Anne Sweeney

Recently named as one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" by Fortune magazine, Anne Sweeney is President of ABC Cable Networks Group and President of Disney Channel Worldwide. In this position, Ms. Sweeney is responsible for nonsports cable programming for The Walt Disney Company and its ABC subsidiary. Domestically, she oversees the operation of Disney Channel, Toon Disney and SoapNet as well as ABC’s interests in Lifetime, A&E Television Network, The History Channel and E! Entertainment Television. She is also responsible for the 15 international Disney Channels and all Disney-branded blocks of programming on cable and network television throughout the world. Ms. Sweeney also oversees the creation and management of ABC’s Saturday morning children’s programming schedule and is in charge of developing future television programming for cable and other platforms.

Prior to assuming this position in October 2000, Ms. Sweeney was President of Disney/ABC Cable Networks and President of Disney Channel. Under her leadership, Disney Channel has more than quadrupled its subscriber base from 19 million to over 77 million homes with its mix of original series, movies and specials. In April 1998, Ms. Sweeney oversaw the successful launch of Toon Disney, the all animation cable channel which is now available in over 27 million homes. In addition, Ms. Sweeney oversaw the launch of SoapNet, the 24-hour soap opera network, on January 24, 2000, now seen in more than17 million homes. Ms. Sweeney joined The Walt Disney Company in February 1996 as President of Disney Channel and Executive Vice President of Disney/ABC Cable Networks.

Previously, Ms. Sweeney was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FX Networks, Inc. where she had been since 1993. During her tenure there, she presided over the launch of two basic cable networks: FX, an entertainment network representing the most successful basic cable launch in history, and FXM: Movies from Fox, Hollywood's first studio-based movie network.

Prior to joining Fox in 1993, Ms. Sweeney spent 12 years at Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, where she was most recently Senior Vice President of Program Enterprises. Among many responsibilities, Ms. Sweeney also oversaw international expansion, which included establishing Nickelodeon in the United Kingdom through a joint venture with British Sky Broadcasting.

Active in organizations both within and outside the cable industry, Ms. Sweeney was elected a Director of The International Council of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in March 2001. Additionally, she is a board member of the Walter Kaitz Foundation and is an honorary chair of Cable Positive. A member of Women in Cable, Ms. Sweeney was named the organization’s Executive of the Year in 1994, Woman of the Year in 1997 and received the 1998 Advocate Leader Award from the Southern California chapter. In 1995, she received the prestigious STAR Award from American Women in Radio and Television. She was inducted into the American Advertising Federation's Advertising Hall of Achievement in 1996. In March 2000, Ms. Sweeney was named to the Board of Directors for Special Olympics.

Ms. Sweeney earned a B.A. degree from the College of New Rochelle and an Ed. M. degree from Harvard University.

She and her husband Philip Miller, an attorney, are the parents of two children and reside in Los Angeles.