ABC News' Westin resigns - was he pushed? (NYT, TDB, LAT, THR)

By Nancy Tartaglione

"David Westin's departure from ABC News after 13 years is the result of both personal and professional friction with a superior, but it's not Anne Sweeney," says The Daily Beast. Calling Sweeney the "scapegoat," the Web site instead says it's Bob Iger who has long had Westin in his crosshairs.

Westin resigned on Monday citing "some other things I want to do professionally," and said that he will continue to steer the news division until the end of the year to ensure "there is an orderly transition."

No successor has yet been chosen but Westin, in an email to staff, said that he had tendered his resignation to Disney-ABC TV group president Sweeney and Disney CEO Iger a month ago. Sweeney said that a new successor would be announced "in the near future."

The New York Times first reported the news of Westin's resignation and cited one staff member informed of Westin's decision before the email was sent who said the choice to leave was in part related to a long-running conflict between Westin and network management, including ABC's parent company, Disney, over the financial standing of the news division.

The staff member told the NYT that Disney and ABC managers had pressed Westin for years to make the division more profitable, but had been unhappy with his efforts to accomplish that goal. Earlier this year, the news division trimmed around 25% of its staff.

Another senior ABC executive told the NYT that financial pressures over news costs had not been a factor in Westin's decision.

However, according to The Daily Beast, "Iger always positioned himself as an ally to Westin while Sweeney was out front taking the bullets." But, despite "very real friction" with Sweeney, "Westin's relationship with Iger had its own tension," the Web site says.

"This has nothing to do with Sweeney, this is 100 percent Bob," said a source TDB says has direct knowledge of Disney's decision making. "Bob deals with Westin directly. It's him, not Sweeney, who is on the line to ABC News on a daily basis."

Sweeney's memo on Monday was praiseful, reading in part: "While it will be sad to see David leave, his desire to pursue other professional endeavors is understandable, and commendable."

Iger, meanwhile, has been growing tired of ABC's performance for a long time, says TDB.

Per TDB:

If taken at his word, Iger may not even be convinced that Disney needs ABC at all. At the company's annual shareholder meeting this year, Iger gave ABC a perform-or-perish warning when he responded to a question about selling or spinning off ABC by noting that all of the company's assets were subject to strategic review based on operating performance. Indeed, according to a veteran executive of ABC News, Iger and Sweeney assigned Westin to make a cable deal for ABC News, possibly to partner with CNN, but he never got talks off the ground.

The tension with Iger, says TDB, roots back to just before Westin was appointed president of ABC News in March 1997. According to an unidentified ABC News veteran and others, TDB says rumors were circulating within the network at the time that Iger asked the married Westin point-blank if he was having an affair with the married Sherrie Rollins, a senior vice president of ABC News, which he denied. Westin and Rollins later came out publicly and eventually got married.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, sources said the network will look internally and externally and hopes to name a successor soon. The Los Angeles Times speculates that senior executives likely to be considered for Westin's position include senior vice presidents Paul Slavin and Bob Murphy.

However, says the LAT:

If recent history is any guide, ABC may look to go outside its news division to find a successor. There have been several high-profile departures at the company as of late and their replacements have not been traditional choices. For example, Dick Cook, the longtime chief of Disney's movie studio was replaced by Rich Ross, the chief of Disney Channel who had no movie experience. More recently, Steve McPherson, the head of ABC's entertainment operations, abruptly quit and was succeeded by Paul Lee, who had been running ABC Family, but had no broadcast experience. Just last week, Disney named the head of its radio unit, Michael Riley, to replace Lee at ABC Family.

Related Links

Chief of ABC News Is Resigning (NYT)
Who Pushed ABC News' Chief? (TDB)
David Westin leaving as president of ABC News, no successor named (LAT)
ABC News chief David Westin to step down (THR)