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Peter Rice, then-chairman and chief government officer of Fox Networks Group Inc., speaks on the Milken Institute World Convention in Beverly Hills, California, Might 3, 2017.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Photos
LOS ANGELES – Disney has abruptly fired Peter Rice, its most senior tv content material government, a number of sources advised CNBC Thursday.
Rice did not know the firing was coming, based on an individual with information of the matter.
It was not instantly clear what led to Rice’s sudden departure from the corporate.
Rice has clashed with Disney executives, together with former Disney head of streaming Kevin Mayer, about organizational powers, corresponding to who managed the flexibility to greenlight reveals. Whereas typically well-liked personally, he is irritated some coworkers at Disney for monopolizing data fairly than sharing it with coworkers – a mode that will have labored at Fox however was ill-fitting at Disney, based on an individual conversant in the matter.
Nonetheless, Rice supported Chapek’s organizational adjustments, which gave him again the facility to have direct conversations with Hollywood expertise about whether or not or not Disney would select their work, one other particular person stated.
One supply advised CNBC that Rice was seen as a potential candidate to succeed CEO Bob Chapek as Disney’s chief government. Rice is well-like and revered in Hollywood, and his ouster is “extraordinary” and “sizeable,” the supply stated.
His contract was re-upped in August 2021 and set to run via 2024. Rice was given an undisclosed payout, a supply conversant in the matter stated.
Rice has greater than three many years of expertise within the leisure trade and rose up via the ranks at 21th Century Fox. When the corporate’s sale to Disney was finalized in 2019, Rice joined Disney’s crew. Dana Walden, who additionally made the transition from Fox to Disney, will take over his duties.
Disney confirmed the elevation of Walden, efficient instantly. Rice didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for remark.
The firing comes as Disney is aggressively working to broaden its streaming viewers. Rice oversaw twentieth Tv, ABC Leisure, ABC Information and FX, amongst different manufacturers.
Disney’s board expressed help for Chapek, who delivered the information to Rice earlier this week.
“The energy of the Walt Disney Firm’s companies popping out of the pandemic is a testomony to Bob’s management and imaginative and prescient for the corporate’s future,” Susan Arnold, chairwoman of Disney’s board, stated in a press release. “On this essential time of enterprise development and transformation, we’re dedicated to preserving Disney on the profitable path it’s on at present, and Bob and his management crew have the help and confidence of the board.”
— CNBC’s Julia Boorstin contributed to this report.
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