RICK MANDLER
VP & GM, ABC Enhanced Television
etv.go.com

Rick Mandler, VP and GM, Enhanced TV, Disney, is responsible for all business development, production, technical, and integrated sales for Enhanced TV fare produced for all Disney-owned broadcast and cable network programming. WDIG & ABC’s Enhanced TV programming is delivered via an Internet-connected computer and is controlled by the user while watching the show simultaneously on television. It is neither a television experience nor an Internet computer experience, but truly both at the same time -- the first step towards in-home convergence programming. Prior to assuming his current position in March of 2001, Mandler had been vice president of WDIG Local and Broadcasting. In that position, he was responsible for developing and managing the Internet efforts of the ABC Broadcasting properties, including ABC-owned television and radio stations across the country, ABC Radio Networks, and the localization of WDIG’s Internet businesses. Earlier, Mandler was vice president, new media for ABC Broadcasting after serving as general manager, new media for ABC Radio Networks, where he had operational and strategic responsibility for the ABC Radio division's Internet efforts. Mandler joined Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. (now ABC, Inc.) in 1992 as a general attorney. He was named director of business affairs for ABC News in 1994, where he was responsible for negotiating talent and business agreements. Prior to coming to ABC, Mandler was an associate at the New York law firm of Patterson, Belknap, Webb and Tyler from 1989 to 1992, and a law clerk for the Honorable Leonard I. Garth, United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, from 1987 to 1989. Mandler is a graduate of Wesleyan University and New York University Law School.