Disney Plans Companywide Boost for ABC

In hopes of boosting ratings at its foundering ABC television network, Walt Disney Co. will aggressively cross-promote its new fall TV lineup at Disneyland, in feature films, at retail stores, on record labels and even in ESPN Zone restaurants.

The strategy comes as Disney works to improve the performance of ABC, which has fallen from first place to third in the ratings in the last two years as the network failed to find replacement hits for “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

Disney typically has relied on ABC to promote its movies and theme parks, not the other way around.

“It’s really an effort companywide to support ABC in a way that we’ve never done before,” said Chris Curtin, vice president of corporate synergy and special projects for Disney. “This is a major priority for the company.”

ABC’s prime-time ratings are down more than 20% this season, which has contributed to Disney’s stock price falling 30% in the last year. Disney’s shares Thursday fell 11 cents to close at $21.04 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Disney Chief Executive Michael Eisner and President Bob Iger have said turning around ABC is their top priority.

With seven new shows on its fall schedule, ABC must attract viewers early.

“Clearly it’s a priority to fix ABC,” said David Miller, a media analyst with Sanders Morris Harris in Los Angeles. “They just don’t want to leave any stone unturned.”

Cross-promotion is common among other large media companies, such as Viacom Inc., whose CBS network and billboard operations heavily tout the company’s MTV and Nickelodeon channels.

No amount of promotion, however, will substitute for hit shows, analysts said.

“It couldn’t hurt, but at the same time ABC is more like a sailboat in the middle of an ocean waiting for a breeze to blow it,” said Jordan Rohan, an analyst with Wit SoundView. “There’s nothing ABC can do to promote a fall lineup if viewers don’t like their shows.”

Disney’s ESPN Zone restaurants, which draw more than 4 million visitors annually, will feature coasters with information on “Monday Night Football” games and will play video clips touting upcoming shows such as “Push, Nevada” and a late-night program starring comedian Jimmy Kimmel.

At Walt Disney World in Florida, summertime visitors at the ABC Theatre within the Disney-MGM Studios park will see a live show with network stars promoting some of the fall programs. Disneyland in Anaheim also will present an ABC Fall Preview Weekend with network stars in a parade and a live performance by sitcom star Jim Belushi and his band.

Disney’s Buena Vista Music Group will include inserts in CDs, promoting ABC’s “Happy Hour” block of family programs. And Disney Online will run a promotion this summer that will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a comedy called “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter” starring John Ritter.

Associated Press was used in compiling this report.