Disney’s D.C. top gun, Preston Padden, to step down
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Walt Disney Co.’s Preston Padden, who over the course of more than three decades has been one of the most influential lobbyists in the entertainment industry, is mapping out his exit strategy.
Padden, who serves as Disney’s executive vice president of government relations, said in an e-mail to co-workers that he has taken a post as a senior fellow and an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado Law School and will retire from Disney in 2011. News of Padden’s plans were first reported by Broadcasting & Cable magazine.
No successor was named but all eyes will likely turn to Richard Bates, the number-two in Disney’s D.C. office who has also been mentioned as a potential candidate to takeover as chief of the Motion Picture of Association of America when Dan Glickman steps down.
Padden, 62, a brash executive with sharp elbows, loved a good fight. While many D.C. insiders prefer to keep low profiles and work behind the scenes, Padden was an in-your-face lobbyist and executive. He rose to prominence at News Corp., where he oversaw its Washington operation when the Fox network was still in growth mode. He soon took over affiliate relations and earned himself the nickname of ‘Preston the Enforcer.’
Although his methods alienated many, he was quite effective. Fox had a strong run of FCC wins on his watch. At Disney, Padden was reined in a little bit and had to adjust his style from the renegade ways of News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch to the button-down approach of Disney’s Michael Eisner and Bob Iger.
That went out the window when Time Warner merged with America Online in 2001 and Padden led a loud campaign against the merger (heck, maybe Time Warner and AOL should have listened) that led to intense scrutiny of the deal.
While Padden is an expert in the ways of Washington, his attempts to move outside the beltway were less successful. Murdoch tapped him to lead his short-lived satellite venture, America Sky Broadcasting (ASKYB), which never got off the ground. Disney named him president of the ABC network, but that stint also did not last long.
In his memo, Padden said government relations will report to Disney General Counsel Alan Braverman until his successor is named. (UPDATE: Government relations will now report to Braverman period.) In the meantime, Padden said he will work with Disney strategist Keven Mayer.
-- Joe Flint
