Directory:The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company.png
Type Public (NYSE: DIS)
Founded Burbank, California, USA (1923)
FounderWalt Disney and Roy Disney
Headquarters Template:Country data US Burbank, California USA
Key peopleGeorge J. Mitchell, Chairman
Robert Iger, President/CEO
IndustryMedia and Entertainment
ProductsAmerican Broadcasting Company, Buena Vista Distribution, Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group, Walt Disney Studio Entertainment, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney Consumer Products
RevenueGreen Arrow Up.svg$31.9 billion USD (2005)
Employees133,000 (2006)
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Reference {{{reference}}}


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The Walt Disney Company (most commonly known as Disney; NYSE: DIS) is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. Founded on October 16, 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy Disney as a small animation studio, today it is one of the largest Hollywood studios and also owns eleven theme parks, two water parks and several television networks, including the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).

Disney's corporate headquarters and primary production facilities are located at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, USA. The company is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It had revenues of $31.9 billion in 2005.

Divisions

Studio Entertainment

Disney's original (and, until 1955, only) business is motion picture production. Disney Studio Entertainment, also known as the Walt Disney Studios, includes Disney's movie and animation studios, record labels, and Broadway-style stage shows. Since 2002 it has been headed by chairman Dick Cook.

Motion pictures

The Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group is a collection of Disney's main movie studios, made up of:

Record labels

Theatrical

Animation

Parks and Resorts

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In addition to the well-known theme parks and resorts, this division includes Disney Regional Entertainment (which operates the ESPN Zone sports-themed restaurants), Walt Disney Imagineering, and Walt Disney Creative Entertainment. Previously, "Anaheim Sports, Inc." was also within this division. Anaheim Sports operated the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim hockey club (sold in 2005 to Broadcom executive Henry Samueli) and the Anaheim Angels baseball team (sold to advertising magnate Arturo Moreno in 2003).

Media Networks

Its Media Networks unit is centered around the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television network, which it acquired through a merger with Capital Cities/ABC in 1996. Properties include:

Disney also owns a group of cable networks including: The Disney Channel, ABC Family, Toon Disney, the ESPN group, and SOAPnet. Disney also holds substantial interest in Lifetime (50%), A&E (37.5%), E! (40%, recently sold to Comcast) and Jetix Europe N.V. (74%).

Through ABC, Disney also owns 10 local television stations, 26 local radio stations, and ESPN Radio, Radio Disney, and the ABC Radio (to be sold with another properties to Citadel Broadcasting, which carries such radio personalities as Sean Hannity and Paul Harvey and distributes news bulletins by ABC News). Buena Vista Television, which also is a part of the Media Networks unit, produces such syndicated television programs as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Live with Regis and Kelly, and Ebert & Roeper.

Disney also operates its Hyperion publishing company and Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) through Media Networks. Hyperion has recently published books by comedian-author Steve Martin and bestselling author Mitch Albom. WDIG includes the Go.com web portal, based on the old Infoseek search engine which it purchased in 1998, and leading websites such as Disney.com, ESPN.com, ABCNews.com and Movies.com .

Consumer Products

History

Founding and early success (1923–1954)

 
Walt Disney (1901—1966)

After Walt's death

The Eisner era (1984–2004)

Today (2005– )

Controversy

Disney's films have often been accused of exhibiting racism and being overly-commercialized[2]. In particular, Aladdin has been accused for its negative portrayals of Arabic people, as has Pocahontas for its negative portrayal of Native Americans. Disney has also been criticized for its films being nothing more than extended commercials marketing their products to children.

Senior Executive Management

Current board of directors

Current division heads

Disney Chairmen of the Board

  • From 1945 to 1960, Walt and Roy O. Disney were co-chairmen of the board. Walt dropped the chairman title but kept the title of president so he could focus more on the creative aspect of the Disney parks and feature animation. Roy O. Disney remained as chairman of the board and CEO, taking care of the business aspects of the company.

Disney Vice Chairman of the board

Disney CEOs

Disney Presidents

Disney COOs

See also

External links

Most recent financial statements

Annual reports

Books

  • Cult of the Mouse, Harry M. Curoselli.
  • The Disney Version: The Life, Times, Art and Commerce of Walt Disney, Richard Schickel, 1968, revised 1997, ISBN
  • Disney: The Mouse Betrayed, Peter Schweizer
  • Walt Disney: An American Original, Bob Thomas, 1976, revised 1994, ISBN
  • Storming the Magic Kingdom: Wall Street, the raiders, and the battle for Disney, John Taylor, 1987, [4], [5], ISBN ISBN
  • Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire, Bob Thomas, 1998, ISBN
  • How to Read Donald Duck, Ariel Darton
  • The Keys to the Kingdom: How Michael Eisner Lost His Grip, Kim Masters, 2000, ISBN
  • Disneyization of Society: Alan Bryman, 2004, ISBN
  • DisneyWar, James B. Stewart, 2005, ISBN, ISBN
  • Married to the Mouse, Richard E. Foglesorg, Yale University Press.
  • Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records, Tim Hollis and Greg Ehrbar, 2006, ISBN
  • Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland, David Koenig, 1994, revised 2005, ISBN 096406054X
  • Inside the Dream: The Personal Story of Walt Disney, Katherine Greene & Richard Greene, 2001, ISBN
  • Team Rodent, Carl Hiassen.


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