在一片有關(guān)電視內(nèi)容主管彼得·賴斯與迪士尼(Disney)企業(yè)文化格格不入的報(bào)道聲中,迪士尼首席執(zhí)行官鮑勃·查佩克上周突然開掉了賴斯,而且各大報(bào)道對(duì)賴斯的罷免是否屬于意料之中存在分歧。如今,《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》(Wall Street Journal)的一篇新報(bào)道指出了其被撤職的六大原因,意味著迪士尼已經(jīng)考慮這一決定數(shù)月之久。
迪士尼的董事會(huì)對(duì)查佩克的決定表示支持,但此舉卻令好萊塢感到震驚,也導(dǎo)致迪士尼當(dāng)日股價(jià)下跌了3.7%,同時(shí),突如其來(lái)的解雇也成了高管們熱議的話題。
賴斯在遭到解雇時(shí)是公司最為資深的高管之一,掌控著100億美元的年度預(yù)算,并監(jiān)管著迪士尼各大平臺(tái)上的300多個(gè)電視節(jié)目,包括美國(guó)廣播公司(ABC)、迪士尼頻道、Disney+、Hulu和FX 有線電視網(wǎng)。3年前,賴斯通過(guò)2019年3月迪士尼對(duì)其前任雇主21世紀(jì)??怂梗?1st Century Fox)的收購(gòu)過(guò)渡到迪士尼,僅在數(shù)月之后,他便與迪士尼簽署了獎(jiǎng)金豐厚的多年期聘用合同,2024年到期。
以下?lián)Q是賴斯遭到解雇的幾個(gè)原因。
薪酬過(guò)高?
21世紀(jì)??怂垢吖艿男匠暌哂诘鲜磕?,因此在迪士尼完成了這筆價(jià)值713億美元的收購(gòu)之后,公司自然會(huì)讓??怂箠蕵?lè)業(yè)務(wù)高管的高薪酬向其新家“更為適度”的薪酬看齊。
《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》的報(bào)道稱,在續(xù)簽合同之后,賴斯的薪酬削減了500萬(wàn)美元,降幅達(dá)到了20%,目的是向迪士尼其他高管看齊。
不過(guò),《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》稱,賴斯在離任時(shí)的薪酬依然在2,000萬(wàn)美元左右。
任人唯親
在進(jìn)入迪士尼之后,賴斯用??怂沟膯T工替換了多名迪士尼老將。據(jù)稱,一些被替換的迪士尼員工在整個(gè)職業(yè)生涯從未離開過(guò)迪士尼,這波操作導(dǎo)致賴斯與迪士尼的老員工之間出現(xiàn)了矛盾。
在查佩克接任鮑勃·伊戈?duì)柌⒅亟M了公司的媒體和娛樂(lè)業(yè)務(wù)之后,賴斯進(jìn)行這類人事調(diào)動(dòng)的能力有所改變。查佩克將預(yù)算大權(quán)交給了自己的副手卡里姆·丹尼爾,受此影響,賴斯很難在無(wú)人過(guò)問(wèn)的情況下去改變迪士尼的人事結(jié)構(gòu)。
與終身員工的文化沖突
迪士尼高管通常整個(gè)職業(yè)生涯都在這家媒體巨頭工作,而且被稱為“迪士尼終身員工”?!度A爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》稱,這些員工并不歡迎賴斯,而且對(duì)其充滿懷疑。
查佩克的副手卡里姆·丹尼爾執(zhí)掌著迪士尼的媒體和娛樂(lè)業(yè)務(wù),于2006年開始在迪士尼實(shí)習(xí)。他與賴斯之間便存在分歧,同樣存在分歧的還有1997年加入迪士尼負(fù)責(zé)國(guó)際內(nèi)容和運(yùn)營(yíng)的麗貝卡·坎貝爾,2000年加入迪士尼的首席財(cái)務(wù)官克里斯汀·麥卡錫,以及1993—2020年期間在迪士尼工作的前迪士尼高管凱文·梅耶。
預(yù)算編制問(wèn)題
賴斯在管理其預(yù)算時(shí)也采取了不同的方式。2021年,這位前福克斯高管希望將其節(jié)目預(yù)算中的未使用資金用于多個(gè)節(jié)目的營(yíng)銷和宣傳,包括美國(guó)廣播公司的喜劇《小學(xué)風(fēng)云》(Abbott Elementary)以及Hulu頻道的連續(xù)劇《成癮劑量》(Dopesick)和《公寓大樓里的謀殺案》(Only Murders in the Building)。
這對(duì)于迪士尼來(lái)說(shuō)是一個(gè)不同尋常的舉措,因?yàn)楣?jié)目的營(yíng)銷和宣傳分屬于兩個(gè)不同的預(yù)算。這一理念遭到了公司發(fā)售和財(cái)務(wù)部門的反對(duì)。隨后,賴斯與查佩克理論了此事,并拿到了后者的背書。
《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》稱,這種事經(jīng)常發(fā)生,這也意味著,當(dāng)賴斯搞不定的時(shí)候,他經(jīng)常會(huì)跑到查佩克那里求援。
兩個(gè)已經(jīng)續(xù)簽但舉步維艱的節(jié)目
據(jù)稱,迪士尼的員工對(duì)賴斯在節(jié)目資源的分配方面也頗有微詞。
該報(bào)道稱,賴斯續(xù)簽Disney+流媒體服務(wù)兩個(gè)節(jié)目《野鴨變鳳凰》(The Mighty Ducks)和《大人物》(Big Shot)的決定遭到了質(zhì)疑,因?yàn)檫@兩個(gè)節(jié)目的成本均超過(guò)了5000萬(wàn)美元,而且也沒(méi)有成功到花錢去續(xù)簽的地步。
然而,了解賴斯的人稱,在新冠疫情期間拍攝新節(jié)目的挑戰(zhàn)讓他感到疲憊不堪,而且兩個(gè)節(jié)目都得到了積極的評(píng)審。此外,賴斯制作這兩檔節(jié)目的原因在于,他認(rèn)為平臺(tái)的節(jié)目不夠穩(wěn)定,而且他擔(dān)心在推出后不久就砍掉節(jié)目會(huì)讓觀眾感到沮喪。
潛在的繼任者
賴斯被很多人譽(yù)為另一家公司高管職務(wù)的候選人,也有人說(shuō)他是問(wèn)題不斷的查佩克的繼任者。正是在這個(gè)時(shí)候,迪士尼內(nèi)部的矛盾也爆發(fā)了。
賴斯備受好萊塢各大圈子的推崇,而且據(jù)稱與前迪士尼首席執(zhí)行官鮑勃·伊戈?duì)栆粯?,屬于禮賢下士的類型。與此同時(shí),查佩克卻很難擺脫“外行人士”的稱號(hào),因?yàn)榇饲八_與斯嘉麗·約翰遜交惡,在電影《黑寡婦》(Black Widow)于電影院上映之前便在Disney+上發(fā)布了電影。斯嘉麗稱此舉給其造成了潛在的收入損失。此外,查佩克還改變了其對(duì)佛羅里達(dá)州“不要說(shuō)同性戀”(Don’t Say Gay)法案的態(tài)度,這部即將出臺(tái)的立法旨在禁止小學(xué)課堂討論性取向或性別身份話題。
《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》稱,盡管賴斯并未標(biāo)榜自己是查佩克的接替者,但他對(duì)這種猜測(cè)也是聽之任之,這一舉動(dòng)傷害了其在迪士尼的地位。
隨著迪士尼的股價(jià)不斷下跌,而且查佩克的能力亦遭到了質(zhì)疑,迪士尼的局勢(shì)也到了緊要關(guān)頭。這位迪士尼首席執(zhí)行官宣布,迪士尼電視部門娛樂(lè)業(yè)務(wù)董事長(zhǎng)達(dá)娜·瓦爾登將取代賴斯,前者此前曾效力于??怂?,在賴斯手下工作。
Deadline的報(bào)道稱,在升任迪士尼綜合娛樂(lè)內(nèi)容董事長(zhǎng)之后的第一次公開評(píng)論中,瓦爾登給員工發(fā)送了一篇簡(jiǎn)報(bào),表達(dá)了她“對(duì)查佩克無(wú)以復(fù)加的感激之情,因?yàn)檫@對(duì)她來(lái)說(shuō)是一個(gè)千載難逢的機(jī)會(huì)。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
在一片有關(guān)電視內(nèi)容主管彼得·賴斯與迪士尼(Disney)企業(yè)文化格格不入的報(bào)道聲中,迪士尼首席執(zhí)行官鮑勃·查佩克上周突然開掉了賴斯,而且各大報(bào)道對(duì)賴斯的罷免是否屬于意料之中存在分歧。如今,《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》(Wall Street Journal)的一篇新報(bào)道指出了其被撤職的六大原因,意味著迪士尼已經(jīng)考慮這一決定數(shù)月之久。
迪士尼的董事會(huì)對(duì)查佩克的決定表示支持,但此舉卻令好萊塢感到震驚,也導(dǎo)致迪士尼當(dāng)日股價(jià)下跌了3.7%,同時(shí),突如其來(lái)的解雇也成了高管們熱議的話題。
賴斯在遭到解雇時(shí)是公司最為資深的高管之一,掌控著100億美元的年度預(yù)算,并監(jiān)管著迪士尼各大平臺(tái)上的300多個(gè)電視節(jié)目,包括美國(guó)廣播公司(ABC)、迪士尼頻道、Disney+、Hulu和FX 有線電視網(wǎng)。3年前,賴斯通過(guò)2019年3月迪士尼對(duì)其前任雇主21世紀(jì)??怂梗?1st Century Fox)的收購(gòu)過(guò)渡到迪士尼,僅在數(shù)月之后,他便與迪士尼簽署了獎(jiǎng)金豐厚的多年期聘用合同,2024年到期。
以下?lián)Q是賴斯遭到解雇的幾個(gè)原因。
薪酬過(guò)高?
21世紀(jì)??怂垢吖艿男匠暌哂诘鲜磕?,因此在迪士尼完成了這筆價(jià)值713億美元的收購(gòu)之后,公司自然會(huì)讓福克斯娛樂(lè)業(yè)務(wù)高管的高薪酬向其新家“更為適度”的薪酬看齊。
《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》的報(bào)道稱,在續(xù)簽合同之后,賴斯的薪酬削減了500萬(wàn)美元,降幅達(dá)到了20%,目的是向迪士尼其他高管看齊。
不過(guò),《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》稱,賴斯在離任時(shí)的薪酬依然在2,000萬(wàn)美元左右。
任人唯親
在進(jìn)入迪士尼之后,賴斯用福克斯的員工替換了多名迪士尼老將。據(jù)稱,一些被替換的迪士尼員工在整個(gè)職業(yè)生涯從未離開過(guò)迪士尼,這波操作導(dǎo)致賴斯與迪士尼的老員工之間出現(xiàn)了矛盾。
在查佩克接任鮑勃·伊戈?duì)柌⒅亟M了公司的媒體和娛樂(lè)業(yè)務(wù)之后,賴斯進(jìn)行這類人事調(diào)動(dòng)的能力有所改變。查佩克將預(yù)算大權(quán)交給了自己的副手卡里姆·丹尼爾,受此影響,賴斯很難在無(wú)人過(guò)問(wèn)的情況下去改變迪士尼的人事結(jié)構(gòu)。
與終身員工的文化沖突
迪士尼高管通常整個(gè)職業(yè)生涯都在這家媒體巨頭工作,而且被稱為“迪士尼終身員工”?!度A爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》稱,這些員工并不歡迎賴斯,而且對(duì)其充滿懷疑。
查佩克的副手卡里姆·丹尼爾執(zhí)掌著迪士尼的媒體和娛樂(lè)業(yè)務(wù),于2006年開始在迪士尼實(shí)習(xí)。他與賴斯之間便存在分歧,同樣存在分歧的還有1997年加入迪士尼負(fù)責(zé)國(guó)際內(nèi)容和運(yùn)營(yíng)的麗貝卡·坎貝爾,2000年加入迪士尼的首席財(cái)務(wù)官克里斯汀·麥卡錫,以及1993—2020年期間在迪士尼工作的前迪士尼高管凱文·梅耶。
預(yù)算編制問(wèn)題
賴斯在管理其預(yù)算時(shí)也采取了不同的方式。2021年,這位前福克斯高管希望將其節(jié)目預(yù)算中的未使用資金用于多個(gè)節(jié)目的營(yíng)銷和宣傳,包括美國(guó)廣播公司的喜劇《小學(xué)風(fēng)云》(Abbott Elementary)以及Hulu頻道的連續(xù)劇《成癮劑量》(Dopesick)和《公寓大樓里的謀殺案》(Only Murders in the Building)。
這對(duì)于迪士尼來(lái)說(shuō)是一個(gè)不同尋常的舉措,因?yàn)楣?jié)目的營(yíng)銷和宣傳分屬于兩個(gè)不同的預(yù)算。這一理念遭到了公司發(fā)售和財(cái)務(wù)部門的反對(duì)。隨后,賴斯與查佩克理論了此事,并拿到了后者的背書。
《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》稱,這種事經(jīng)常發(fā)生,這也意味著,當(dāng)賴斯搞不定的時(shí)候,他經(jīng)常會(huì)跑到查佩克那里求援。
兩個(gè)已經(jīng)續(xù)簽但舉步維艱的節(jié)目
據(jù)稱,迪士尼的員工對(duì)賴斯在節(jié)目資源的分配方面也頗有微詞。
該報(bào)道稱,賴斯續(xù)簽Disney+流媒體服務(wù)兩個(gè)節(jié)目《野鴨變鳳凰》(The Mighty Ducks)和《大人物》(Big Shot)的決定遭到了質(zhì)疑,因?yàn)檫@兩個(gè)節(jié)目的成本均超過(guò)了5000萬(wàn)美元,而且也沒(méi)有成功到花錢去續(xù)簽的地步。
然而,了解賴斯的人稱,在新冠疫情期間拍攝新節(jié)目的挑戰(zhàn)讓他感到疲憊不堪,而且兩個(gè)節(jié)目都得到了積極的評(píng)審。此外,賴斯制作這兩檔節(jié)目的原因在于,他認(rèn)為平臺(tái)的節(jié)目不夠穩(wěn)定,而且他擔(dān)心在推出后不久就砍掉節(jié)目會(huì)讓觀眾感到沮喪。
潛在的繼任者
賴斯被很多人譽(yù)為另一家公司高管職務(wù)的候選人,也有人說(shuō)他是問(wèn)題不斷的查佩克的繼任者。正是在這個(gè)時(shí)候,迪士尼內(nèi)部的矛盾也爆發(fā)了。
賴斯備受好萊塢各大圈子的推崇,而且據(jù)稱與前迪士尼首席執(zhí)行官鮑勃·伊戈?duì)栆粯樱瑢儆诙Y賢下士的類型。與此同時(shí),查佩克卻很難擺脫“外行人士”的稱號(hào),因?yàn)榇饲八_與斯嘉麗·約翰遜交惡,在電影《黑寡婦》(Black Widow)于電影院上映之前便在Disney+上發(fā)布了電影。斯嘉麗稱此舉給其造成了潛在的收入損失。此外,查佩克還改變了其對(duì)佛羅里達(dá)州“不要說(shuō)同性戀”(Don’t Say Gay)法案的態(tài)度,這部即將出臺(tái)的立法旨在禁止小學(xué)課堂討論性取向或性別身份話題。
《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》稱,盡管賴斯并未標(biāo)榜自己是查佩克的接替者,但他對(duì)這種猜測(cè)也是聽之任之,這一舉動(dòng)傷害了其在迪士尼的地位。
隨著迪士尼的股價(jià)不斷下跌,而且查佩克的能力亦遭到了質(zhì)疑,迪士尼的局勢(shì)也到了緊要關(guān)頭。這位迪士尼首席執(zhí)行官宣布,迪士尼電視部門娛樂(lè)業(yè)務(wù)董事長(zhǎng)達(dá)娜·瓦爾登將取代賴斯,前者此前曾效力于??怂?,在賴斯手下工作。
Deadline的報(bào)道稱,在升任迪士尼綜合娛樂(lè)內(nèi)容董事長(zhǎng)之后的第一次公開評(píng)論中,瓦爾登給員工發(fā)送了一篇簡(jiǎn)報(bào),表達(dá)了她“對(duì)查佩克無(wú)以復(fù)加的感激之情,因?yàn)檫@對(duì)她來(lái)說(shuō)是一個(gè)千載難逢的機(jī)會(huì)。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
When Disney CEO Bob Chapek abruptly fired TV division boss Peter Rice last week amid reports that he was a bad fit with Disney’s corporate culture, there were conflicting reports on whether Rice’s ousting was expected or not. Now, a new article from the Wall Street Journal points to six reasons behind his dismissal—indicating it had been under consideration for months.
Disney’s board threw its support behind Chapek, but the firing sent shock waves through Hollywood, sending Disney shares 3.7% down on the day and leading executives to clamor over the abrupt nature of the dismissal.
Rice was one of the most senior executives at the company at the time of his dismissal—in charge of a $10 billion annual budget and enjoying oversight of 300 TV shows across Disney platforms including ABC, the Disney Channel, Disney+, Hulu, and FX. His departure comes three years after he was brought into Disney as part of the March 2019 acquisition of his previous employer, 21st Century Fox, and just months after he signed a multiyear contract with a large bonus that ran until 2024.
Here are several issues that reportedly contributed to Rice’s dismissal.
Too highly compensated?
Executives at 21st Century Fox were paid more than those at Disney, so after Disney closed the $71.3 billion deal, it sought to bring the high compensation of Fox entertainment executives in line with the “more modest” salaries at their new home.
With his contract renewal, Peter Rice had his compensation cut by $5 million, or around 20%, in order to bring it in line with other Disney executives, the WSJ reported.
Rice’s pay was still in the $20 million range at the time of his dismissal, however, according to the Journal.
Brought in Fox blood
After arriving at Disney, Rice began removing several Disney veterans and replacing them with Fox staff. This ousting of people who had been working at Disney for their entire careers reportedly led to a schism between Rice and long-term Disney employees.
Rice’s ability to make such personnel moves changed when Chapek took over from his predecessor, Bob Iger, and reorganized the company’s media and entertainment businesses; this centralized budget power under Chapek’s right-hand man, Kareem Daniel, making it harder for Rice to change Disney’s org chart without being questioned.
Cultural tension with Mouse lifers
Disney executives often spend their entire careers with the media giant and are known as “Disney lifers.” This crew of people did not welcome Rice and viewed him with suspicion, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Kareem Daniel, the Chapek lieutenant who heads Disney’s media and entertainment distribution, started as a Disney intern in 2006. He clashed with Rice, as did Rebecca Campbell, head of international content operations, who joined the company in 1997; chief financial officer Christine McCarthy, who has been at Disney since 2000; and former Disney executive Kevin Mayer, who worked at the company from 1993 to 2020.
Budgeting questions
Rice also took a different approach to managing his budget. In 2021, the former Fox exec wanted to spend unused funds in his programming budget on marketing and promotion for several shows including the ABC comedy Abbott Elementary and the Hulu series Dopesick and Only Murders in the Building.
This was an unusual move at Disney since marketing and promotion for the shows were divided into two different budgets. The idea was met with pushback from the company’s distribution and finance groups; Rice made a case to Chapek, who gave his approval.
This was a regular occurrence, according to the Journal report, which indicated that when Rice didn’t get his way, he would often go to Chapek.
Renewed two struggling shows
People at Disney also reportedly disagreed with how Rice allocated resources to programming.
Rice’s decision to renew two shows on the Disney+ streaming service—The Mighty Ducks and Big Shot—was questioned, the report said, as both shows cost more than $50 million and had not seen enough success to merit spending on additional seasons.
However, some who know Rice say he was struggling with the challenge of producing new shows during the COVID-19 pandemic, and both programs had been positively reviewed. Additionally, Rice was reportedly motivated to produce the shows because he thought the platform’s programming wasn’t stable enough, and he worried viewers would get frustrated at series disappearing soon after launch.
The potential successor
The tensions within Disney happened as a time when Rice was commonly being cited as a candidate for a senior position at another company or as a successor to the increasingly embattled Chapek.
Rice is admired in Hollywood circles and said to be viewed as talent friendly, a characteristic he and former Disney chief Bob Iger shared. Chapek, meanwhile, struggled to shake the reputation of being an outsider after he publicly feuded with Scarlett Johansson over Disney’s release of Black Widow on Disney+ while the movie was still in theaters, which she claimed deprived her of potential earnings, and over his changing response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill—incoming legislation that will prohibit classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in Florida’s primary schools.
While Rice didn’t promote himself as a replacement for Chapek, he did little to stop the speculation—a move that harmed his position at Disney, the Wall Street Journal said.
The situation came to a head with Disney’s share price tumbling and Chapek’s role in question, and the Disney CEO announced that Rice would be replaced by Dana Walden, the chairman of entertainment at Walt Disney Television who previously worked at Fox under Rice.
In her first public comment since being elevated to chairman of Disney General Entertainment, Walden sent a memo to staff expressing her “immense appreciation to Bob Chapek for giving me this opportunity of a lifetime,” Deadline reported.