The Keys to the Magic Kingdom

By Sonja Steptoe/Los Angeles

As the celebrities gathered in downtown Los Angeles for the October opening of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Robert Iger was a continent away, on a critical if unglamorous mission. "I was looking for pirated videos in alleyways in China," says Iger, 52, who met with Chinese officials about various projects, including theme parks and the Disney Channel. Iger's willingness to get involved in the most down-and-dirty aspects of the business helps explain why he has ascended to the president's chair at Disney and why he's being groomed by chairman and CEO Michael Eisner to take the throne someday at the Magic Kingdom. "Having a president smart enough to get off the beaten track to find out what's going on in our markets is valuable," says Eisner.

From age 10, Iger dreamed of being a network correspondent. But after a brief flirtation with TV news reporting, Iger moved behind the camera in 1974, working his way up to executive vice president at the ABC TV network in 1988. A year later, Iger was put in charge of ABC Entertainment. Under his stewardship the network moved from second place to first in prime-time ratings during the 1994-95 season. Through the hit show Home Improvement, a production of Disney's Touchstone Television unit, Iger got to know Eisner, who would become his boss when CapCities/ABC and Disney merged in 1996. The two are now very close. Wall Street analysts say Iger can best stake a claim for the top job by helping achieve a ratings turnaround at ABC (it has recently slipped to No. 3), improved results from international operations and more consistent overall earnings growth. That probably means more days and nights attending to the down-and-dirty details. --By Sonja Steptoe/Los Angeles