Although Eric Bischoff has received much criticism for some mistakes in judgment as executive producer and later WCW president, he combined an understanding of wrestling (largely gained as a staffer with Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association) with a willingness to make the changes needed to raise WCW's profile with mainstream media, its target audience, and especially television advertisers. These changes included moving some television tapings from Atlanta to Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida, and signing a mix of veteran U.S. main-event performers and younger stars from promotions around the world (such as Rey Mysterio, Jr.). He also launched "WCW Monday Nitro" in 1995, sparking the Monday Night Wars, a period of intense competition between WCW and the WWF that became the most-watched period in televised professional wrestling history. A second prime time series, "WCW Thunder" began in January 1998.