mean, what's another season or two of Kimmel compared to Marvel sequel #247 which are flopping at an increasingly alarming rate?

 

[coffeefan]

Why do people keep bringing this up? Kimmel's going to be cancelled anyway. If anything, the whole kerfuffle extended his life-support show for a year longer than it was going to last. Iger is too personally invested in it now, so it will be the call of the next CEO, but it will happen.

Maybe tell your FCC man to stop making it news then?

 

[Andrew C]

I am all for a co-CEO move, it just doesn't look like we are going to get it.

As of now it looks like we are either going to get another TV exec who was largely focused on only one part of the company, or another parks exec that was largely focused on only one part of the company.

The potential for something different is always exciting. I imagine the reality will be less than that.

 

[HMF]

Sure, but even better would be someone with experience and a willingness to learn. My question is, is that Josh? We don't know. Either way it is a gamble in my mind.

I honestly don't think Josh is qualified seeing as to what has happened under his leadership. So, unless he wants to crap on his predecessor's legacy with as much joy as Iger has with Eisner's both good and bad in which case I would welcome him with open arms seeing as how Iger's tenure was 90% bad in my opinion and the 10% that was good led to bad consequences ultimately. I have not seen any evidence suggesting Josh has any qualms with how Bob runs the company. I don't know enough about Walden to guarantee anything changing either but it seems more likely right now that she won't just copy Iger's playbook.

 

[HMF]

Parks guy just takes the arrows for the head…it’s been that way for 30+ years. They Don’t get to spend money…they’re told to slash it.

Also, under Iger's tenure we have seen people like Jay Rasulo and Bob Chapek who famously don't understand theme parks in any sense other than marketing vehicles, running the division. Josh is an improvement over them but that is not really an endorsement.

 

[HMF]

This may have already been touched on, but….

If the Disney Company could have ANY CEO, or any potential candidate from ANY company…who do you think would be a good ‘fit’ for what we need…?

Someone not afraid to be innovative, invest more in the animation division and theme parks, and is good at their job.

Let’s hear it.

-

I literally can't think of anyone in corporate America I would really have the confidence to endorse. As of right now the only CEO I actually respect Is Warren Buffett who is literally about to retire and is over ninety years old and I don't think I would want him running Disney. Also, I have a strong suspicion that a lot of the power's corporations in general wield now will soon be diminished. Seeing as how the general public doesn't really trust that big companies are that trustworthy anymore with good reason.

 

[HMF]

Sorry, you can’t have it both ways. You’ve got to pick your lane.

Either he believes in capital investment and was instrumental in its inception, or he’s just going to follow in Iger’s footsteps as you’ve said… and invest capital.

Capital investment doesn't always have good outcomes especially if there are parts of WDW you actually don't want them to change as we have seen. Also, I want Parks and consumer products to be separate divisions again.

 

[HMF]

Because TWDC is a theme park company, or a multimedia conglomerate? Pushing a guy who has focused on one part of the company is bad juju. Kind of like pushing a former weatherman to become CEO.

There really needs to be a co-CEO move at the top.

It is interesting that they are trying that experiment again with Lucasfilm and it has famously worked in the two biggest "Golden Eras" in Disney history.

 

[HMF]

A CFO really needs to be a finance person -- a CPA, CFP, etc.

They don't absolutely have to be, but that's generally what a company wants in that position.

That is fine as long as he is actually listening to the creative people rather than telling them what to do.

 

[James Alucobond]

Capital investment doesn't always have good outcomes especially if there are parts of WDW you actually don't want them to change as we have seen. Also, I want Parks and consumer products to be separate divisions again.

Capital investment sometimes goes awry, but lack of capital investment is always bad from the perspective of the guest. It might put old things you like on life support, but then you're stuck in a sort of stasis where your talent continues to atrophy and everything eventually becomes stale and falls into disrepair. If the outcomes of investment are consistently less than stellar, then target the source of the bad decisions; don't just apply a tourniquet and walk away. That'll spell death down the line.

 

[HMF]

Capital investment sometimes goes awry, but lack of capital investment is always bad from the perspective of the guest. It might put old things you like on life support, but then you're stuck in a sort of stasis where your talent continues to atrophy and everything eventually becomes stale and falls into disrepair. If the outcomes of investment are consistently less than stellar, then target the source of the bad decisions; don't just apply a tourniquet and walk away. That'll spell death down the line.

I am not universally against change especially when it comes to improving the parks. Sadly, most of the stuff done this millennium have not been improvements with a few exceptions.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Maybe tell your FCC man to stop making it news then?

My FCC man? Believe me, things would be quite different if I were in charge!

 

[BrianLo]

The Walt Disney company website underwent a major redesign @DCBaker