English-Walt Disney Company

• The Walt Disney Company is the second largest media in the United States, after Time-Warner.It is worth fifty-seven billion dollars.

• Walt Disney and his brother Roy started the company by making short animated files called cartoons. In 1928, the brothers produced “Steamboat Willie”, a cartoon starring Mickey Mouse. The Disney brothers then made several very successful full-length cartoon movies. They also began selling products linked to the cartoon characters in their movies.

• Walt Disney wanted to expend into their forms of entertainment. In 1955, he opened the Disneyland amusement park in California. In 1971, Walt Disney World opened in Florida. It is the most popular holidy area in the United States. There are also Disney parks in Tokyo and Pairs. Disneyland in HongKong is expected to open in September 2005.

• Walt Disney died in 1966, but the company continued to grow. In 1983, Disney started its own cable television channel. The next year, Micheal Eisner bacame chairman and chief executive.

• During the 1990s, Disney grew into a total media company. It brought movie puoduction company, newspapers and cable television company.In 1996, Disney bought the American Broadcasting Company, including the cable sport network ESPN.

• Mister Eisner remined the company’s top executive. But last year, about 45 percent of Disney shareholders vote against him. The Disney Board of Directors removed Mister Eisner form the position of chairman and replaced him with former State Majority Leader George Mitchell. Recently, Disney signed an argument with Pixar Animation Studios to make five animited movies. The deal produced the extremely popular files “Finding Nemo” and “The incredibles”. Nevertheless, in January of last year, talks to extend the argument failed. Some shareholders blamed Mister Eisner.

• In March, the Walt Disney Company announced that Rebert lger would replace Mister Eisner as chief executive. Rebert lger has bean resident and chief operating officer of the company for the past five years. Mister lger will begin the top job at Disney on September 30th.