Post by just_an_ant on Jan 26, 2006 21:08:14 GMT -5
The following is a transcript of an interview broadcast by the CNBC program “Kudlow & Company” on January 24, 2006, during the 5:00 PM hour
GRIFFETH: Mr. Jobs, you’re a technology revolutionary. The Apple story is nothing short of incredible; the iPod story is nothing short of incredible. Let me ask you, with respect of this new collaboration—or the resumption of this new collaboration—on animated pictures, what is the linkage going to be with these animated pictures and all the hand-held mobile wireless devices that the kids and the others like to use.
Mr. JOBS: Well, you mentioned that I was one of the first people that Bob called when he was selected as CEO at Disney. When we were doing the video iPod, Bob was the first person I called. And, the first person we talked to about putting content on, and the first company that really came with us to do that, at its introduction. So, we’ve been talking about a lot of things in the future. Obviously can’t share them at this point but it’s going to be a pretty exciting world, looking ahead in the next five years.
........
JIM GOLDMAN, co-host: Steve Jobs, it’s Jim Goldman out here, right outside your front door actually, in Emeryville outside the Pixar gates. I just have a quick question for you. Larry sort of touched on this. The relationship with Apple Computers; the relationship with Pixar; the relationship now with Disney. My sense is that there’s something much bigger at work here, not just two studios getting together, but something along your vision of where you see all of this going. What is the Steve Jobs and now, Bob Iger, vision as these two companies get together and work so closely with that other company, your Apple Computer. Where do you see it all going?
Mr. JOBS: You know, actually this is not the story of—I think you’ve got the story all wrong. What this really is all about is Pixar buying into Bob Iger’s vision of where Disney’s going. I couldn’t have imagined this happening a year, two years ago. But when I had a chance to get to know Bob and hear about where he wants to take Disney and also see that he understood the importance of animation, that’s when our minds opened to allow this possibility. So we’re really buying into Bob’s vision. Not the other way around.
.............
FABER: Bob, one last question before we let you both go, about John Lasseter. So important to the success of this company, and a lot of your shareholders and Pixar’s want to know, have you wrapped him up for a long period of time, does he have a long-term contract? Is he going to be in Napa most of the time, or is he going to come to Disney in LA.
Mr. IGER: First of all, John’s under contract until 2011, that’s the contract he signed as a Pixar executive and that remains in place. One of the reasons I’m so excited about this obviously is John Lasseter and also Ed Catmull. Those guys are about as passionate about this business as anyone I have ever seen. And that passion is quite infectious. And so, I think John is extremely excited about these possibilities because it gives him an opportunity to do what I think he loves the most and has done so well, and the same thing with Ed.
But it also gives them sort of a broader palette. It gives John an opportunity, and Ed as well, to get involved in other businesses—in John’s case the theme parks—and to really spread their talent and to really make a difference in the Walt Disney company. And I believe that they’re incredibly motivated to do that.
GRIFFETH: Mr. Jobs, you’re a technology revolutionary. The Apple story is nothing short of incredible; the iPod story is nothing short of incredible. Let me ask you, with respect of this new collaboration—or the resumption of this new collaboration—on animated pictures, what is the linkage going to be with these animated pictures and all the hand-held mobile wireless devices that the kids and the others like to use.
Mr. JOBS: Well, you mentioned that I was one of the first people that Bob called when he was selected as CEO at Disney. When we were doing the video iPod, Bob was the first person I called. And, the first person we talked to about putting content on, and the first company that really came with us to do that, at its introduction. So, we’ve been talking about a lot of things in the future. Obviously can’t share them at this point but it’s going to be a pretty exciting world, looking ahead in the next five years.
........
JIM GOLDMAN, co-host: Steve Jobs, it’s Jim Goldman out here, right outside your front door actually, in Emeryville outside the Pixar gates. I just have a quick question for you. Larry sort of touched on this. The relationship with Apple Computers; the relationship with Pixar; the relationship now with Disney. My sense is that there’s something much bigger at work here, not just two studios getting together, but something along your vision of where you see all of this going. What is the Steve Jobs and now, Bob Iger, vision as these two companies get together and work so closely with that other company, your Apple Computer. Where do you see it all going?
Mr. JOBS: You know, actually this is not the story of—I think you’ve got the story all wrong. What this really is all about is Pixar buying into Bob Iger’s vision of where Disney’s going. I couldn’t have imagined this happening a year, two years ago. But when I had a chance to get to know Bob and hear about where he wants to take Disney and also see that he understood the importance of animation, that’s when our minds opened to allow this possibility. So we’re really buying into Bob’s vision. Not the other way around.
.............
FABER: Bob, one last question before we let you both go, about John Lasseter. So important to the success of this company, and a lot of your shareholders and Pixar’s want to know, have you wrapped him up for a long period of time, does he have a long-term contract? Is he going to be in Napa most of the time, or is he going to come to Disney in LA.
Mr. IGER: First of all, John’s under contract until 2011, that’s the contract he signed as a Pixar executive and that remains in place. One of the reasons I’m so excited about this obviously is John Lasseter and also Ed Catmull. Those guys are about as passionate about this business as anyone I have ever seen. And that passion is quite infectious. And so, I think John is extremely excited about these possibilities because it gives him an opportunity to do what I think he loves the most and has done so well, and the same thing with Ed.
But it also gives them sort of a broader palette. It gives John an opportunity, and Ed as well, to get involved in other businesses—in John’s case the theme parks—and to really spread their talent and to really make a difference in the Walt Disney company. And I believe that they’re incredibly motivated to do that.