There's been some interesting news on Disney over the last several days; some of it great, and other they would rather forget about.
The bad news is a director of a Norwegian museum claims he discovered Disney cartoons that had been drawn by Adolf Hitler, not exactly the type of connection you want to be made.
On the positive side, CEO Robert Iger is battling the perception that Disney is a patchwork of old franchises they're regurgitating to the public over and over again. He cites the 10 new Disney franchises, which include the powerhouses Hannah Montana and High School Musical, among others.
Some think the media property is highly undervalued, and a bargain at this time.
The more important stories:
Iger's foremost challenge in telling the Disney story to investors and other outsiders is to argue against the view that the company is mostly an amalgam of older, revered brands such as Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh, being repurposed and milked for revenue, year after year.
He points to 10 flourishing Disney "franchises," ranging from Pirates of the Caribbean to the 'tween sensation Hannah Montana to Toy Story and CARS, which Disney has gone about developing and extending through multiple arms of the company, be they films or theme-park rides or DVDs or cable series or T-shirts. Or, preferably, all of the above.
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Did Adolf Hitler draw Disney characters?
The director of a Norwegian museum claimed yesterday to have discovered cartoons drawn by Adolf Hitler during the Second World War.
William Hakvaag, the director of a war museum in northern Norway, said he found the drawings hidden in a painting signed "A. Hitler" that he bought at an auction in Germany.
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Disney Ups Dixon to VP and GM in Australia and New Zealand
Disney Channels Worldwide has appointed Melissa Dixon, a 12-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company, to the position of VP and general manager of Disney Channels in Australia and New Zealand.
The announcement follows the promotion of Michael Cairns, who most recently filled Dixon’s new role, to helm Disney Channels UK and Ireland.
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Disney's ABC to release hit shows over video-on-demand with ads
ABC said Monday it will release hit shows like "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" for free over video-on-demand cable services with the hitch that viewers will have to sit through commercials without being able to fast-forward.
The Walt Disney Co., parent company of the network, is aiming to profit from ads sold for the video-on-demand offerings while expanding its digital strategy beyond programs distributed on its Web site, abc.com.
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Disney forms European uber-group
Madrid Mouse House TV in Europe has teamed with an ideal partner -- itself.
In April, Walt Disney Co. will launch a European uber-group covering TV program sales, channel distribution and new media deals, headed by group exec veep Tom Toumazis, one of Disney's best-known overseas TV execs.
Simon Amselem, who ran Disney Channel France, will direct group channel distribution. The super division encompasses Middle East and Africa.
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