Bob Iger - Early Life

Early Life

Iger was born to a Jewish family in Long Island, New York. His mother Mimi worked at Boardman Junior High School in Oceanside, New York and his father Arthur was executive vice president and general manager of the Greenvale Marketing Corporation, and a professor of advertising and public relations.

Iger completed his undergraduate studies at Ithaca College where he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Television & Radio from Ithaca's Roy H. Park School of Communications. He then began his career as a weatherman for a local television station. He joined the American Broadcasting Company in 1974 and gradually rose through its ranks. Iger was instrumental in convincing ABC to pick up David Lynch's offbeat but influential Twin Peaks. He served as president of the ABC Network Television Group from 1993–94, and then was named president and chief operating officer of ABC's corporate parent, Capital Cities/ABC. In 1996, The Walt Disney Company bought Capital Cities/ABC and renamed it ABC, Inc., where Iger remained president until 1999.