Ovitz vs. Ohlmeyer: Oh My! Feud Heats Up

The behind-the-scenes feuding between NBC and Walt Disney Co. is bursting into the open in this week’s Time magazine.

Reflecting his anger at tactics he contends Disney employed to pursue a top NBC executive, Don Ohlmeyer, president of NBC West Coast, describes Michael S. Ovitz, Disney’s new president, as “the antichrist, and you can quote me on that.”

Ohlmeyer, who is credited with NBC’s climb from third to first in the ratings this year, elaborated on Monday: “Ovitz has been spreading rumors with the sole intention of destabilizing NBC and my position here. It’s been open warfare for a month. We will take them on like we take on all our competitors, but now there’s an added incentive for making that $18-billion purchase [of ABC] by Disney as worthless as possible.”

At issue are the circumstances surrounding the sudden departure from NBC of development whiz Jamie McDermott, 31, who is among the highest-ranking women in TV.

In late February, just nine months into a new two-year contract, McDermott suddenly asked NBC for early release from her contract. She is expected to become president of ABC Entertainment later this year, replacing Ted Harbert, who was rumored last week to have talked with Warner Bros. about a new position atop its TV group.

NBC officials have privately accused ABC and Disney of poaching--pursuing McDermott while she was still under contract. NBC said such practices rubbed against traditional Hollywood etiquette of calling a person’s boss before negotiating.

(NBC was accused of the same infraction a few years back when it hired Andrew Lack to be its head of news. Lack at the time was only a few months into his CBS contract.)

ABC officials, also privately, said McDermott made the first contact. But Ohlmeyer says ABC spread the story among reporters that she was released early for other reasons. An article in the New York Post suggested that McDermott was preparing to file a sexual harassment suit against Ohlmeyer, though both Ohlmeyer and McDermott have denied such accusations.

NBC officials believed that Ovitz orchestrated the plan for McDermott’s early release. The dispute apparently reached the highest levels of both companies, with Jack Welch, chairman of NBC owner General Electric Corp., firing off a letter of protest to Disney Chairman Michael Eisner.

Ovitz could not be reached for comment Monday. Disney on Monday denied the charges. “Michael had no part in fomenting rumor or innuendo,” said John Dryer, a spokesman.

Disney needed to prop up its new network and shake NBC’s momentum in the ratings, where it had roundly knocked ABC from first place.