Disney’s Roth Gets New Title, Duties in Reorganization

Walt Disney Co. movie chief Joe Roth on Tuesday got the title and most of the job held by his predecessor Jeffrey Katzenberg, inheriting management of Walt Disney’s lucrative video and television production operations but not the company’s animation unit.

Roth’s new duties were formerly held by Dennis F. Hightower, who announced on Sunday that he is retiring from the company after only a year as president of Disney Television and Telecommunications. Disney sources said that other organizational changes are expected in the coming months as the company digests its $19-billion acquisition of Capital Cities/ABC.

The reorganization also expands the responsibilities of Robert Iger, the president of Capital Cities/ABC. The Disney Channel was already put under his wing in February, when Geraldine Laybourne jumped from Viacom Inc., where she had built Nickelodeon, to head up all of the Disney and Capital Cities cable interests except for ESPN.

With Tuesday’s announcement, Iger also takes charge of Disney’s international, syndication and pay television operations. Reporting to Iger are Etienne de Villiers, president of the international operation, and Randy Reiss, executive vice president for syndication and pay TV.

Since the merger was announced last year, Disney has been expected to realign the company by assembling most TV distribution functions under Capital Cities/ABC Inc. and most TV and movie production under Disney. The configuration is similar to that at Fox, where TV and movie production are housed within the Twentieth Century studio and the Fox network and cable operations form the Fox Broadcasting Co.

The new TV structure makes it easier for Disney to keep the appearance of being an arm’s-length supplier to ABC. Disney Chairman Michael D. Eisner has promised to let free market forces determine what TV shows get aired on ABC to blunt criticism that the studio would stock the network with home-grown programs.

Roth, who previously was chairman of Walt Disney Motion Pictures, was formally named chairman of Walt Disney Studios, the same title held by Katzenberg, who left in 1994 in a dispute with Eisner.

That Roth won’t oversee Disney’s animation unit isn’t exactly a surprise, given the powerful autonomy enjoyed by the lucrative unit, responsible for such films as “The Lion King,” “Aladdin” and the upcoming “Hunchback of Notre Dame.” The group is headed by Peter Schneider and overseen by Roy E. Disney, nephew of company namesake Walt Disney and also one of the company’s biggest stockholders.

“That’s Roy Disney’s empire. Nobody is going to fool around with that,” one Disney source said.

Disney in its announcement said that Schneider will continue to run animation and will “report creatively” to Roy Disney and Eisner.

Before replacing Katzenberg, Roth produced films through Caravan Pictures. He also headed Twentieth Century Fox at a time when the studio had the hugely successful film “Home Alone.”

In an interview, Roth called the announcement regarding his new duties “anticlimatic.” He also denied Hollywood gossip that he ever made a play for the animation unit.

“I was very clear about it going in. I’m in the creation-of-new-content business. My job with animation has always been the same--market it and distribute it. My job is to get people to see their films,” Roth said.

It remains unclear whether Roth reports to Eisner or Disney President Michael S. Ovitz. Asked about it, Roth said: “I legitimately don’t know.”

Presumably Roth is getting a raise for taking on the new duties. Disney declined to say whether Roth signed a new contract.

In a related move, Sanford M. Litvack, Disney senior executive vice president and chief of corporate operations, will oversee Disney TeleVentures, which includes Disney’s involvement in the Americast video venture with telephone companies.