Peter DiCecco has been named senior vice-president, Business and Legal Affairs, Music, for the Disney-ABC Television Group. In this newly created position, Mr. DiCecco will be responsible for television music legal policy, as well as acquisition and licensing deals for ABC Television Network, ABC Family, SOAPnet, Disney Channel, Touchstone Television, Buena Vista Television and ABC-owned broadcast stations. He will also continue to oversee ABC's creative music services department and administer the music publishing catalogs for ABC, Oprah Winfrey Productions and Lifetime Television Network.

Mr. DiCecco will report to Mark Pedowitz, president, Touchstone Television and executive vice-president, ABC Entertainment Television and Fred Kuperberg, executive vice-president, Business and Legal Affairs, Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group on business affairs; and to Terri Southwick, senior vice-president and deputy general counsel, The Walt Disney Company, on legal issues.

"Peter's legal acumen, extensive leadership skills, and his long standing experience with the company make him a natural fit for this new position," said Mr. Pedowitz. "His expertise is essential in streamlining the strategic initiatives of our growing television businesses."

Previously Mr. DiCecco was vice-president, Music and Business Affairs for the ABC Entertainment Television Group, where he was responsible for setting music policies for the ABC Television Network and for brokering all music acquisition and licensing deals for the Network, including its Entertainment, Daytime, Sports and News divisions. He also oversaw ABC's Creative Music Services department and administered the network's music publishing catalogs. During his tenure he created Session Five, an Emmy-nominated music production library for ABC.

Prior to that Mr. DiCecco was senior counsel in the intellectual property section of the Corporate Legal department of The Walt Disney Company, where he was the sole music lawyer for Touchstone Television. He also provided counsel for series such as "Felicity," "Scrubs," "Alias" and "My Wife and Kids," as well as legal guidance for Walt Disney Records on their day-to-day business and legal affairs. In addition he counseled Disney Cruise Lines, Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Walt Disney's Character Voices International and Consumer Products divisions on music-related legal issues.

From 1994 through 1997, he was associated with the law firm of Gottlieb Schiff Bergman & Sendroff, P.C. in New York. Mr. DiCecco is a member of the New York State Bar Association and is a Registered In House Counsel in California.