Disney-ABC Television Group Daytime Division Names Key Executives

- ANN LEWIS ROBERTS TO HEAD BUENA VISTA PRODUCTIONS, AS WELL AS ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMMING FOR SOAPNET
- ADAM ROCKMORE JOINS DISNEY-ABC TELEVISION GROUP AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING, ABC DAYTIME AND SOAPNET

Wednesday, January 09, 2008 -- Following the recent restructure of Buena Visa Productions and the Disney-ABC Television Group's Daytime Division, Brian Frons, president, Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group has promoted Ann Lewis Roberts to head Buena Vista Productions and Alternative Programming and Development for SOAPnet. Frons also named Adam Rockmore senior vice president, Marketing, ABC Daytime and SOAPnet. Roberts and Rockmore will report to Frons.

"The positions were structured to create greater strength and synergy across ABC Daytime, SOAPnet and Buena Vista Productions. Ann and Adam will oversee initiatives that will be utilized across the entire television group," said Frons. "Ann is a brilliant television executive with a history of creating strong franchise players for syndication, cable and broadcast networks. I'm especially thrilled to have her expertise for a new level of story driven programming at SOAPnet. Adam is a strategic marketing executive with the ability to innovate and direct creative ventures. He also has incredible experience building brands, and I am glad to have him lead the way as we create what is next for the division."

In her role as senior vice president, Buena Vista Productions, Roberts will oversee development of new programming for primetime, syndication and cable production, as well as have oversight for the existing slate of shows including "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?," "At the Movies with Ebert and Roeper," SOAPnet's "The Fashionista Diaries" and GSN's "Camouflage." In addition, in her position at SOAPnet she will develop and oversee all non-scripted programming for the Disney-owned channel as its senior vice president, Alternative Programming and Development.

As senior vice president, Marketing, ABC Daytime and SOAPnet, Rockmore will oversee all marketing for both networks. He will be responsible for cultivating the brand vision and image for the division, managing the creative direction and brand strategy in addition to directing all on-air promotion, off-channel marketing and advertising.

About Ann Lewis Roberts

Ann Lewis Roberts was most recently vice president, Development, Buena Vista Productions, where she brought "The Fashionista Diaries," with the producers of Laguna Beach, to SOAPnet. She also produced and sold "Run for Money" to the SciFi Channel and "Inside Video Wars: Stringers" to truTV.

Prior to joining Buena Vista Productions, Roberts spent 13 years in syndication, beginning as a producer and writer at top magazine strip "Entertainment Tonight" for CBS/Paramount Domestic Syndication. She was also part of the team that created and launched "Access Hollywood" for NBC domestic television as senior producer. In 2002 she served as vice president, Programming Development/executive producer for E! Networks and is responsible for many top rated shows for E! and Style, including "Dr. 90210," "How Do I Look?," "Clean House," "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" and "Instant Beauty Pageant." Roberts lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.

About Adam Rockmore

Adam Rockmore has cable, retail and interactive marketing experience. Prior to joining the Daytime Division of the Disney-ABC Television Group, he served as vice president, Marketing and Retail for Calphalon, where he oversaw brand and product marketing, creative services and international brand development. In that role he led the company's first consumer-driven strategy development, oversaw a new consumer marketing direction, created company product strategy for new houseware categories, changed development approach, initiated team development of new products and oversaw the creation and execution of branded retail outlets.

In 2000 Rockmore joined Scripps Networks as vice president, Marketing and Public Relations for Food Network, where he helped grow the network to 90 million subscribers, directed the network's brand strategy and the on and off-air rebranding effort, in addition to building successful partnerships with high profile partners. In 2004 he became senior vice president, Marketing and Interactive Commerce, Scripps Networks, where he oversaw strategy, operations, marketing, merchandising and user experience for Scripps Networks' online branded stores including Shopathometv.com, Foodnetwork.com, HGTV.com and DIYnetwork.com.

Rockmore has also held marketing, ecommerce and product management positions with Godiva Chocolatier, Parker Brothers and General Mills. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.

The Daytime Division of the Disney-ABC Television Group was formed in May 2006, when Brian Frons was named President of the new Division, which oversees the creation, production and delivery of all product for ABC Daytime, SOAPnet and Buena Vista Productions.

The Disney-ABC Television Group is home to all of The Walt Disney Company's (NYSE: DIS) worldwide entertainment and news television properties. The Group includes the ABC Television Network (including ABC Daytime, ABC Entertainment and ABC News divisions); the Disney Channels Worldwide global kids' TV business, ABC Family and SOAPnet; as well as television production and syndication divisions ABC Studios, Disney-ABC Domestic Television and Disney-ABC International Television. The Disney-ABC Television Group also manages the Radio Disney Network, general interest and non-fiction book imprint Hyperion, as well the Company's equity interest in Lifetime Entertainment Services and A&E Television Networks.

Source: ABC

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