Disney CEO touts Net

[ALIASd]

Disney CEO Touts Net

Disney's Iger stressed the importance of bridging the gap from computers to TV screens.


LOS ANGELES

Message to cable operators from Robert Iger: VOD is too complicated.

The Disney CEO said Thursday that cable TV companies need a Google-like search mechanism if VOD is to reach its full potential. Type in "rat DVD" at Google and you'll easily find Ratatouille, he said, but that's far from the case for VOD.

He said he's had better luck at Time Warner Cable's Web site when seeking programming than with a TV remote control: "And if I want to find something VOD-related, oh my God!"

Iger was the keynote speaker Thursday at the Sanford C. Bernstein Media Symposium, where he got laughs describing a typical VOD search: "I have to go to page 3, a-b-c-, yellow-green-purple, backspace three times, then I had to do a cartwheel and wash my face."

Iger also took a moment to criticize a recent New York Times editorial—and others who complain of rising prices—that called for more government regulation in the cable television industry. What's usually missing from the debate, he said, is that programming has been progressively improving over the years. "When you provide more value, the price should go up," he said.

Iger, though, spent most of his time touting the Internet as "a great medium for entertainment," stressing that Disney must think about entertainment in nontraditional ways in order to fully benefit.

That's why Disney has delved into virtual worlds in a big way, purchasing Club Penguin, launching Pirates of the Caribbean Online, building DisneyFairies.com and, within about a year, creating an online virtual world focused on the Pixar-Disney movie Cars.

Responding to a question, Iger dismissed the notion that user-generated content, while popular, was much competition against Disney's content.

"I'm the one who put America's Funniest Home Videos on in 1989," he joked. "I was stupid, though, I should have created YouTube."

Full article at:
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[Dustysage]

Iger, though, spent most of his time touting the Internet as "a great medium for entertainment," stressing that Disney must think about entertainment in nontraditional ways in order to fully benefit.

Exactly. So stop treating MiceChat like we are stealing your lawn ornaments and realize that although we are non-traditional media, we often bring you a lot more attention than your own marketing and publicity departments do. You are forward thinking in many ways Mr. Iger, but on the subject of the Internet, you still don't have it all figured out!

-Dusty
I'm waiting for a call Mr. Iger

.

[merlinjones]

Disney.com:

http://www.toy-testing.org/content/B...es/bb06-04.jpg

[SoCal]

Originally Posted by merlinjones

Disney.com:

http://www.toy-testing.org/content/B...es/bb06-04.jpg

lol, nice

[TheManator]

Originally Posted by Dustysage

Exactly. So stop treating MiceChat like we are stealing your lawn ornaments and realize that although we are non-traditional media, we often bring you a lot more attention than your own marketing and publicity departments do. You are forward thinking in many ways Mr. Iger, but on the subject of the Internet, you still don't have it all figured out!

-Dusty
I'm waiting for a call Mr. Iger

.

Well who can blame him? With this site and many others constantly giving critisim about stuff that the general public does not- care about, how can you expect them to react? We're a very very very small and insignficant piece of the pie of profit...

[merlinjones]

I'm sure Iger is sincere in his desire here.

Problem is the current leadership and talent in the Disney Internet/Online arena may have been good enough to get them this far... but it is not sufficiently creative, insightful or brave enough to take them where Iger wants to go.

Where's the content? Why is everything so user-and-hardware-unfriendly? Why is Disney's website loaded with advertising for the same stale franchises instead of inventive entertainment? Where is Walt's film library? - - There is more of it on YouTube! Why is it such an unfocused mess of a portal?

Too much politic, not enough vision. Get Jobs and Lasseter into this area, Bob.

[Aladdin]

When friends families and co-workers are planning trips to
Disneyland, WDW, DL Paris, Tokoyo, or Hong Kong ~ who
do they talk to, and who gives them info on tips for ALL these
Disney Parks???? It's US, the people who ARE Disney fans!
It's every single one of us who comes here to Mice Chat, Mice
Age, and several of the other popular Disney fan online sites!

We are the one's who are best able to offer advice on what
to see and do at the Disney Parks, and although some would
rather avoid pointing out things to stear clear of, or pointing
out area that need attention, even talking about concerns or
compliments about plans for the future, we are the ones that
are most enthusiastic because we want to see Disneyland
become better in the future, than it every has been in the past.

And if that means pointing out the neglected, deteriorating
condition of the Mark Twain, protesting the closure of access
to certain important parts of DL to the public, expressing what
is wrong with certain parts of DCA, or discussing concerns
about future planned attractions and how to imagineer a better
park, land, district, or attraction, then count Those as the people
who really care about DL, the true friends of DL! And Disney
would be wise to have already been talking about these things
behind closed doors already addressing those issues, or to consult
DL's biggest fans, rather than take numerous surveys that don't get
to the issues of what is right and wrong with the parks. Hello!!!
the public has already spoken, right here at MiceChat!

And when a new attraction, a new fireworks show, a new park is opened,
Count us as the ones who are the most enthusiastic about it, and when
the attraction, show, or park is a hit, We are the ones who will be talking
about it the most, we are often the crazy ones camping out all night in
the cold, or the ones waiting in line 3 to 4 hours just to be among the 1st
ones to see the new magic. And of course we will be the ones to go on
about how spectacular and detailed this new magic is.