ABC Family Channel President To Resign This Week

[TURKEY]

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- The president of ABC Family is set to resign in the wake of an organizational shakeup aimed at improving the performance of the Walt Disney Co.-owned (DIS, news) cable channel, the Los Angeles Times reports in its Monday edition.



According to the report, Disney is expected to announce this week that Angela Shapiro will step down, sources familiar with the matter said.

Neither Shapiro nor Disney executives would comment, the report said.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Shapiro is expected to leave Disney imminently.

Shapiro's departure was widely anticipated since the company's announcement earlier this month that it was folding ABC Family into the ABC Cable network group, the Times reported.

According to the report, the cable group is overseen by Anne Sweeney, whose profile within Disney has been enhanced by the success of the Disney Channel. By placing Sweeney in charge of programming, Disney effectively scaled back Shapiro's responsibilities, leaving her with a different job than the one to which she was named in March 2002.

The report cited sources as saying Disney tried to persuade Shapiro to stay on as president or accept some other job within the company.

Dow Jones Newswires
10-27-03 0753ET

Copyright 2003 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

[prberk]

The Disney Channel is making more money and getting seen more as it switches to basic cable (and trades off its name in getting nearly every cable outlet to feel it necessary to have), but it is not more "successful" in other ways.

Just like the fact that I wish the Disney Channel would actually have less repeats and more "Disney" material for all Disney fans, older and younger; I wish that ABC would remember the name "Family" for "The (ABC) Family Channel."

It should not just be random programming that first ran on ABC. "The Bachelorette" should NOT run on ABC Family, even as a repeat (like it did). The Family Channel should be a FAMILY channel, and it will get its ratings back.

Right now, PAX and (apparently) The Hallmark Channel (according to Griz -- I do not have Hallmark) are acting more like family channels.

The Family Channel did best when it was run as a Family Channel, ABC or not. "Seventh Heaven," "The Waltons," "Touched by an Angel," etc., would all be appropriate in prime time. And maybe even some old live-action Disney series and movies (like the 50s MMC and Zorro, or Wonderful World) could do well in afternoons or weekends. "Andy Griffith," or even more contemparary family sitcoms (like "Blossom") would be welcome, too.

They just need to remember the "Family" over and above "ABC" and they will gain an loyal audience that will know it has a channel it can trust for kids and grandma alike!

No "Family Batchelorette" sensuality-a-thon, or random second-rate XYZ stuff.

 

[TURKEY]

Originally posted by prberk
The Disney Channel is making more money and getting seen more as it switches to basic cable (and trades off its name in getting nearly every cable outlet to feel it necessary to have), but it is not more "successful" in other ways.

Just like the fact that I wish the Disney Channel would actually have less repeats and more "Disney" material for all Disney fans, older and younger; I wish that ABC would remember the name "Family" for "The (ABC) Family Channel."

It should not just be random programming that first ran on ABC. "The Bachelorette" should NOT run on ABC Family, even as a repeat (like it did). The Family Channel should be a FAMILY channel, and it will get its ratings back.

Right now, PAX and (apparently) The Hallmark Channel (according to Griz -- I do not have Hallmark) are acting more like family channels.

The Family Channel did best when it was run as a Family Channel, ABC or not. "Seventh Heaven," "The Waltons," "Touched by an Angel," etc., would all be appropriate in prime time. And maybe even some old live-action Disney series and movies (like the 50s MMC and Zorro, or Wonderful World) could do well in afternoons or weekends. "Andy Griffith," or even more contemparary family sitcoms (like "Blossom") would be welcome, too.

They just need to remember the "Family" over and above "ABC" and they will gain an loyal audience that will know it has a channel it can trust for kids and grandma alike!

No "Family Batchelorette" sensuality-a-thon, or random second-rate XYZ stuff.

I enjoy watching Hallmark. It is a family channel. MASH, Matlock, Perry Mason all are shown on it. Many of the older lesser known Disney movies (many with Dean Jones, the guy that played the Absent-Minded Prof, and others) are shown. Not too long ago, they showed Return to Snowy River.

It's worth watching.