McPherson to Remain at ABC

BURBANK, May 9: The Walt
Disney Company has inked a new contract with Stephen McPherson, the president of entertainment at ABC, whose tenure thus far has
witnessed a dramatic turnaround for the network.

McPherson took on his
current role in April 2004 after a stint at Touchstone (now ABC Studios), where
he developed Lost and Desperate
Housewives. His career at the
network has also seen the launches of Grey’s Anatomy—another project from his Touchstone
days—Ugly Betty and Dancing
with the Stars, among other hits.
He reports to Anne Sweeney, the co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of the
Disney-ABC Television Group.

It is not clear how long
McPherson’s new contract runs for. According to published reports, the contract
negotiations at Disney have been ongoing for a few months.

Sweeney said of
McPherson’s contract renewal: “His ability to identify talent and develop
successful shows is second to none.”

—By Mansha Daswani