As you no doubt remember, the outgoing president of Disney Channel Worldwide, Rich Ross, was recently promoted to Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios.

Today, Disney has named Carolina Lightcap as the new president of Disney Channel Worldwide. As such, she becomes the most important person that SDS members contact going forward. We don’t know that much about her yet, but it’s important our supporters make a good, strong, and untited impression on her.

We’re working on putting together a special “Welcome to DC” event for her. Please check back for more on that as we work out the details.

Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) named Carolina Lightcap as the new president of Disney Channels Worldwide, according to an AP report. She is replacing Rich Ross, who will now be the movie studios chairman. Lightcap joined Disney in 2000 and was most recently vice president of programming and creative affairs and CMO of the Latin American operations. According to the company, Lightcap spearheaded the Latin American launch of “High School Musical” and led the creative transition of the Disney Channel from a premium service to a basic service in the region and she will relocate to Burbank, California.

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It’s that time again, of year again, The Walt Disney Company has announced fourth quarter earnings. And revenues are up!

Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) reported fiscal Q4 EPS of 46 cents, ex-items, topping consensus estimates of 41 cents.

Revenues in the quarter rose 4% year-over-year to $9.87 billion, and came in  ahead of consensus estimates of $9.29 billion.

“Although last year was a difficult one due in part to the weak global economy, I’m pleased with the way our businesses have responded to the downturn,” said President and CEO Robert A. Iger.

“We’ve stayed focused on our long-term strategy, efficiently managed costs, and continued to invest in initiatives to deliver future growth. We also have adapted our organization to respond to and take advantage of the changes taking place in our businesses and will continue to do so as we position Disney to thrive for years to come.”

Further earnings breakdowns:

Walt Disney Co. (DIS) said Thursday that fiscal fourth-quarter profits rose 18%, driven by strength at its cable networks, and its key theme parks division showed signs of improvement.

The results followed news of a dramatic management shake-up in which Disney said Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs would switch positions with the head of its parks division, Jay Rasulo. The unusual swap is the second high-level management change in two months.

Some company observers suggest the move may portend a test to select a CEO successor to Iger, 58 years old; however, people close to the company said the job swap did not mean that.

On the company’s earnings conference call, Iger said, “It’s incredibly valuable to have executives gain experience in different parts of the company.”

For the quarter ended Oct. 3, Disney reported a profit of $895 million, or 47 cents a share, up from $760 million, or 40 cents a share, a year earlier. The latest quarter, which had one more week than a year ago, included gains from the merger of Lifetime Entertainment Services and A&E Television Networks as well as $166 million in restructuring and impairment charges.

Excluding items, earnings rose to 46 cents a share from 44 cents. Revenue rose 4.5% to $9.87 billion. Analysts’ estimates were for per-share earnings of 41 cents on revenue of $9.29 billion, according to a poll by Thomson Reuters.

Following the better-than-expected results, Disney shares gained 2.2% to $29.70. The stock, which reached its 52-week high last month, has almost doubled from a seven-year low in March.

Disney’s media networks segment posted higher sales and earnings on strong growth at cable channels ESPN and ABC Family; meanwhile, its parks division showed resilience and stability in the face of the economic downturn, UBS analyst Michael Morris said.

Disney’s theme-park division, which accounts for about 30% of overall revenue, saw a 17% drop in profit as revenue slid 4.2%. Disneyland ended discounts in August and has raised ticket prices, while Walt Disney World continues to offer deals. Last week, the Chinese government approved a planned theme park in Shanghai, which could lead to one of the largest foreign investments in that country.

Staggs said hotel bookings for 2010 at the company’s theme parks division are down 5% from a year ago. The decline reflects the continuing economic slump, but consumers are also booking vacations closer to their date, Staggs said.

“We will continue to gauge the market and use promotions when we feel it’s appropriate,” Staggs said. Fourth-quarter attendance at its parks division was up 3%, excluding an extra week of operations that affected comparisons to last year.

Profit at the ABC broadcast network and its cable stations, including ESPN and the Disney Channel, climbed 26% on a 14% gain in revenue. Cable networks’ earnings climbed 19%, and broadcasting returned to black ink.

The film and TV production studio reported an operating loss, following its third-quarter loss, which was the first since 2005. Revenue rose 3%. On Wednesday, Disney said it would overhaul the way its studio markets and distributes films, part of an effort to adjust to rapidly shifting audience habits.

Like other big media companies, Disney has been hurt by sharp drops in advertising, and its movie studio has seen lower DVD sales and lackluster box-office performance. Attendance and spending fell at its theme parks during the recession. But in August, the company went on offense, agreeing to buy Marvel Entertainment Inc. (MVL), owner of such comic book heroes as Iron Man and Captain America, for $4 billion as part of its effort to attract young boys to its products.

Meanwhile, the executive shakeups have continued, with Tom Staggs and Jay Rasulo switching jobs!

Robert Iger, chief executive of The Walt Disney Co. (DIS), said Thursday that the company’s management shakeup will help expand the experience of its leadership and make the company more competitive.

The company announced that its chief financial officer, Tom Staggs, will swap jobs with Jay Rasulo, now the head of its parks and resorts division.

“It’s incredibly valuable to have executives gain experience in different parts of the company,” Iger said on a conference call following the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter release.

The shakeup appears to be a test that may portend succession plans for Iger. It also comes amid other management changes at Disney that appear designed to help the company improve cooperation between its divisions and better position itself for the digital shift that is roiling the media industry.

The company recently installed former Disney Channel head Rich Ross as chairman of Walt Disney Studios. Former Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook departed the company in September, and Miramax Films President Daniel Battsek left last month.

In all honesty, I wasn’t sure if they where going to renew the show or not. I expected runaway ratings when the show premiered, and instead ratings have been flat. That plus the fact that they’ve aired nearly the entire first season without announcing the renewal (until now) made me wonder if disney was second guessing themselves.

Anyway, now we know that Disney has in fact renewed JONAS for a second season. I wonder if Rich Ross leaving DC and moving over to Features had any impact on this decision.

Anyway, what follows is the official Disney Press Release. Take note of how little they actually talk about the show and instead talk about the JoBros music. they barely even mention Chelsea and Nicole.

“JONAS,” THE HIT COMEDY SERIES STARRING
THE MULTI-PLATINUM AND MULTI-PLATFORM JONAS BROTHERS,
PICKED UP FOR SEASON TWO ON DISNEY CHANNEL

– “Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream,” a Popular Short-form Series,
Also Picked Up for Season Two, Begins Production in Europe –

Disney Channel has picked up Season Two of the hit comedy series “JONAS,” starring the multi-platinum recording artists Jonas Brothers plus popular actresses Chelsea Staub and Nicole Anderson. Two new and notable producers, Lester Lewis (“The Office,” “The Larry Sanders Show”) and Paul Hoen (director and co-producer of “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam,” DGA Award-winning director of “Jump In!,” and “The Cheetah Girls One World,” among others), have been named executive producers of the series. Season two of “JONAS” is scheduled to begin production in Hollywood in February for debut in mid-2010 on Disney Channel, DisneyChannel.com, mobile and VOD platforms. The announcement was made today by Gary Marsh, president, entertainment, Disney Channels Worldwide.

(Click here for images from “JONAS” or visit www.disneychannelmedianet.com. Registration required.)

This month, while on the European leg of their hugely successful Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009 (produced by Live Nation), Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas also began production on Season Two of their popular short-form reality series, “Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream,” for premiere in early 2010. It will be followed by the highly anticipated Disney Channel Original Movie “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam” in summer.

Marsh said, “We couldn’t ask for a more collaborative or creative partnership than we have with the Jonas Brothers – and the success of our first season of ‘JONAS’ speaks for itself. As we build on that success in a second season, we are thrilled to add the extraordinary creative talents of Lester Lewis and Paul Hoen to the producing team.”

Regarding the appeal of a second season of “Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream,” Marsh continued, “We can deliver something to our viewers that no one else can – exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to the real life adventures of one of the superstar bands of our time. That’s exactly the kind of unique experience our viewers have come to expect from Disney Channel.”

Michael Rapino, President and Chief Executive Officer of Live Nation, the band’s global touring partner, said, “Two years ago we joined forces with the Jonas Brothers’ team when the band was performing small concerts in our House of Blues clubs. Over the last two years they have developed into the superstars they are today, playing in sold out arenas and stadiums throughout the world.” He continued, “Today they are a true global touring powerhouse, just won Billboard Magazine’s Choice Tour Award for 2009, and stand among the top grossing artists of the year.”

In its primary timeslot (Sunday, 8:30 p.m.), “JONAS” ranks as TV’s #1 program among Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14 and cable TV’s #1 program in Total Viewers (averaging 3.4 million viewers). For all of 2009, “JONAS” is #8 among all TV series in Kids 6-11 and on cable TV among Tweens. In its first season, the series also won a Teen Choice Award in the Choice TV Breakout Series category. In 2008 “Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream” reached over 85 million unique Total Viewers, and 17 million Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14.

The success of their TV ventures is among a notable list of Jonas Brothers milestones over the past year including:

• A three-continent concert tour, “Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009,” that sold 1.5 million arena tickets and ranks among the year’s top grossing tours. Last week at the Billboard Touring Awards, Jonas Brothers won the 2009 Eventful Fans’ Choice Award for the best concert tour of the year
• A #1 album debut, “Lines, Vines and Trying Times,” one of 2009′s top album debuts
• Three #1 hit singles and five Top 10 songs on Radio Disney’s listener-generated Top 30
• #3 highest-grossing 3D concert film of all time, “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience”
• The launch of a joint venture record label with Disney Music Group
• A Grammy Award nomination
• New York Times best-selling book, “Burning Up: On Tour with the Jonas Brothers”

In addition, Jonas Brothers have amassed nearly four million fans on Facebook, MySpace and Say Now and are the #1 most-subscribed music channel and the #5 channel overall on YouTube.

The new season of “JONAS” follows the three hardest working brothers in show business, Kevin, Joe and Nick Lucas, as they set out on a summer adventure they will never forget. Along with their friend and chief of security Big Rob (played by Jonas Brothers’ real-life chief of security Rob Feggans, a familiar face to Jonas Brothers fans) the brothers pack up from their converted New Jersey firehouse home and head to Los Angeles. What starts out as a relaxing vacation turns into three life-changing opportunities for the boys: Joe pursues a prized role in a big Hollywood film, Kevin gets to indulge his newfound passion for the movie business by shadowing a famous director, and Nick partners with an eccentric record producer to work on the next JONAS album (when he isn’t busy with his latest passion…surfing). Their best friend, Stella Malone, is along for the ride, staying with her aunt and interning in the wardrobe department on the set of Joe’s movie. Documenting the experience is their friend and uber-Jonas fan, Macy Misa, who keeps all the fans up to date with her Jonas blog.

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Official Disney Press Release Follows:

KEVIN GAMBLE JOINS DISNEY TELEVISION ANIMATION
AS VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT

Kevin Gamble has been named Vice President, Development, Disney Television Animation, it was announced today by Eric Coleman, Senior Vice President, Original Series, Disney Television Animation, to whom he will report. A top creative executive in CG animation and new media, Gamble joins Disney with 12 years experience, most recently as Vice President, Production & Creative for Classic Media.

In this new role, Gamble will be responsible for the development and production of new animation shorts and series geared towards kids, tweens and families on Disney Channel, Disney XD and multi-platforms reaching hundreds of millions around the world. He will also oversee the recruitment of new artists, directors and writers, and will collaborate with the Talent and Music departments.

Coleman said, “We’re excited to gain the insights of someone as uniquely talented and experienced as Kevin. I know that his creative spirit, production skills and strong relationships in the animation community will help us break new ground and continue the legacy of Disney.”

Gamble has been working in animation since 1997. He spent six years at Canada’s Mainframe Entertainment, working on such groundbreaking projects as “Reboot”, television’s first CG animated series. He was also producer of Mattel’s CG series “Max Steel.” From 2005-06, he was Director of Development for the Canadian animation company Nerd Corps, where he developed the CG animated series “Storm Hawks.” He also produced the latest version of “George of the Jungle,” a modern re-invention of the classic J. Ward series. As Vice President of Production & Creative for Classic Media, Gamble oversaw its TV and DVD projects. While there, he was Producer of the upcoming Flash DTV movie “Kung Fu Magoo,” as well as several upcoming CG series based on Classic Media properties.

Co-creator of Tiki Bar TV, one of the web’s first video podcasts, Gamble has appeared on leading webcasts including “This Week in Tech” and “Diggnation.” He won his first film festival at 13 with the short film “Math Time,” which was made with his creative partner Jeff Macpherson. A native of Vancouver, Canada, Gamble will relocate from New York to Los Angeles and will be based at Disney’s Burbank headquarters.

Disney Television Animation is an industry leader in the production of quality animated properties for television. Its series air seven days a week on both cable and broadcast outlets and new media platforms around the world including Disney Channel, Disney XD, ABC Kids on the ABC Television Network, Disney Online, SVOD and VOD. Disney Television Animation is part of the Disney Channels Worldwide and the Disney ABC Television Group.

Good news for Disney fans in China.

BURBANK, Calif., Nov 03, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The Walt Disney Company today announced that the Project Application Report (PAR) for a Disney theme park in the Pudong district of Shanghai has received approval from the relevant authorities of the central government of China.

“China is one of the most dynamic, exciting and important countries in the world, and this approval marks a very significant milestone for The Walt Disney Company in mainland China,” said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

The PAR approval will enable Disney and its Shanghai partners to move forward toward a final agreement to build and operate the park and begin preliminary development work. Upon completion of the final agreement, the project’s initial phase would include a Magic Kingdom-style theme park with characteristics tailored to the Shanghai region and other amenities consistent with Disney’s destination resorts worldwide.

SHANGHAI (Dow Jones)–The Shanghai Municipal Government will own 57% of the Disney theme park to be built in Shanghai, the People’s Daily reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

Walt Disney Co. (DIS) will own the remaining 43% stake, it said.

The report said the park will cost an estimated CNY24 billion and won’t open until 2014 at the earliest.

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It looks like Disney is serious about shaking up it’s film division (You’ll remember Dick Cook got the boot last month) and now they’re getting serious about change at Miramax.

The article below is from Variety.com

Miramax continues to downsize, losing Daniel Battsek as the president of Disney’s specialty film label.

Battsek will step down in January. No replacement has yet been named.

The move came as a surprise to staffers at the company on Friday, and most first found out in an email sent out by the exec who attributed his departure to the “change in direction” at Miramax.

That recently involved slashing the number of films the company releases to three a year, from the six to eight it previously had on its release sked, and folding much of its operations — marketing, distribution, operations and administrative support functions — into the Mouse House’s larger film group.

The resulting layoffs of its 80 employees included production chief Keri Putnam, who headed up Miramax’s L.A. office.

Disney started downscaling the division less than a month ago, (Daily Variety, Oct. 2), only three days before Rich Ross was officially named chairman of Walt Disney Studios.

While Battsek and the rest of Miramax’s creative, development, production and business and legal affairs teams were to remain in New York, the company and its 20 remaining staffers will now relocate entirely to Los Angeles. Battsek will assist in the transition.

“With the change in direction at Miramax, we have reached a mutual agreement with Daniel Battsek that he will leave his post as president, effective January 2010,” Ross said in a statement early Friday afternoon. “During his 18 years of service, he has brought some very prestigious and award-winning films to the studio from ‘Calendar Girls’ to ‘The Queen’ to ‘No Country for Old Men.’ We wish Daniel the very best on his future endeavors.”

Disney is still trying to figure out the future of Miramax as the company puts a greater emphasis on tentpoles and family fare.

While studios have increasingly been downbeat on spciality lables, saying it’s become more difficult to recoup the costs of adult-targeted pics, Miramax’s survival so far, albeit in smaller form, was likely helped by the fact that the studio has a first-look pact with Scott Rudin, whose “No Country For Old Men” won the best picture Oscar in 2007 for Miramax (and partner Paramount Vantage) and received a number of noms for the shingle with “Doubt” as well.

This year, Miramax has suffered from a string of disappointing performers at the B.O., including “The Boys Are Back,” “Cheri” and “Extract.” “Boys” has earned just $728,000 domestically since its release Sept. 26. Its biggest earner to date is “Chicago,” which earned $307 million worldwide in 2002.

Miramax could continue to be a home for Rudin’s more high-profile dramas given that Disney will have to find a spot on its own slate for films from other producers like Jerry Bruckheimer, as well as pics from DreamWorks, for which it will turn to Touchstone.

Miramax will still unspool “Everybody’s Fine” in December, while the animated toon “Gnomeo and Juliet,” featuring songs by Elton John, is still in production.

Battsek was tapped to head Miramax in July 2005, following Disney’s split from Miramax co-founders Harvey and Bob Weinstein. Its library includes “Pulp Fiction” and “Shakespeare in Love.”

A well-respected exec, Battsek first began working with Disney on U.K. film distribution in 1991, and joined Buena Vista Intl. in 1992. He was exec veep and managing director of distribution and production for BVI U.K. prior to his appointment at Miramax.

Before Disney, Battsek was managing director of Palace Pictures, overseeing marketing, acquisitions and distribution for the U.K. and Ireland.

Disney has begun production on a new animated series that revolves around the lives of fish that attend school in the middle of a large pet store fish tank.

The idea, of course, is to explore the “traditional teen issues” in a way that hasn’t been done before.

Wait, isn’t there a popular animated show about sea creatures on Nickelodeon? Sponge something? Oh wait, those are ocean dwellers, never mind.

I’ll certainly give it a fair shake when it premieres in 2010. Chelsea Staub is excited to be voicing “an overly dramatic goldfish!” and that’s more than enough to make me interested.

What follows is the official Disney press release:

Production has begun on “Fish Hooks” (working title), an animated comedy series centered around three aquatic friends in a fish tank, produced using an innovative mixture of 2-D digital animation and photo collage by Disney Television Animation for Disney Channels Worldwide. “Fish Hooks” is scheduled to premiere Fall 2010. The announcement was made today by Gary Marsh, President, Entertainment, Disney Channels Worldwide.

“The ‘Fish Hooks’ team has created one of the most original, inventive animated series on television – bringing an ingenious twist to the classic archetypes of high school life (where else but in the world of a high school fish tank would you find characters named Piranica, Clamantha or Jocktopus?),” said Marsh.

The 21-episode series follows Milo, Oscar and Bea, three friends and neighbors who attend Freshwater High, a school submerged in a giant fish tank in the center of a local pet store. Together they experience the typical challenges and triumphs of tween life, like friendship, dating and sports, along with more atypical teen issues like giant lobster attacks and school field trips to the hamster cages.

The series was created by children’s book illustrator Noah Z. Jones, developed for television by Alex Hirsch (“The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack”) and Bill Reiss (“Chowder”), executive-produced by Adam Burton (“The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy”) and co-executive produced by Noah Z. Jones. Carl Greenblatt (“Chowder”) and Bill Reiss will direct.

“Fish Hooks” features a talented voice cast including Kyle Massey (“Cory in the House”) as Milo, an adventurous party guy; Chelsea Staub (“JONAS”) as Bea, an overly dramatic goldfish; and Justin Roiland (“The Sarah Silverman Program”) as Oscar, Milo’s neurotic brother.

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For those of you wondering what Michael Eisner’s been up to since he was forced out of Disney, the following article is for you!

Vuguru LLC, an Internet-content production house launched two years ago by former Walt Disney Co. (DIS) Chief Executive Michael Eisner, has become a stand-alone company under an investment and distribution deal with Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI).

Eisner is chairman of Vuguru, which plans to increase its annual productions to 30 series a year. Its current shows include the Internet hit series “Prom Queen.” It was Vuguru’s first production, a scripted, serialized mystery about the final two months of the high school year leading up to prom night. The next installment of the franchise is forthcoming.

The agreement between Rogers and Eisner’s Tornante Co. LLC “ensures that Vuguru will remain at the forefront of the ever-evolving business of original new media content,” the companies said. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Rogers executive Claude Galipeau said the partnership will allow Vuguru to program series exclusively for Rogers’ customers and advertisers across Rogers’ range of channels, including broadband Web mobile and cable video-on-demand. Some 10 to 15 productions are scheduled for 2010, the companies said. Rogers and Vuguru have also reached a long-term distribution deal for the exclusive Canadian rights to future Vuguru projects.

When Vuguru was launched, Eisner said advertisers were skittish about marketing alongside user-generated content on places like YouTube, where the quality and appropriateness of videos is an unknown. At the time, Eisner said Vuguru’s goal was to be “the leader in producing high-quality, story-driven content for the Internet that up until now could only be found in movie theaters or on television.” Eisner said his aim was to “create compelling stories” to attract interest from consumers and marketing dollars from advertisers.

Eisner founded Tornante – which means “hairpin turn” in Italian – after he left Disney in 2005.

-By Mike Barris, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2330; mike.barris@dowjones.com

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Breaking News! Our very own Rich Ross has been selected as the new chairman of the Walt Disney Studios.

Ross was the president of the Disney Channel, and has been our #1 recomended target for letters and emails ever since the founding of SDS. But now that Ross is moving on to the film division, we need to change our strategies.

We’ll be watching as Disney reshuffles it’s personel, and we’ll keep you apprised on whom you need to write to.

Disney press follows:

Rich Ross, President of Disney Channels Worldwide, has been named Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, it was announced today by Disney President and CEO Robert A. Iger.

Ross will oversee worldwide production, distribution and marketing for the company’s range of live-action and feature animated film labels, including Walt Disney, Touchstone, Miramax and Disney/Pixar. In his new role, which he assumes immediately, he will also head Disney’s theatrical and music groups.

In his thirteen years at Disney, Ross has consistently created hit original programming, effectively expanded a worldwide creative and distribution organization, skillfully built the Disney brand with global franchises that work across borders and technology platforms and put in place a strong management team.

“Rich has an outstanding record of creating high-quality family entertainment that delights audiences around the world,” said Iger. “With his success in building the Disney brand across many of our businesses, his astute marketing sensibility, his proven ability in working effectively with talent and his skill at navigating complex global markets, I’m confident he’s the perfect leader for our studio group.”

“I am very excited to play a key role in continuing the storytelling legacy of The Walt Disney Studios. There has never been a better time to entertain our global audiences with high-quality and compelling content and introduce new characters that will become family favorites. I look forward to working with Bob, the team at the studios and all of our Disney family towards that goal,” said Ross.

Under Ross’s leadership, the performance of Disney Channels Worldwide has been consistently strong in both creative and competitive terms, in the U.S. and globally. The group now includes a total of 94 channels and channel feeds available in 163 countries in 32 languages and features such brands as the flagship Disney Channel, the boy-focused Disney XD and Playhouse Disney for younger kids.

Ross has also overseen the growth of Radio Disney and of the group’s multiplatform offerings, which includes subscription video-on-demand and content-rich broadband websites DisneyXD.com and DisneyChannel.com, the number one kid’s entertainment website among Kids 6-14.

In the U.S., Disney Channel has been the #1 TV network among Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14 for the last seven and nine years respectively, buoyed by such breakout series as Lizzie McGuire, That’s So Raven, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place and Sonny With A Chance. Stars of Disney Channel programs, including Raven-Symone, Selena Gomez, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus, have become household names.

Disney Channel’s record with original movies is equally impressive. With recent blockbusters like High School Musical 2, Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie and Camp Rock, Disney Channel can claim cable’s top two movies of all time and three of the top five.

Disney Channel programming has also helped build other Disney businesses, including the quadruple-Platinum-selling Hannah Montana soundtrack and the number one US album in 2006, High School Musical soundtrack. Books, stage shows, feature films, video games and merchandise featuring original Disney Channel characters have become a critical part of The Walt Disney Company’s success in recent years.

Ross joined Disney in 1996 as Disney Channel’s Senior Vice President, Programming and Production and was promoted to positions of increasing responsibility before being named Disney Channel president in April 2004. Prior to his tenure at Disney, he was a member of the executive team that launched FX Networks. Ross also held several senior positions at Nickelodeon from 1986 to 1993 where he oversaw talent booking, casting and program development and was involved in the launch of the channel’s first successful syndicated show and its first international network.

Ross is a member of the Board of Directors for Hollywood Radio Television Society and Cable in the Classroom — an organization that represents the cable telecommunication industry’s commitment to education. A native of New York and a 1983 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International and English, Ross received his J.D. degree from New York’s Fordham University in 1986.

Mark my words, there’s more to this story than they’re saying. And honestly, I’m not sure what to make of this.

Walt Disney Co. studio chairman Dick Cook announced Friday he was resigning immediately, after nearly 40 years with the company.

Cook said he had been contemplating leaving the studio for some time and that “it’s the right time for me to move on to new adventures.”

It was not immediately known who would replace Cook as chief of the studio.

“I have loved every minute of my 38 years that I have worked at Disney,from the beginning as a ride operator on Disneyland’s steam train and monorail to my position as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios,” Cook said.

Cook began working at Disneyland as a ride operator in 1970 and moved up through the ranks to become chairman of Walt Disney Studios 32 years later.

Described by BusinessWeek in 2003 as “the nicest guy in Disney’s jungle,” Cook is known for his down-to-earth personality and good relations with Disney’s partners.

Cook’s studio has drawn criticism recently for the quality of its films. Movies like “Race to Witch Mountain,” “Bedtime Stories,” and “Confessions of a Shopaholic” were box office flops.

Cook said the studio’s slate of upcoming movies is the best in its history.

I do agree with Cook’s stance on the upcoming slate of live action films. His presentation last week was very well put together.