John Barzilay

Vice President and General Manager,

Children’s Programming,

ABC Television Network

Career at a Glance

-Graduated from Harvard College and Columbia Law School.

-Worked as an attorney in private practice, specializing in advertising and entertainment law.

-Joined ABC in 1990, and served as counsel to ABC News and the Capital Cities/ABC stations division.

-In 1996, was appointed vice president of the ABC Television Network Group.

-Named acting general manager of children’s programming in September 1996.

The New Job

-Responsible for coordinating all network functions in the children’s day part, which includes a five-hour block on Saturday mornings and occasional prime-time and afternoon specials. He is based in New York City, and will report directly to Geraldine Laybourne, president of Disney/ABC Cable Networks.

The Challenge

‘The challenge is to make ABC Saturday morning an utterly fresh destination for kids. ABC and Walt Disney TV Animation have assembled an incredible creative team, and their understanding of the kid audience is right on target. Kids programming is the area in which Disney’s creative powerhouse and ABC’s distribution network can really support each other.’