MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company has announced the formation of an integrated Global Television Distribution unit ahead of Disney-ABC Worldwide Television president Laurie Younger's retirement in January 2008.

Younger will assist in transitioning to the new structure and will be available to provide counsel to the management team.

The new unit will combine several existing distribution-focused departments under the leadership of Ben Pyne who has been named president, Global Distribution, Disney-ABC Worldwide Television and Disney Media Networks. He will report to Disney Media Networks co-chair and Disney-ABC Television Group president Anne Sweeney and The Walt Disney Studios president Alan Bergman.

For domestic responsibilities concerning ESPN, Pyne will continue reporting to ESPN and ABC Sports EVP sales and marketing Sean Bratches. He will also work closely with Walt Disney International president Andy Bird, according to an official release.

In this new role, Pyne, who formerly served as Disney and ESPN Networks Affiliate Sales and Marketing president, will assume chief responsibility for the International distribution and sales of the portfolio of entertainment and news content produced by The Walt Disney Company. This includes all feature films, television series, kids' programming, made-for-TV movies, miniseries, news documentaries, TV animation and direct-to video content - and their distribution to all platforms, including the burgeoning video-on-demand (VOD) and broadband markets.

He will also oversee domestic distribution of the Company's television content handled by Disney-ABC Domestic Television, and will assume responsibility for the ABC Television Network's Affiliate Relations department.