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RICH ROSS
POSTED BY EIZ ON SATURDAY, 21 APRIL, 2012, 1:33 AM

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Rich-Ross.png The move ends a two-and-a-half-year tenure that was more notable for continued misses than hits. Share |

RICH ROSS
Posted byo Eiz n Saturday, 21 April, 2012, 1:33 AM

LOS ANGELESR i c h R o s s r e s i g n e d under pressure as the chairman of Walt Disney Studios on Friday, ending a twoand-a-half year tenure that was more notable for its misses than its hits.

His departure is a rare misstep by Robert A. Iger, Disneys chief executive. After firing Disneys p r e v i o u s m o v i e c h a i r m a n i n September 2009, Mr. Iger stunned Hollywood by handing the job of a studio turnaround to Mr. Ross, whose career until then was spent entirely in television.

It was a bold decision that did not work in practice, as Mr. Ross, 50, in turn hired lieutenants with little or no film experience. Ultimately, he failed to navigate the clubby world of the movies, where habits are ingrained and outsiders are routinely chewed up and spit out.

But it was Mr. Rosss spotty track record with films that assured his fate. Mr. Iger moved to part ways with Mr. Ross after becoming convinced in recent weeks that the movie chairman had lost the confidence of the studios employees and partners, which include Jerry Bruckheimer and Steven Spielbergs DreamWorks Studios, according to people at Disney familiar with the decision. In particular, filmmakers and producers started coming to Mr. Iger with complaints about Mr. Ross after the recent box-office collapse ofJohn Carter,a science-fiction epic that is forcing Disney to take a $200 million write-down.

Im just glad that Iger acted because change was very much needed,said Richard Greenfield, an analyst at BTIG Research. Rich made strategic errors beyond just movie-picking.Mr. Greenfield has been a vocal critic of Disneys DVD release strategy, particularly when it comes to how quickly movies are made available via Redbox kiosks, a strategy that Disney has recently revised to create a longer waiting period.

In a statement, Mr. Iger praised Mr. Rosss creative instincts, business acumen and personal integrity,and highlighted the success Mr. Ross found while running the Disney Channel and other television properties for the company. His vision and leadership opened doors for Disney around the world, making our brand part of the daily life for millions of people,the statement said.