Conflict at Walt Disney bursts wide open (Roy says company under Eisner "rapacious, soulless")

FINANCIAL TIMES ^ | December 1 2003 | Christopher Parkes, LA, Peter Thal Larsen, NY

[Liz]

Roy Disney resigned as vice-chairman of the Walt Disney entertainment group on Sunday and called for Michael Eisner, chairman and chief executive, to follow suit, bringing to a head a conflict that has been brewing for a decade.

"It is my sincere belief that it is you who should be leaving and not me," he said in a bitter letter that criticised Mr Eisner's performance and style on seven counts.

The departure and open hostility of Mr Disney, nephew of Walt Disney and still a substantial shareholder, are likely to reignite the debate about the media company's direction.

It marks the end of a relationship that dates back to 1984, when Mr Eisner was appointed to rescue the company from break-up raiders.

The letter detailed criticisms that Mr Disney had offered privately and had been repeated in writing from Stanley Gold, a board member, and head of Mr Disney's private investment group, Shamrock Holdings.

It said the company, under Mr Eisner's leadership, had "failed during the last seven years in many ways". It had failed to bring the ABC television network's primetime schedule "back from the abyss", he wrote.

Attacking the "timidity" of group investments in its key theme parks in California, Paris and the resort under construction in Hong Kong, he said "you have tried to build parks on the cheap and they show it and the attendance figures reflect it".

The company was seen by virtually everyone associated with it as "rapacious, soulless, and always looking for a quick buck rather than long-term value," Mr Disney said.

Also included in his catalogue of complaints were the "creative brain drain", which was especially trying for Mr Disney who, as chairman of the feature animation division, had seen his empire whittled down by heavy lay-offs.

Mr Eisner had also failed to build constructive relationships with its successful Miramax film subsidiary, and Pixar, the computer animation company responsible for most of the Disney-branded hit cartoons.

Mr Disney also referred to the chairman's consistent refusal to establish a clear succession plan, and accused him of eroding morale across the company.

In the past two years, an enlarged board and other measures have quieted most external criticism.

A statement from the Disney board said Mr Disney had not been nominated for re-election to the board because of mandatory age limits. He is 73.

"It is unfortunate that the application of these unanimously adopted governance rules has become an occasion to raise again his criticisms of the direction of the company, and calls for change of management, that have been previously rejected by the board," it said.

[onyx]

I just looked at the front page of my local newspaper (San Diego Union-Trib) and lo and behold, the Roy Disney story merited a photo of Roy and the story about his letter to Eisner, below the fold, but front page no less.

[Salvation]

** company under Eisner "rapacious, soulless")**

Must agree with you. Something really terrible happened at Disney.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

...YOU got it - TOYOTA..!!!

...ABC CLINTON TV Show =

...HILLARY for President Show

...Compliments of MICHAEL EISNER

...whose DISNEY Division Miramax

...is funding MICHAEL MOORE's...

...Anti-BUSH Movie to come out...

...around Election Day 2004...

...after MELL GIBSON's ICON...

...dropped it.


The Enemy is now Within...
and always been.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[faithincowboys]

Gat a damn conservqative in there. You can't have somebody who hates what Walt built in there. Eisner is a deconstrunctionist, not a creator. They should also nix their deal with Miramax, Harvey is a RDDB with bank. He is pushing a far left agenda. He (at the behest of Bill and Hill) is now pushing Wes Clark, and has gotten Affleck and the other wind-up "actors" to jump on the bandwagon. J-lo is no doubt putting her assets behind the Clark campaign. Now Madonna (who also is a FOH) is pushing Clark. SCrew Harvey, Screw Clark, Screw the Clintons, Screw the FOHs and screw Eisner.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I don't know the ins andouts of this whole argument, but I wish that Mr. Disney had accused Eisner of perpetrating a fraud by applying the Disney name to movies and products that destroy our children's childhoods. I can no longer "blindly" take my grandchildren to see their movies, nor would I even suggest visiting their theme parks -- given the periodic "gay days" flaunted there.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Roy says nothing about the moral content of Disney's current products.

My point precisely! But you said it better.

[Liz]

..... I wish that Mr. Disney had accused Eisner of perpetrating a fraud by applying the Disney name to movies and products that destroy our children's childhoods....

Hey, nice take. Describes Eisner's dirty work to a tee.

[OPS4]

The concern here in Florida is things like the gay day Eisner allows in Disney World. It seems the Homosexual agenda has taken over the Parks and Eisner loves it.

Wholesome Family entertainment is being driven out of Disney, maybe the agenda is to demonize the children of the world. Bad Santa sure does destroys a Childs view of Christmas.

Ops4 God BLess America!

[Liz]

.... maybe the agenda is to demonize the children of the world. Bad Santa sure does destroys a Childs view of Christmas......

Maybe? More like absolutely positively on purpose.

Keep in mind that Disney-- and the rest of liberal Hollywarped-- wield the Big Club of proselytization.

That means they brainwash audeinces without their knowledge or consent. They calculatedly inculcate the public with the (gag) liberal agenda in movies, video, TV shows, etc.

[OPS4]

So Disney is trying to mainstream the message that Sodom and Gommorah, was a good place to live?

I guess one day a lot of Disney Icons will be made of Salt!

Ops4 God BLess America!

[Liz]

So Disney is trying to mainstream the message that Sodom and Gommorah was a good place to live?

Great way to put it....love, love, love it.