Disney Junior (English Canada)

Disney Junior is a Canadian English-language multiplex of Family Channel owned by DHX Media.^[1] It was originally known as Playhouse Disney Channel which debuted on November 30, 2007 as a 24/7 commercial-free service carrying programs aimed at preschool-aged children; it re-launched under the Disney Junior brand on May 6, 2011.^{[2] [3]}

Unlike Family, Disney Junior has only one national feed operating from the Eastern Time Zone. Along with its French-language counterpart, it is available in over 4 million Canadian households as of 2013.^[4]

History

The channel was originally launched as Playhouse Disney on November 30, 2007, and made available to all subscribers to Family Channel free of charge, subject to carriage by their television service provider. As Family is licensed as a premium service which allows for the addition of multiplex channels that are consistent with the network's licence, no additional licence was required to launch the service. The use of Family's existing licence also allows the service to compete with the preschooler-aimed specialty channel, Treehouse, despite the format protection guidelines for specialty channels. This is so, because Family's nature of service is to broadcast programming targeted toward "youth to age 17", in which case, a preschool audience would qualify.^[5]

A French-language version of the channel, which was known as Playhouse Disney Télé, was launched on July 5, 2010. It was re-launched as Disney Junior on May 6, 2011 to coincide with the rebranding of the English channel. However, unlike the English version of Disney Junior, the French version is a category B service using its own licence (and was originally branded in the application as a spin-off of Vrak.TV).^[6]

Following the sale of Astral Media to Bell Media, Disney Junior and its sister networks (including Family and Disney XD) were placed in a blind trust pending their eventual sale to meet regulatory requirements surrounding the merger. On November 28, 2013, DHX Media announced it would acquire the four channels for $170 million pending CRTC approval.^[7][8] On July 24, 2014, the CRTC approved DHX's ownership of Disney Junior English and its French counterpart, and it's sister networks Family Channel and Disney XD.^[9][10] The deal was closed on July 31, 2014.^[11]

On April 16, 2015, it was announced that Corus Entertainment had acquired the rights to Disney Channel's program library. Alongside its new Canadian version of Disney Channel, other Disney children's television brands would be eventually transitioned to new, Corus-run properties. In anticipation for this transition, DHX concurrently announced that its Disney-branded networks will be re-branded as spin-offs of Family Channel; The English version of Disney Junior will be re-branded as Family Junior, named after the former Family Channel block that aired from 2009 to 2010, in November of 2015.^[12][13][14]

Programming

In addition to "Disney Junior on Family", the block also broadcasts Disney Junior original series. TVOKids are known to have broadcast several of their shows.

Current programming

Series

Short series

Former programming

Related services

Disney Junior HD

On May 1, 2013, a high definition simulcast of Disney Junior's standard definition feed was launched. It is available on Eastlink, Rogers Cable, Shaw Direct, and Telus Optik TV.

Disney Junior On Demand

Disney Junior OnDemand is a video on demand service featuring programming from Disney Junior, available to subscribers of Family and Disney Junior. Disney Junior launched its own On Demand channel on May 6, 2011. ^[17]

References

External links

• Disney Junior (English)

Children's television in Canada Preschoolers Disney Junior English French TeleNiños Treehouse TV Yoopa Children and teens BBC Kids Cartoon Network Disney XD Disney Channel Family Channel Nickelodeon Teletoon English French Vrak YTV Defunct Discovery Kids HSTN Additional resources on North American television North America List of local television stations in North America DTV transition North American TV mini-template Canada Canadian networks List of Canadian television networks List of Canadian television channels List of Canadian specialty channels Local Canadian TV stations List of United States stations available in Canada 2001 Vancouver TV realignment 2007 Canada broadcast TV realignment Mexico Mexican networks Local Mexican TV stations United States American networks List of American cable and satellite networks List of American over-the-air networks Local American TV stations (W) Local American TV stations (K) 1994 United States broadcast TV realignment 2006 United States broadcast TV realignment List of Canadian television stations available in the United States Insular Areas TV