Martha Stewart CEO has no grudge against Disney

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former ABC television executive Susan Lyne said on Thursday she has no grudge against her former employer, Walt Disney Co. (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), and sees the company as a good choice for investors today.

Lyne, now chief executive of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), abruptly left ABC in 2004 just before a slate of new television shows she had picked, such as "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," became blockbuster TV hits.

Asked at the Reuters Media Summit in New York which media company she believes would be a good investment choice, barring her own company, Lyne named Disney.

"Of all the media companies out there, they have a brand that actually means something, they have phenomenal content, and a real understanding of the future of media," she said.

"There's a lot of real talent at the company and on the board" she said. "I think having (Apple Computer Inc.'s) Steve Jobs on that board is hugely valuable to that company."

But would she have said the same before Robert Iger replaced longtime Disney CEO Michael Eisner in late 2005?

"No," she said. She also said she's recently returned to watching "Desperate Housewives," though she's "not religious" about it.