When Debra OConnell was named president, news group and networks, at Disney Entertainment in February, it aligned two of The Walt Disney Co.’s key verticals: news and TV stations. Also in her purview are ABC, Disney Channels, FX Networks, Freeform and National Geographic Channels. It’s only been six months, but OConnell already has made her mark as she integrates the work of ABC’s owned-and-operated stations in markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia with that of ABC News.
“Everything starts as a local story,” OConnell said. “News always happens in a community, whether that’s inclement weather or politics. Each particular story has local roots and often national relevance.”
Although she oversees a broad portfolio, OConnell got her start in local media, working as an account executive at WABC New York radio and then television. From the very beginning, her leadership potential was clear, said those who knew her when.
“It was obvious from when I first met her that she had very strong management and leadership skills and was destined for a significant career,” George Bodenheimer, retired co-chair, Disney Media Networks and executive chairman, ESPN, said. “She thought very broadly and was always a citizen of The Walt Disney Company. She always looked for win-win partnerships.”
It was OConnell’s initiative that led to the acquisition of broadcast rights for the New York City Marathon for both WABC and ESPN, according to Bodenheimer. “That doesn’t happen without Debra bringing the sides together,” he said.
In 2018, she became general manager and president of WABC New York, where she oversaw Live With Kelly and Ryan’s rise to become syndication’s top talk show for the first time in its long history. In November 2020, OConnell was promoted to president, networks at Disney Media Entertainment & Distribution, a job she performed concurrently with running WABC until March 2021. Three years later, she was named to her current role.
There is never any doubt about where Debra stands. It is always about the quality of the work, and about our viewers.”
David Muir, ABC ‘World News Tonight’
All of that time spent working with ABC’s TV stations on both the local and national level has given OConnell insight into the group’s journalism, whether it’s practiced on the hyper-local level at Localish, in a major city like New York or L.A. or on the national stage.
“Debra has long been a champion of fair and steady journalism leading our ABC stations across the country, and in these past few months, she has brought both her unwavering support and her drive to the network news division,” ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir said in an email. “There is never any doubt about where Debra stands. It is always about the quality of the work, and about our viewers.”
While she now oversees many networks, she still pays constant attention to the product, her colleagues said. “What I admire about Debra is at the end of the day she is a viewer, too,” Muir continued. “She is the first to send a text message about a story, or a moment during the broadcast that moved her and anyone who knows her will tell you she is dialed in 24 hours a day. We’re not quite sure where the energy comes from, but we’re grateful to witness it, benefit from it, and marvel at it. I’m sure there is another text message coming soon.”
Understands All Facets
Along the way, she also acquired a thorough understanding of how the business operates in all corners. “She’s an incredibly tireless worker and she’s incredibly versatile in terms of her understanding of the business,” Chuck Saftler, head of acquisitions, Disney Networks, said. “She’s got a broad understanding of the business, news and creative.”
OConnell also knows how to do a deal, having worked closely with Saftler and other Disney executives on ABC’s renewal of syndicated powerhouses Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! in January 2023 through the 2027-28 TV season. “She’s a really smart, fair, tough negotiator,” Saftler said.
It’s been a challenging couple of years in the entertainment industry as streaming upends the entire ecosystem, but OConnell is bullish on the broadcasting that brought her here.
“Broadcast is a very bright spot,” she said. “Broadcast is available anywhere and everywhere, while viewers have the opportunity to catch up on Hulu and Disney Plus. You have all of that as well as the fact that broadcast is so embedded in and important to communities.”
