Walt Disney Television Animation is a division of The Walt Disney Company formed in 1984 to produce animated programs specifically for television. Tom Ruzicka, now at Universal, was one of the original executives in charge of this fledgeling
group. Other animation executives that worked at Television Animation over the years were Barbara Ferro, Sharon Morrill (now
President of spin-off group DisneyToon Studios), Bill Gross (former President of Jumbo Pictures, creators of Doug, now working
with Idealab!), Maia Mattise, Lenora Hume.
It is headquartered since 1998 in the Frank G. Wells Building on the Studio Lot across from the Team Disney Burbank building (fronted by the Seven Dwarfs).
The Frank G. Wells building was specifically designed for Television Animation, and has a film reel and filmstrip across the
front of the building facing Team Disney Burbank across the parking lot. Television Animation has a secondary building located
in Glendale on Sonora which they moved into in 2002.
Television Animation was formerly headquartered at the Motion Picture and Television Academy in North Hollywood, with a
secondary building on Cahuenga. For a short period of time following the 1998 move, the secondary building was the Fairmont building next to Bob's Big Boy in Burbank. Television Animation is now completely
located in Glendale at the Sonora Building.
Television Animation is now part of The Disney Channel. The president of Television Animation was Barry Blumberg, who announced his resignation in November 2005.
Funny Story About Barry Blumberg and the "Spirit of Tom Ruzicka"
It was common knowledge at the Studio that while Tom Ruzicka was still in management that he received a set of Walt's replica
furniture at Michael Eisner's request when Television Animation was located at the Academy Building. Barry Blumberg was reportedly
infuriated by what he allegedly considered to be pandering to Tom Ruzicka, whom he felt he should be promoted over. When Tom
"retired" (and subsequently went to Universal in a move that was allegedly engineered by Barry), Barry wasted no time in having
that furniture hied hither up to his office by the local union boys in purple. Stories circulated afterwards about how Barry
had that furniture "ritually cleansed" by a rabbi, a priest and a shaman to get rid of the "spirit of Tom Ruzicka"...
Television series
