Retlaw Enterprises

Retlaw Enterprises, originally Walt Disney Miniature Railroad, then Walt Disney, Inc. (WDI), and then WED Enterprises (WED), was a privately held company owned by the heirs of entertainment mogul Walt Disney.[3] Disney formed the company to control the rights to his name and to manage two Disneyland attractions that he personally owned. The name, Retlaw, is Walter spelled backwards.[2]

"Retlaw" redirects here. For the hamlet in Alberta, see Retlaw, Alberta. For the design and architectural group, see Walt Disney Imagineering.
"Walt Disney Inc." redirects here. It is not to be confused with The Walt Disney Company.
Retlaw Enterprises
TypePrivate corporation
IndustryMedia, Real Estate
Founded1950 (1950)[1]
FounderWalt Disney
Defunct2005 (2005)
Headquarters
North Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA[2]
,
United States
ServicesBroadcast
Total assets~$150 million (1990)[2]
OwnerLillian Disney (30%)
Diane Disney Miller (40%)
Sharon Disney Lund (30%)[2]
SubsidiariesRetlaw Broadcasting Corp.

History

Walt Disney Miniature Railroad was formed by Walt Disney in 1950 to manage the Carolwood Pacific Railroad, his elaborate backyard miniature railroad.[1] The company's name was changed to Walt Disney, Inc. (WDI) on December 16, 1952, and its purpose was changed to supposedly produce TV shows.[4] However, he soon started the Disneyland designing and engineering division within WDI. He also assigned the rights to his name and likeness to the company, as well as ownership of the Disneyland Railroad, Mark Twain Steamboat, Viewliner Train of Tomorrow (defunct), and Disneyland Monorail attractions in Disneyland.[5][6][7] Roy O. Disney objected to Walt's creation of the company as he considered it a diversion of a larger portion of the Walt Disney Productions income to Walt's family. WDI charged a licensing fee to the Disney company for 5% to 10% of the income from all of Disney's merchandising deals.[2] In light of objections from Roy as well as those of potential stockholders, WDI was renamed WED Enterprises (WED) in 1953 based on Walt's initials of Walter Elias Disney.[4]

Walt also licensed Zorro TV rights from Mitchell in February 1953.[8] WED Enterprises developed some scripts for the proposed Zorro TV series and shopped the series to the CBS and NBC TV networks. Both networks requested to see a pilot show. However, with the construction of Disneyland ongoing, the Zorro show was put on hold,[9][10] and the rights were sold later that year to Walt Disney Productions.[11]

In July 1953, Clement Melancon, a small shareholder of Walt Disney Productions stock, took Walt Disney and WED Enterprises, to court over the WED deal, believing that Walt had been improperly funneling profits from Walt Disney Productions.[12] The case was settled in January 1955.[13]

In 1961, the park design group, the future Walt Disney Imagineering, opened a creative workshop in the Grand Central Business Park.[14]

Retlaw

The theme park design and architectural group became so integral to the Disney studio's operations that the studio bought it on February 5, 1965 along with the WED Enterprises name. Thus the Corporation needed a new name, Retlaw Enterprises.[3][15][16][17]

In 1968, Retlaw started to diversify by acquiring its first TV station with its Fresno station purchase.[2]

Finally, in 1982, the Disney family sold the naming rights and rail-based attractions to Walt Disney Productions for 818,461 shares of Disney stock then worth $42.6 million, none of which went to Retlaw. The remaining divisions of Retlaw, after the majority of the company was sold to Walt's larger public company, were several television stations and real estate holdings that continue to be owned by the Disney family. Per Securities and Exchange Commission filings, Retlaw received $75 million in net income from the monorail and railroad from 1955 to late 1981. Roy E. Disney objected to the overvalued purchase price of the naming rights and voted against the purchase as a Disney board director.[2]

By 1990, Retlaw holdings included 6 CBS affiliated TV stations, a small jet charter service, 580 Palmdale farmland acres and 220 acres of vacant land in Riverside County and 330 avocado grove acres in Riverside County and Escondido. The charter service operated out of Van Nuys Airport. The family shares received in 1982 would be in 1990 2% of the Disney stock and worth an estimated $300 million while Forbes estimates their stock to be worth $600 million, down from 1989's $850 million.[2]

WFXG was purchased in May 1998.[18] In 1999 Retlaw sold its remaining 11 television stations to Fisher Communications, including all of the related assets to those properties for $215 million in cash.[19]

In 2005, the remaining divisions of Retlaw officially became part of the Walt Disney Family Foundation, a non-profit organization led by Diane Disney Miller.

Assets
  • Walt Disney naming rights, until sold in 1982 to Walt Disney Productions (which was renamed The Walt Disney Company in 1986).[2]
  • Disneyland Attractions: Retlaw paid rent for the attractions' rights-of-way and employed the attraction administrators. Walt Disney, through Retlaw Enterprises, also owned the Viewliner Train of Tomorrow as well as the horse-drawn streetcars on Main Street.[20] Sold to Disney Productions in 1982.[2]
  • Walt Disney Productions films: Retlaw purchased 10% interest in 26 Disney 1960's live-action movies, including Mary Poppins, through Walt Disney's management contract with Walt Disney Productions, allowing them to invest up to 15% in new projects. By 1990, these movies generated an annual income of $600,000+ for Retlaw.[2]
  • The design and architectural division, which designed Disneyland, and its attractions. This division, along with the WED name, was sold to Walt Disney Productions in 1965, and later was branded as WED Imagineering.[2]
  • Retlaw Broadcasting Corp., a subsidiary that held its TV stations.

Retlaw Broadcasting Corp.

Retlaw Broadcasting acquired KIMA-TV and its two semi-satellite stations, KLEW-TV and KEPR-TV, for $17 million in October 1986.[21] The six stations owned in 1990 had purchased, over the years, for $37 million, and were estimated then to be worth $100 million.[2]

In 1996, Retlaw Broadcasting acquired KVAL-TV, KVAL semi-satellite stations KCBY and KPIC, as well as station KBOI-TV, all from Northwest Television of Eugene, Oregon.[22]

Retlaw Broadcasting purchased WFXG in May 1998,[18] its last acquisition before agreeing, in November 1998, to sell all 11 of its stations to Fisher Companies (later known as Fisher Communications) for $215 million.[23] The deal was approved by the FCC in April 1999,[24] and completed in July 1999.[25]

City of license / Market Station Channel Year Acquired[2][19] Year Divested
Fresno - Visalia CA KJEO 47 1968 1999
Monterey - Salinas CA KMST 46 1979 1993
Yakima WA KIMA-TV 29 1986 1999
Pasco - Richland - Kennewick WA KEPR-TV (KIMA semi-satellite) 18 1986 1999
Lewiston - Moscow ID and Clarkston - Pullman WA KLEW-TV (KIMA semi-satellite) 3 1986 1999
Idaho Falls - Pocatello ID KIDK 3 1988 1999
Boise ID KBCI-TV 2 1996 1999
Eugene OR KVAL-TV 13 1996 1999
Coos Bay OR KCBY (KVAL semi-satellite) 11 1996 1999
Roseburg OR KPIC (KVAL semi-satellite) 19 1996 1999
Columbus GA WXTX 54 (49) 1998 1999
Augusta GA WFXG 54 (51) 1998 1999

References
  1. Broggie (2014), p. 173.
  2. Peltz, James F. (October 2, 1990). "The Wonderful World of Disney's Other Firm : Entertainment: Walt Disney created a separate company for his family. Retlaw Enterprises Inc. is now worth hundreds of millions". Los Angeles Times. Times Mirror Company. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  3. Broggie (2014), p. 174.
  4. Aberdeen, J. A. (2000). "Disneyland". Hollywood Renegades. Cobblestone Entertainment. ISBN 1-890110-24-8. Retrieved May 5, 2015. Excerpt from Hollywood Renegades (Archive.org).
  5. Amendola (2015), p. 145.
  6. Broggie (2014), p. 103.
  7. Broggie (2014), p. 293.
  8. Curtis, Sandra (1998). Zorro Unmasked: The Official History. Hyperion. pp. 118, 119. ISBN 0786882859. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  9. Curtis, Sandra (1998). Zorro Unmasked: The Official History. Hyperion. p. 119. ISBN 0786882859. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  10. Thomas, Bob (July 15, 1998). Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire. Disney Editions. p. 181. ISBN 9780786862009.
  11. Curtis, Sandra (1998). Zorro Unmasked: The Official History. Hyperion. p. 120. ISBN 0786882859. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  12. Eliot, Marc (1993). Walt Disney: Hollywood's dark prince : a biography. Carol Publishing Group. p. 216. ISBN 155972174X.
  13. Eliot, Marc (1993). Walt Disney: Hollywood's dark prince: a biography. Carol Publishing Group. p. 220. ISBN 155972174X.
  14. Kleinbaum, Josh (May 12, 2004). "Bringing magic to San Fernando". Glendale News Press. Tribume Publishing. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  15. Smith, Dave (1998). Disney A to Z - The Updated Official Encyclopedia. Hyperion Books. pp. 467, 601. ISBN 0786863919.
  16. Stewart, James (2005). Disney War. Simon & Schuster. pp. 41.
  17. Gabler, Neal (2006). Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination. Knopf. pp. 629.
  18. Witsil, Frank (November 16, 1999). "Fox station changes hands". The Augusta Chronicle. Morris Communications. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  19. Vrana, Debrora (November 19, 1998). "Fisher Cos. Is Expected to Buy Retlaw's 11 TV Stations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  20. Broggie, Michael (1997). Walt Disney's Railroad Story. Pentrex. p. 29. ISBN 1563420090.
  21. "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1986-10-27. p. 116. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  22. "Disney chain to buy KVAL". Eugene Register-Guard. 1995-10-31. pp. 1A and 5A. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  23. "Fisher to pay Retlaw $215 million for 11 TV stations". The New York Times. Reuters. 1998-11-20. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  24. FCC Record: A Comprehensive Compilation of Decisions ..., Volume 14, Issue 12, FCC, 1999-04-16, pp. 6667–6679, retrieved 2020-01-14
  25. "Fisher Companies Inc. Acquires the Eleven Television Stations of Retlaw Broadcasting L.L.C." (Press release). Seattle: Fisher Companies. Business Wire. 1999-07-02. Retrieved 2016-06-08 – via The Free Library.

Bibliography
  • Amendola, Dana (2015), All Aboard: The Wonderful World of Disney Trains (1st ed.), Disney Editions, ISBN 978-1-4231-1714-8
  • Broggie, Michael (2014), Walt Disney's Railroad Story: The Small-Scale Fascination That Led to a Full-Scale Kingdom (4th ed.), The Donning Company Publishers, ISBN 978-1-57864-914-3
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