The brand called Jack Hanna and his value for zoos

Call him the $50 million man. That's a low-ball estimate of what Jack Hanna's national television appearances are worth to the city and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium each year. "Maybe you could compare him to what Disney or Mickey Mouse are to Orlando," said Brian Ross, the president and chief operating officer of Experience Columbus, the city's tourism and convention bureau. "He's that big." In 2002, a zoo-commissioned study by an outside agency pegged Hanna's publicity value to the zoo and the city at $41 million. Today, it would be $50 million or more, said Kate Oliphint, Hanna's assistant. No wonder the zoo board is a bit worried about the effect Hanna's retirement -- far in the future, he says -- might have. The board has appointed a committee to consider how to replace Hanna as the zoo's ambassador. Hanna first stepped onto the national stage on Good Morning America in 1983, with the zoo's twin baby gorillas in tow. His quirky, off-the-cuff style brought repeat visits and, in 1985, his first appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman. Soon, Hanna could barely keep up with calls begging him to go on air with a porcupin