Four Hurdles For DISNEY's IGER

(From The USA Today -- By Laura Petrecca)

Two decades after MICHAEL EISNER rescued a troubled MAGIC KINGDOM its new CEO must reshape it for a vastly different world.

As ROBERT IGER begins his first business day as WALT DISNEY CEO today, it represents the end of an era -- and not just for DISNEY.

The world that former chief Michael Eisner knew during his 21-year reign is undergoing a dramatic transformation. New technologies, including cable and satellite TV, fragment audiences among a vast array of news and entertainment options. DISNEY's core audience, kids, often become jaded before they leave kindergarten. And for theme park tourists, the threat of terrorism is a fact of life.

"Twenty years ago, all DISNEY needed was a creative revival," says JAMES STEWART, author of DISNEY WAR. "It was still a pretty simple world. Entertainment was dominated by a few TV networks and a few movie studios."

Now, the future of an 82-year-old company, the livelihood of its 130,000 employees and Iger's legacy depend on whether the new CEO can similarly reshape DISNEY for today's market. He'll have to move fast to satisfy WALL STREET, which has cooled on BIG MEDIA.

Four Hurdles For Disney's Iger