Business

TURMOIL AT NO. 2

The appointment of Dave Davis as ABC News’ new No. 2 has roiled staffers who believe the shuffling of the news division’s executive suite was mandated by corporate parent Disney – or more specifically Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney, sources said.

While Davis appears to be well-liked, and sources inside ABC News say his having responsibility for all of the network news broadcasts will bring the benefits of a streamlined structure, the timing of Davis’ hire last week is perplexing some who note ABC’s news division is hitting on all cylinders.

“World News Tonight With Charles Gibson” is leading its competitors, while “Good Morning America” has closed the ratings gap with NBC’s “Today.”

In spite of the division’s strength, a person close to the situation said Sweeney wanted to inject fresh blood into the fifth floor of 77 W. 66th St. – the location of ABC News’ executive suite – because she feared that the long tenure enjoyed by many under ABC News President David Westin could soon make the division stale.

To that end, a source inside CNBC said Westin met with Mark Hoffman, president of the financial-news cable network, at least once before settling on Davis.

Two ABC News executives confirmed that a meeting between Westin and Hoffman took place, but both said that it was simply a meet-and-greet session.

A spokesman for CNBC did not return a call for comment.

Sources said another reason Davis was brought in was the tepid relationship between Westin and Sweeney, who is said to have grown frustrated with Westin’s hands-off management style.

In an interview with The Post, Sweeney denied that she had anything to do with Davis’ hire and defended Westin’s leadership of the news division.

She did concede, however, that her management philosophy was that “change is good.”

When directly asked her opinion of Westin’s operational skills, Sweeney said he is a “smart, dedicated, excellent executive who understands the nuts and bolts of operating” before adding that, “he hired the right person for the right job.”

The appointment of Davis, who most recently served as general manager for ABC’s flagship TV station WABC/Channel 7, sent a culture shock through a news division where senior executives Amy Entelis, Paul Slavin, Phyllis McGrady, Paul Mason and Bob Murphy have all logged in more than a decade with the network.

With the exception of Slavin and McGrady, all of these executives will now report to Davis, who ranks as the first senior exec ABC News has hired outside of its ranks in years.

Though Davis’ arrival suggests that Westin’s future role could be in question, sources familiar with the matter dismissed that assertion.

According to these sources, Westin not only has several years left on his contract, but also has a valuable ally in Disney CEO Bob Iger, who is said to be one of Westin’s strongest supporters.

However, Iger is known as a CEO who delegates, and tends to let his division heads run their own houses.

Or, as the person close to the situation said of Davis’ hire: “This is all about Anne Sweeney pushing her weight around.”

peter.lauria@nypost.com