Company Town : Disney Co. Gives Pfeifer Title of Hollywood Records President

After more than a year at the job, Bob Pfeifer has been officially named president of Walt Disney Co.’s Hollywood Records.

Pfeifer was made head of the label in February, 1994, following the departure of former President Peter T. Paterno, but in an unusual situation, he has held only an executive vice president title since then. In addition to Pfeifer’s promotion, veteran music industry lawyer Richard Leher, who joined Hollywood in June, was named executive vice president.

In a statement, Disney Chairman Michael D. Eisner called the promotions “a strong vote of confidence.”

Hollywood Records was founded by Disney in 1989 with hopes that it would be built into a major record label, but it has foundered. However, in recent months Pfeifer has signed such sought-after groups as “Seaweed” and “Gwen Mars.”

Disney is known to have courted former Warner Bros. Records Chairman Mo Ostin over the past year, but industry insiders are skeptical that Ostin will land at Disney.

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* James W. Barge, a partner in the Los Angeles office of Ernst & Young, has been named assistant controller of Time Warner.

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