• by September 7, 2000

By Anya Khait

At a small press conference yesterday, Alex Wallau, President of ABC Television Network, announced that in an attempt to develop more productive relationships with its advertising and promotions clients the ABC Television Network will dramatically expand its sales and marketing efforts as it recognizes those departments with a new approach and refocused management structure.

ABC's sales and marketing departments will work in unison to form a unique marketing partnership with its advertising and promotion clients. The new integrated sales and marketing unit, and the approach for the entire sales department, will be called "ABC Unlimited." This new unit will facilitate a coordinated approach for all media properties of the ABC Television Network and ABC, Inc., including everything from :30 spots on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," to spots on ABC's Jumbotron sign in Times Square.

ABC will also be expanding the executive and support staff of "ABC Unlimited" with approximately 50 employees added in the sales and marketing departments in order to better service clients as full marketing partners. ABC will also create and invest in the best resources available in order to help its advertising clients attain their goals.

"This dramatic expansion signals ABC's intent to do business in a totally new way," said Wallau. "The entire network sales and marketing forces are being empowered to look beyond their specific areas. We want to customize plans for clients to enable them to take full advantage of the vast array of Walt Disney Company assets."

Mike Shaw, formerly Executive VP, National Sales Manager of ABC, will be heading the new division as President, Sales and Marketing of the ABC Television Network.

As part of the restructuring Laura Nathanson has been promoted to Executive VP and National Sales Manager and Bill Bund has been named Senior VP of the Integrated Sales Group. Also, Dan Longest has been named Senior VP of Integrated Sales Group, and Marvin Goldsmith, formerly president of sales and marketing for the ABC Television Network, has been named Executive VP of the ABC Broadcast Group.