Bornstein Named President of ABC TV

Walt Disney Co., the second-largest media company, named Steven Bornstein, the former head of its Internet division, as president of ABC Television, replacing Robert Callahan.

Callahan is leaving Burbank-based Disney for personal reasons that require him to be based on the East Coast, company spokesman John Dreyer said. He declined to comment further. Callahan will remain with ABC through September.

Bornstein was chief executive of ESPN from 1990 through 1999 and is credited with building up the Disney sports cable network, analysts said. He has been chairman of Walt Disney Internet Group for the last two years after an earlier stint as president of ABC Inc. in 1999.

“Bornstein’s a very well-respected and well-liked executive at Disney,” said Jordan Rohan, an analyst at Wit SoundView. “He was probably underutilized at Disney Internet.” Rohan rates Disney shares a “buy.”

Disney bought back the shares of its separately traded Internet unit last month and scaled back its operations.

Bornstein will oversee the ABC Television Network, the 10 local TV stations that ABC owns and Buena Vista Television, Disney’s TV production and syndication unit.

Disney shares rose 65 cents to close at $29.25 in New York Stock Exchange trading.