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It’s no secret The Walt Disney Company has been enduring some changes. As Bob Iger stepped back in as CEO and has now prolonged his contract to 2026, the changes continue. Recently, the company faced layoffs affecting employees from different sectors of The Walt Disney Company. Although ESPN initially thought they would be untouched, 20 of their on-air personalities were let go. Due to this, the angst of what’s to come is fearful to employees, to say the least.
After an interview this past week, Bob Iger instilled even more anxiety into employees with implications of additional changes that may affect more jobs. Now it seems Iger moves his efforts to calm the fear of Disney staff.
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Bob Iger moves to calm Disney staff after sparking ‘high anxiety’ over potential sale of TV assets https://t.co/tfGop7Q2mZ via @CNNBusiness
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What Is the “Core” of the Walt Disney Company?
Iger had a meeting with senior executives of The Walt Disney Company, which initially started the chatter. Speaking with David Faber, Iger said, “Disney’s linear business “may not be core” to the entertainment giant — a comment that immediately sent shockwaves through the industry.” Since his remarks, it seems Iger is trying to backtrack or clear up the comment he made.
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While fans have learned Iger had discussed selling a significant portion of Disney to Apple, it’s unclear if that will come to fruition. But following that remark, with now the possibility of downsizing the company and losing broadcast and cable networks, the staff is uneasy. Experiencing high anxiety, staff has reportedly felt like they are being left in the dark. “There have been no company-wide memos. No town halls. Nothing but silence since Iger jolted the organization with the news,” CNN Business reports.
Credit: Disney
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CEO Bob Iger’s Response
The CEO’s comments made many questions after the weary of what will come. Iger noted, “Content created by the company’s television production teams is incredibly valuable to our business,” which didn’t entirely calm the storm. He continued to talk up the importance of ABC News, saying,
“I’m ridiculously passionate about news,” Iger said, according to the person familiar with his comments. “It’s important to this company. We need to figure out how it makes the transition into streaming. And I happen to believe we will endure. It’s too good, it’s too important, and it’s really fun.”
Credit: Walt Disney World Company
Surely the rattled staff members are still wondering what the future may hold for their jobs. While it has not been explicitly released or said that Iger intends to sell the linear stations, the thoughts seem to be on the horizon. This all comes as Disney has been downsizing and looking for ways to move forward positively within The Walt Disney Company.
What are your thoughts?
