Monday, Apr. 12, 1993
What's Up, Doc?
EVER SINCE SIX FLAGS BEGAN RUNNING TV COMMERcials last year touting its theme parks over Disneyland, Disney chairman Michael Eisner has been steaming. He complained to Gerald Levin, chairman of Time Warner, which owns 50% of Six Flags. When the commercials kept running, Eisner pulled Disney's planned advertising (worth about $6 million) out of Time Inc. magazines. Six Flags refused to back down. A subsequent ad portrayed two dogs: a happy pup whose family had gone off for the day to visit Bugs Bunny at the local Six Flags park, and a lonely pooch whose owners had left town for Mickey Mouse's place in California. The message: "Get home in time to feed your dog." Last week a seething Eisner threatened to review deals under which Time Warner distributes Disney records, books and magazines. In response Time Inc. canceled a marketing conference at the Disney Yacht Club near Orlando. Wall Street was wondering when the companies would make up and say, "That's all, folks."