Eisner’s Fantasy Now Solid Reality

There was a time when many studio and network execs looked at one-time Disney boss Michael Eisner like he might be going over the edge and might need a rest. Eisner has since retired from the hallowed halls of the mega Disney corp. but his $5 billion ‘hair-brained’ fantasy idea has become one of cable network’s biggest success stories.

ABC Family is now considered, not just a cable network, but one of the largest and most successful properties in the television entertainment industry. Eisner has three specific programs he can thank for all this phenomenal growth in only seven short years, the teenaged SF drama “Kyle XY,” truly its most popular show to date, the fast rising show “Greek” and their mega-hit “Gilmore Girls” mainly geared for that fast growing important Gen Y ages 14-28 demographic. However, what they are also discovering is that the channel is fairing very well in all age groups and sexes, especially with their tent-pole offering “Kyle XY.”

These three shows alone literally lifted this small cable channel from the doldrums of obscurity into the stratosphere of entertainment success.

“This was a group [14-28 female] that we found were fast becoming very important in the media landscape,” said Disney/ABC Television Group president Anne Sweeney. “What has always served us well here has been identifying gaps in the marketplace. We saw the results in December and again in January; it’s been extraordinary.”

December 2007 and January 2008 have been the channel’s best months since going live, according to Variety.