The Walt Disney Company has upped Anne Sweeney from president of Disney/ ABC Cable Networks and president of The Disney Channel to an expanded role as president of ABC Cable Networks Group and president of Disney Channel Worldwide. The new position places ABC/Disney’s international non-sports cable channels in 13 countries under Sweeney’s wing.

In the U.S., Sweeney oversees The Disney Channel, Toon Disney and SoapNet, as well as ABC’s interest in Lifetime, A&E, The History Channel and E! Entertainment Television. Internationally, Sweeney will take charge of The Disney Channel, including divisions in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia and Latin America, as well as the U.K., where Playhouse Disney-a dedicated preschool channel-just began telecasting.

Sweeney will also be responsible for all Disney-branded programming blocks (‘Disney Afternoon’) in international broadcast syndication. David Hulbert, president of Walt Disney Television International, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Diego Lerner, president and managing director of the Latin American division for Walt Disney International, will now report to Sweeney.