The assignment for this article was write a 3 page article of a major US Company. The article must be suitable for publication. Must include: numerical info., current stock price, and an editor's not describing the sources used to write the article.
A Little Bit Of Disney In My Life
They're known as the happiest places on earth. Magic is alive here, transforming even adults into excited children. Not only can we see our favorite characters at the Disney parks, but we can also see them on TV, in movies, and on clothing and other merchandise. But little do we realize just how much The Walt Disney Company (the Company) is involved in our everyday life.
The Walt Disney Company (the Company) consists of three divisions: creative content, broadcasting, and theme parks and resorts. The creative content division generates live-action and animated movies, television shows and music recordings. It also takes care of licensing the name "Walt Disney", characters, visual and literary properties and songs and music. Disney-related products are usually marketed through "The Disney Store". As of September 30, 1997, the total number of Disney Stores worldwide is 636. Live-action motion pictures distributed under the banners Walt Disney Pictures, Touchtone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures and Caravan Pictures are produced and acquired by Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a Company subsidiary. Films produced or acquired by certain independent production companies are also distributed by the Company. The Company's films are marketed and distributed by it's own distributing and marketing companies. The Company's international distributor is Buena Vista International. Compact discs, audiocassettes and records are also produced by the Company. New music for its motion pictures, television programs and records are also commissioned by the Company. Hollywood Records, Lyric Street Records, and Mammoth Records are subsidiaries of the Company. A software business, Disney Interactive, licenses, develops and markets educational and entertainment software and video games. Content for on-line services is developed, published and distributed by Disney Online.
The broadcasting division consists of television and radio stations and cable and international broadcast. As of September 30, 1997, ABC Television Network, run by The Company, had acquired 223 primary affiliated stations. Radio Disney was started in 1997 by the Company. It's a 24-hour radio station for kids. 99.9% of all U.S. television households are touched by The Company. Nine very high frequency (VHF) television stations, one ultra high frequency (UHF) television stations, 11 standard (AM) radio station and 15 modulation (FM) radio stations are owned by the Company. Also, The Disney Channel, 80% of ESPN Inc., 37.5% of A&E Television Networks, 50% of Lifetime Entertainment Services and 34.4% of E! Entertainment Television are owned by the company.
The Company also has a business in theme parks and resorts. The Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, the Disneyland Park and two hotels in California are owned and operated by the company. Royalties are received from generated revenues by Tokyo Disneyland, and the company is interested in owning Disneyland Paris. 13 resort hotels and a complex of villas and suits at the Walt Disney World Resort were owned as September 30, 1997. Disney Village Marketplace, Pleasure Island and The West Side are part of Downtown Disney, a shopping and entertainment complex. Now open is Disney's Wide World of Sports, and international sports complex. It provides professional training and competition, festival and tournament events and interactive sports. The Company has recently introduced Disney Cruise Line (which visits Disney's private 1,000-acre private Bahamian Island, Disney's Castaway Cay), and Disney Quest, an interactive learning and entertainment facility. The Company owns a National Hockey League franchise, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, as well as managing the Anaheim Angels Major League Baseball team.
Editor's Note: The websites http://business.virgin.net/Daniel.jesudasen/film/wl_toe.htm and http://quote.yahoo.com/q?d=l&s=dis were used in the writing of this article.