Disney Channel (UK)

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This article is about Disney Channel in the UK and Ireland. For Disney Channels in the outside of UK, see Disney Channel around the world.
Disney Channel
Disney Channel logo
Launched 1 October 1995
Owned by The Walt Disney Company
Audience share 0.5% (0.3% for +1) (February 2007, [1])
Country United Kingdom
Headquarters Chiswick, London
Sister channel(s) Playhouse Disney
Disney Cinemagic (+1)
Timeshift service Disney Channel +1
Website disneychannel.co.uk
Availability
Terrestrial
Top Up TV Via Top Up TV Anytime
Satellite
Sky Digital Channel 613
Channel 614 (+1)
Cable
Virgin Media Channel 724
Channel 725 (+1)

Disney Channel is a British television channel. It was initially aimed at both children and their families, though in recent years the focus has shifted towards children only[citation needed]. It is also available in the Republic of Ireland. Disney Channel franchise also includes a +1 hour timeshift service (Disney Channel +1), a channel for pre-school children (Playhouse Disney) and a movie and cartoon channel (Disney Cinemagic, and also its timeshift service Disney Cinemagic +1).

Like its American counterpart, Disney Channel does not broadcast commercial advertisements, relying instead on revenue from the subscription fees that the viewer must pay in order to view Disney Cinemagic and its timeshift. Despite the lack of commercials, most non-movie programming is broken up by commercial breaks, during which trailers for Disney's programming and specially-commissioned short programmes (e.g. Disney 365) are usually shown.

Disney Channel also offers two interactive television services on Sky Digital. The first, named Disney Channel Active and designed by Tamblin[2], can be accessed by pressing the red button on the Sky Digital remote control whilst watching any of Disney's channels. It offers viewers the opportunity to send in messages for display, to vote in polls, to view programme information and to enter competitions. The second is part of Sky's interactive gaming service, Sky Gamestar, and is called Disney Channel Play. It features games related to certain Disney Channel programmes. It can also be accessed from Disney Channel Active. Along with the interactive television services, Disney Channel has a Teletext service, consisting of about 200 pages, known as Disney Text.

Disney Channel sometimes carries sign language on its late evening programming. Many newer series, such as That's So Raven, are also Audio Described on Sky Digital.

Contents

[edit] History and Availability

Disney Channel was originally planned to launch in 1989 on the newly launched Sky satellite service, but due to an apparent dispute[citation needed], the launch was cancelled, and the channel did not appear until 1 October 1995. Disney Channel +1, Playhouse Disney and the now-defunct 24-hour cartoon channel Toon Disney launched on 29 September 2000, available only to subscribers to Sky Digital; ntl and Telewest customers could only receive the main Disney Channel. On all platforms, the Disney Channel package was a premium offering, requiring an additional subscription fee in order to view, though Sky Digital subscribers could receive the channels for free if they also subscribed to the full Sky Movies package (aka Sky Movies World, aka Sky Premier & Sky MovieMax). Despite the launch of Playhouse Disney, Disney Channel continued to air a block of Playhouse Disney-branded preschool programmes during school mornings until relatively recently.

In early 2006, Sky and Disney were locked in ongoing negotiations over a new contract for carriage on the former's digital satellite television service. The previous, ten-year deal, which was inked while Sky floated on the stock exchange in 1994, was temporarily extended whilst both sides attempted to reach an agreement. Sky was understood to have been seeking a substantially reduced payment towards the kids broadcaster[citation needed]. A new agreement, reported to be worth £130 million a year[citation needed], was reached on 27 February. As a result, on 16 March, Toon Disney was axed to make room for Disney Cinemagic, and Disney Channel +1 was temporarily replaced with Disney Cinemagic +1. Disney Channel +1 returned 26 June. Given Cinemagic's own largely cartoon-based schedule, it is not likely that Toon Disney will return.

On 27 October 2006, Disney Channel was added to TopUp TV Anytime, a new service that downloads programming from 19 channels to a special digital video recorder.

[edit] Live Presentation

Until recently, live presentation was an important feature of Disney Channel. The best known example of this launched in September 1997 as Disney Channel Live, and relaunched as Studio Disney on 23 April 2001. Presenters included: Nigel Mitchell, Emma Lee, Jean Anderson, Mark Rumble, Amy Garcia, Ollie from Freefaller, James McCourt, Jemma James, now - Jemma Forte. Studio Disney ran on weekdays, usually from 4pm to 7pm, in direct competition with similar services offered by CBBC, CITV and Nickelodeon UK. The show featured a team of between two and six presenters who came on air between programmes, giving viewers the opportunity to call in, interact and win prizes. Studio Disney also produced many of its own short programmes, including Wish Upon a Star and Junior Journo, which were aired during the block itself and between programmes at other times. Studio Disney bowed out on 1 July 2005, in line with the disappearance of afternoon in-vision presentation on CITV and Nickelodeon the previous year and leaving the channel with a format similar to that of its American counterpart.

The live presentation of the show, would also run competitions in which viewers could win holidays, and other prizes. Special holiday competitions would be run, New Year, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Chinese New Year, Christmas, etc. (

(i.e Mother's Day - Competition of 2003 involved Emma Lee (now host's Play DJ) suprising four entrants and their mother's to a special get-away. (i.e Father's Day - Competition of 2004 involved James McCourt and Nigel Mitchell treating one lucky dad to a day at Silverstone Grand Prix track.

At other times of day, pre-recorded presentation was used, typically recorded in such a manner that viewers would believe that it was live. An example of this was breakfast segment Up (and later called Zoom!), which was hosted out-of-vision by Capital Disney presenter, and managing director Will Chambers. Another example originated from the Monster March event that ran throughout March 2002, during which the schedule featured many monster-themed shows and movies. Pre-recorded sketches featuring a Mexican dinosaur puppet named Raoul were inserted between programmes, and as this proved popular[citation needed], Raoul was given a number of his own segments on the channel over the next few years, including The Raoul Show, Good Morning Raoul and The Raoul Summer. The best sketches from The Raoul Show were made into a series of short programmes entitled The Best of Raoul. Raoul was even the subject of a question on the 20th Anniversary edition of Trivial Pursuit[3].

Disney Channel also held an annual awards ceremony called the Disney Channel Kids Awards. The categories were centred around music, sport, television and film. The winners in each category were voted for by viewers online. The ceremonies, hosted by Studio Disney presenters, were held at The Royal Albert Hall and London Arena. These were broadcast on Disney Channel and Channel Five and featured performances from popular music artists.

[edit] Branding and Marketing

Prior to May 2003, Disney Channel's logo consisted of three circles which resembled a silhouette of Mickey Mouse's head. The logo was the basis for the channel's wide range of impressive computer-generated idents, in which Mickey's silhouette was formed from various animated objects.

In 2002, Disney commissioned a new logo and branding package for use across all of the Disney Channels around the world. This was adopted by Disney Channel UK in May 2003.

The original Disney Channel ident and logo used from launch to 1997.

Disney Channel's logo from 1997 to May 2003.

The current Disney Channel logo, used since May 2003.

[edit] Website

Disney Channel's website is promoted as being at disneychannel.co.uk, though the domain resolves to www.disney.co.uk/DisneyChannel. The domain was registered prior to August 1996[4]. The site features information, games, interactive features and contact details and submission forms. The site has been made entirely in Adobe Flash since early 2002. In 2003, it was completely redesigned to fit with the other Disney Channels worldwide after the global rebrand.

[edit] Disney Channel Programmes

This is a list of programmes shown on Disney Channel. It does not include those shown only on Playhouse Disney, Disney Cinemagic or, previously, Toon Disney.

[edit] Current programming

[edit] Coming Soon

(Note: Due to the constant addition of shows that are not going to air on Disney Channel UK, this section can not be stated as fact.)

  • As the Bell Rings (UK version of the Disney Channel Italy Format "Quelli dell'intervallo") (From 2nd April)

[edit] Former programming

This film, television, or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] Films

Disney Channel traditionally broadcast most of its movies, including Walt Disney Studios movies and Disney Channel Original Movies, on the main channel. These were usually broadcast daily at 7pm under The Wonderful World of Disney (earlier The Magical World of Disney) brand. On weekends, the channel would show at least three movies per a day. The Saturday Movie Showdown took place every Saturday morning, wherein viewers were invited to vote for one of a selection of three movies on the channel's website, the winner being broadcast at 10am on the same day. Starting in 2003,[verification needed] a movie was transmitted in widescreen with Dolby Digital Surround Sound on Sundays at 4pm.

However, when Disney Cinemagic launched in March 2006, The Wonderful World of Disney, the Saturday Movie Showdown and the Sunday widescreen movie were axed, and all Walt Disney Studios movies were moved over to the new channel. Disney Channel Original Movies are still broadcast regularly on Disney Channel, with premieres of new ones shown on Friday evenings a short while after their premiere in America (usually a few weeks, though in some cases, e.g. Full Court Miracle, the delay can be up to several years). As a result of these changes, movies are now shown more frequently across Disney's channels overall, and non-subscribers can now see Disney Channel Original Movies.

[edit] External links

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