Michael Riley Joins Disney as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Radio Disney

March 13, 2008 -- Michael G. Riley has been named Senior Vice President and General Manager, Radio Disney, it was announced today by Rich Ross, President, Disney Channels Worldwide, to whom he will report. He joins Disney after 10 years at Turner Broadcasting System, where he worked across multiple European markets on both entertainment and news brands. Riley, whose appointment is effective April 1, will relocate to Radio Disney's Burbank headquarters. He succeeds longtime Disney executive Jill Casagrande who, after helping build Radio Disney to unrivaled market presence with kids, moms and advertisers, left the Company last month to relocate to her Cincinnati hometown.

In making the announcement Ross said: "Michael is a strong, creative and well-regarded professional with a solid background in business management, strategic brand marketing and advertising across international enterprises. His appointment marks an important step in our long-term commitment to further build Radio Disney in the marketplace." He added, "We are indebted to Jill who brought her expertise and leadership to the network at a time of integration into our global TV business, and we wish nothing but the best for her future."

Riley's areas of responsibility will include strategic management of the network and its portfolio of 42 owned radio stations. The Radio Disney programming, distribution, online and marketing departments will report to him.

Radio Disney reaches 97 percent of the U.S. and is distinguished in the marketplace by its 24-hour offering of kid-friendly and mom-approved music from a variety of record labels. Its daily new artist feature, Radio Disney Incubator, provides an on-air and online showcase for young talent, including Jonas Brothers who, in October 2005, debuted on Radio Disney's Incubator, soared up the charts and now, as Platinum-selling rockers, continue to dominate Radio Disney's Top 30 Countdown. RadioDisney.com attracts an average of 700,000 unique visitors per month.

Riley said: "I consider this to be a great opportunity to build on the foundation that's been developed. I look forward to getting to work on strengthening the Radio Disney brand and to generating the excitement and recognition that the network deserves."

Since 2006, Riley was Senior Vice President and General Manager, Turner Broadcasting System, Europe, Middle East and Africa. In this post, he was responsible for developing the CNN commercial strategy and the overall brand strategy for the entertainment channels Cartoon Network, Boomerang, TCM, TNT and Adult Swim in Germany, Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa. Other key responsibilities included the management of advertising sales, marketing and interactive commerce functions, as well as supporting the company's programming development and acquisition strategy.

From 2004-06 he was Vice President and General Manager, Turner Broadcasting System France, with responsibility for all Turner channels in that market. From 2000-03 he was Vice President, Turner Classic Movies, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and from 1997-2000 he was Vice President, Business Development, Television and Interactive Media, Cartoon Network and Turner Classic Movies.

From 1996-97 he was a strategy consultant with the global advertising and media conglomerate WPP Group in London and New York, where he conducted strategic reviews of the group's specialist communication companies, including Ogilvy & Mather and J Walter Thompson. He was a business consultant for the Canadian Pacific conglomerate in Toronto from 1992-95, working across its Strategy and Information division on a range of interests including Hotels, Real Estate, Oil Production, Resorts and Railroads.

Riley was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and raised in Montreal, Ontario, Canada. He is a 1997 graduate of London Business School with a Masters in Business Administration, and completed an international program at Columbia Business School in 1996. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Administration and Commercial Studies from University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada in 1992. He is fluent in French and English.

Radio Disney is available to 97% of the U.S. on over 50 terrestrial radio stations. It is also available via RadioDisney.com, XM and Sirius satellite radio, iTunes Radio Tuner, XM/DIRECTV and mobile phones. Radio Disney has a sister network in Latin America. Its brand extensions include multiple Radio Disney Jams CDs from Walt Disney Records and iTunes Music Store offerings.

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 (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 Radio Disney, 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: Disney ABC TV