Disney Names Radio Executive to Head ABC Family Cable Channel

By BROOKS BARNES

The Walt Disney Company continued its streak of surprise hires by naming a radio executive to take over its ABC Family cable channel.

Michael Riley, who has spent the last two years running Radio Disney, will take over as president of ABC Family, the company said Monday afternoon. Mr. Riley, 40, succeeds Paul Lee, who left last month to take over ABC.

The decision is unusual given Mr. Riley's limited experience in original programming, an enormous part of his new job. He does have TV on his résumé, however: before joining Disney, Mr. Riley worked for the Turner Broadcasting System in Europe.

Disney has become known for unconventional executive shuffling. Last year, it hired a television executive to run its movie studio. It subsequently promoted a little-known TV manager from Latin America to run the Disney Channel. And within the last year, Disney's chief financial officer switched jobs with the company's theme park chairman.

Source:Disney Names Radio Executive to Head ABC Family Cable Channel http://nyti.ms/d1Eryc

(Yimber Gaviria, Colombia)