NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Michael Eisner, chief executive officer of Walt Disney, is in the twilight of his two-decade career at the helm of the Magic Kingdom. But he looked chipper about his business outlook at a Goldman Sachs investment conference Tuesday in New York.
Eisner, who relinquished his chairman position earlier this year under pressure from Disney (DIS: news, chart, profile) shareholders, has announced his intention to retire when his contract expires in two years.
He has seldom acted more lighthearted in front of investors than he did on stage during a 40-minute conversation with a Goldman Sachs analyst as hundreds of analysts and journalists looked on.
Eisner's relaxed mood reflects his optimism for Disney, primarily regarding its oft-troubled ABC division and its problematic theme park business.
According to MediaPost, which chronicles the television business, three of ABC's new shows -- "Lost," "Wife Swap" and "Desperate Housewives" -- have "suddenly put ABC on the map."
Since ABC overextended itself and aired "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" four times a week a few years ago, the network has been bereft of successful original programming. Like a sports team that didn't maintain its farm system, the well ran dry at ABC when it came to unveiling exciting new shows.
Plus, Disney fared better than expected in hurricane-ravaged Florida. Those two situations helped Eisner let his hair down at the Goldman meeting and exhibit an unexpected self-deprecating sense of humor. While Eisner has shown flashes of humor at part industry gatherings, he has seldom shown his wit as frequently.
When he talked about the face-off between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry last Thursday, Eisner quipped that he wished there could be a debate on network television every Thursday as a way to help ABC compete with CBS and NBC, which dominate Thursday nights.
"If we could have a debate every Thursday to knock out CBS and NBC, we'd be very happy," Eisner joked. "We're talking to the administration about that."
When he was asked to discuss the difference between the Disney of today and the problematic company he inherited in 1984, he referred to the furor surrounding his looming exit and said: "It was a little simpler in 1984. There certainly wasn't as much discussion about succession."
He quipped of Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone: "I'm not going to succeed Sumner (VIAB: news, chart, profile), though he is on the short list for Disney."
Eisner was also optimistic about the state of Disney's movie business, even though Disney President Robert Iger has all but slammed the door on the possibility that the company could resolve its differences with Pixar (PIXR: news, chart, profile), the animation specialists responsible for such hits as the "Toy Story" series of blockbusters.
The movie business has given Eisner his share of bad publicity, stemming from controversies involving everyone from Miramax head Harvey Weinstein and filmmaker Michael Moore of "Fahrenheit 9/11" fame. Weinstein is often mentioned in the media as someone who wants to leave the Disney fold.
With a possible good-natured dig at the prospective movies about Alexander the Great, Eisner joked: "We don't have movies where (people are) running across the sand."
Shares of Disney closed up 34 cents Tuesday at $23.88.
Eisner, who relinquished his chairman position earlier this year under pressure from Disney (DIS: news, chart, profile) shareholders, has announced his intention to retire when his contract expires in two years.
He has seldom acted more lighthearted in front of investors than he did on stage during a 40-minute conversation with a Goldman Sachs analyst as hundreds of analysts and journalists looked on.
Eisner's relaxed mood reflects his optimism for Disney, primarily regarding its oft-troubled ABC division and its problematic theme park business.
According to MediaPost, which chronicles the television business, three of ABC's new shows -- "Lost," "Wife Swap" and "Desperate Housewives" -- have "suddenly put ABC on the map."
Since ABC overextended itself and aired "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" four times a week a few years ago, the network has been bereft of successful original programming. Like a sports team that didn't maintain its farm system, the well ran dry at ABC when it came to unveiling exciting new shows.
Plus, Disney fared better than expected in hurricane-ravaged Florida. Those two situations helped Eisner let his hair down at the Goldman meeting and exhibit an unexpected self-deprecating sense of humor. While Eisner has shown flashes of humor at part industry gatherings, he has seldom shown his wit as frequently.
When he talked about the face-off between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry last Thursday, Eisner quipped that he wished there could be a debate on network television every Thursday as a way to help ABC compete with CBS and NBC, which dominate Thursday nights.
"If we could have a debate every Thursday to knock out CBS and NBC, we'd be very happy," Eisner joked. "We're talking to the administration about that."
When he was asked to discuss the difference between the Disney of today and the problematic company he inherited in 1984, he referred to the furor surrounding his looming exit and said: "It was a little simpler in 1984. There certainly wasn't as much discussion about succession."
He quipped of Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone: "I'm not going to succeed Sumner (VIAB: news, chart, profile), though he is on the short list for Disney."
Eisner was also optimistic about the state of Disney's movie business, even though Disney President Robert Iger has all but slammed the door on the possibility that the company could resolve its differences with Pixar (PIXR: news, chart, profile), the animation specialists responsible for such hits as the "Toy Story" series of blockbusters.
The movie business has given Eisner his share of bad publicity, stemming from controversies involving everyone from Miramax head Harvey Weinstein and filmmaker Michael Moore of "Fahrenheit 9/11" fame. Weinstein is often mentioned in the media as someone who wants to leave the Disney fold.
With a possible good-natured dig at the prospective movies about Alexander the Great, Eisner joked: "We don't have movies where (people are) running across the sand."
Shares of Disney closed up 34 cents Tuesday at $23.88.
