Radio Disney
 | |
| Type | Radio network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Availability | National, through broadcast stations and satellite radio |
| Slogan | Your Music, Your Way |
| Headquarters | Burbank, California |
| Parent |
Disney Channels Worldwide (Disney–ABC TV Group) |
Launch date | November 18, 1996 |
| Affiliates | See list |
Official website |
www |
Radio Disney is an American radio network that is owned by The Walt Disney Company, under the Disney–ABC Television Group operating subsidiary Disney Channels Worldwide. It broadcasts music and other content aimed at preteens and young teenagers under 16 years of age; it can be described as a youth-targeted contemporary hit radio format with heavy emphasis on teen idols. Recently Radio Disney has become a Mainstream Top 40 Indicator reporter on Nielsen-BDS eventually being upgraded to monitored status with Nielsen-BDS. Radio Disney is also a monitored reporter on the Mediabase 24/7 Top 40 panel. The network is headquartered in Burbank, California.
Radio Disney is formatted like a traditional radio station, featuring prize giveaways (in which listeners can enter via telephone, the internet and since 2008, text messaging) and occasional in-studio interviews called "Takeovers," which usually occur during the weekday late-afternoon timeslot. Radio Disney is Disney's second foray into radio; in late 1955, Walt Disney started The Magic Kingdom radio show—running Monday through Fridays and [1] which was heard on ABC Radio from 11:35 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The broadcasts originated from the new Disneyland Park in Anaheim.
For many years Radio Disney affiliated with stations in markets of varying size, mainly large and mid-sized markets; however, since the early 2010s, it has started to withdraw from areas located outside of the 25 largest radio markets, owing to those listeners tuning in via either their website or mobile phone/tablet applications, along with the low adoption rate of HD Radio, which many Radio Disney stations have on their AM signals to match FM audio quality. On August 13, 2014, Disney announced that it would sell its remaining Radio Disney stations, with the exception of KDIS in Los Angeles.[2] A few months later, however, Disney announced that it would begin to syndicate Radio Disney through affiliations with HD Radio subchannels.
History
1996–2001: The beginning
Radio Disney was launched on November 18, 1996 (coinciding with the 68th anniversary of the debut of Steamboat Willie) at 5:58 a.m. Eastern Time; the first song ever played on the network was "Get Ready for This" by 2 Unlimited. The initial studio was Studio #8 at the now former ABC Radio Networks location in Dallas, Texas (today the same facility hosts the studio of The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show). The network's initial slogan was "We're All Ears", that was used heavily in on-air jingles. Radio Disney started with songs that were played on Top-40 stations, as well as popular oldies and songs from various cartoon series and movies. Some media analysts likened the Radio Disney product to a mix of child-friendly artists and contests with music, formatics and pacing borrowed from legendary ABC-owned Top-40 stations of the past like WABC or WLS, which had long abandoned their younger audiences for adult-oriented talk formats.
Artists featured on the network in its early years included 98 Degrees, Backstreet Boys, Bowling For Soup, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Destiny's Child, Hanson, Mandy Moore, 'N Sync, A-Teens, Aaron Carter, Dream Street, Hoku, Eiffel 65, Jump5, 3LW, and the Spice Girls. The station became popular amongst children, teens and tweens. In 2000, music artists like Lil' Romeo, No Secrets, Play, and others became popular because of their airplay on the network. The network's new (but short-lived) slogan around this time was changed to "Music and Prizes That Rock!" Later in 2000, Radio Disney raised its age limit for eligibility to win prizes and sweepstakes from 12 to 14-years-old.
2001–2007: Era of Disney Channel stars
Near the end of 2001, Radio Disney's playlist began to be closely tied with singer/actors from original programs seen on co-owned cable network Disney Channel, starting with Hilary Duff and Raven-Symoné. This was followed later in the decade by Miley Cyrus, Mitchel Musso, and more recently with the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Bridgit Mendler and others. This has caused a bit of controversy as some feel that most actors from Disney Channel are simply trying to start a singing career.
Around this time, Radio Disney unveiled its current slogan, "Your Music, Your Way". In 2002, the network launch its inaugural Radio Disney Music Awards, a music awards ceremony that has been held every year since.
In 2004, Disney paid the former Children's Broadcasting Corporation (which operated fellow children's radio network Radio Aahs) $12.4 million in a lawsuit settlement. Disney had collaborated with Radio Aahs for a time prior to the launch of Radio Disney as a direct competitor to the Minneapolis-based company, which reached about 30 stations at its height; Aahs' former owners sued for damages on claims of a breach of contract.
2006 marked the network's 10th anniversary; Radio Disney rebroadcast its first hour of programming from November 18, 1996 on June 6, 2006 at around 4:58 p.m. ET on stations in select markets such as WQEW. Also, as part of the 10th anniversary, Radio Disney held the "Totally 10 Birthday Concert" on July 22, 2006 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California.[3] It also included a simultaneous live webcast on the Radio Disney website. A second concert was held in Dallas, Texas on November 18, 2006 at the Dallas Convention Center.[4]
In February 2006, The Walt Disney Company announced the divestiture of much of its radio holdings to Citadel Broadcasting, although Disney chose to retain ownership of Radio Disney, ESPN Radio and their respective owned-and-operated stations. Operational duties of Radio Disney were transferred to the company's Disney–ABC Cable Networks Group division, which otherwise operates Disney's cable television properties, except for ESPN (Disney's broadcast and cable properties were later folded into the Disney–ABC Television Group).
2007–2014
Since the network's debut, Radio Disney was part of the ABC Radio Networks' satellite music group. This changed in June 2007, when Disney retained the network and ESPN Radio in the sale of the ABC Radio division to Citadel Broadcasting. In November 2008, Radio Disney relocated its main operations from Dallas, Texas to Burbank, California.
Radio Disney added more songs from Disney Channel original programs as well as music produced from other teen music groups to its playlist rotation in recent years, several of which are associated with Disney Music Group labels Walt Disney Records, Buena Vista Records and Hollywood Records. The Playhouse Disney preschool music block was also cut back from two hours to one, with the block being renamed Radio Disney Junior in 2011 in accordance with the launch of the Disney Channel preschool block and standalone cable channel.
In January 2010, Radio Disney requested permission from the FCC to "silence" five of its owned-and-operated stations (along with a sixth station operating under a local marketing agreement with another company) while the stations were being sold.[5] On January 28, 2010, sale agreements were announced for two of the stations.
In June 2013, Disney announced the sale of seven owned-and-operated stations in medium-sized markets, in order to refocus Radio Disney's broadcast distribution on the top-25 radio markets.[6] By February 2014, it had terminated its affiliation agreements with stations not owned by Disney-ABC.
2014–present: Downsizing, focus on digital
On April 10, 2014, it was announced that Radio Disney's Top 30 Countdown would become a syndicated radio show, distributed by Rick Dees' Dees Entertainment.[7]
On August 13, 2014, Radio Disney's general manager Phil Guerini announced plans to sell all but one of its remaining Radio Disney stations on or before September 26, 2014, in order to focus more on the network's programming, co-branded events, and digital outlets; listenership reports indicated that the majority of Radio Disney's audience listened to the network via satellite radio and other digital platforms, and only 18% via terrestrial AM/FM radio. KDIS will remain operational to serve as the originating station for the Radio Disney network.[2][8] While the stations were, originally, to sign off on September 26, the stations will remain on the air and continue carrying Radio Disney programming until they are sold.[9]
On April 13, 2015, Disney announced that the Radio Disney network would return to terrestrial radio through affiliations with HD Radio subchannels; the new network will be distributed by iBiquity, with ad sales handled by its HD Radio Digital Network unit. A network representative that the move was intended to target families as in-car listeners.[10]
Programming
Radio Disney plays a large selection of songs from stars and programs on Disney Channel, along with popular songs from mainstream pop and R&B artists that are found on conventional radio stations. The network airs edited versions of some Top 40 songs (which remove profanity and any other suggestive content) to make them appropriate for younger listeners.
List of programs broadcast by Radio Disney
Current programs
- Morgan & Maddy in the Morning - A morning program that premiered on April 1, 2013, hosted by Morgan Tompkins and Maddy Whitby.[11]
- Radio Disney Junior - On February 9, 2011, it was announced that Radio Disney would debut a new children's block aimed at children 2–7 years of age and their parents. The music block runs from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET, in the former timeslot of Playhouse Disney. It launched on February 14, 2011, to coincide with the premiere of the Disney Junior morning program block on Disney Channel.[12] This block is hosted by Genevieve Goings.
- Saturday Night Party - Airing on Saturday nights and hosted by Alex Angelo, the program features dance music including remixes of popular songs.
- The Dot Com Top 3 - The Dot Com Top 3 airs nightly at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, as of 2013 (the countdown had originally been broadcast at 9:30 p.m. ET). Hosted by Brooke Taylor, it features the three most requested songs of the day, and after, a caller who is able to name all three songs will win a prize or super entry.
- Radio Disney's Top 30 (originally Top 30 Countdown) - The longest-running program, originally hosted only by Susan Huber, later by Jake Whetter and now by Ernie D.[7] Songs that receive the most requests during the week are included on the countdown, played in descending order. Around New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, a special version of the countdown featuring the 50 most requested songs of the year is broadcast. The Top 30 airs live on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with an encore presentation on Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
Former programs
- Connect Family - Originally named Family Fun Day, the program was retitled early in April 2007 as Connect Family (borrowed from the network's on-air campaign of the same name); it was formally hosted by Ernest "Ernie D." Martinez and Blake Kuhre. Between songs, parents and children would discuss with the DJs how they spend time with one another, their family life and play contests for children to win prizes and entries into Radio Disney contests.
- Frequency Jam - A Friday night program which debuted around 2002/2003, in which three songs would be played by DJs Ernest "Ernie D." Martinez or Brian Kuhre. The song with the most votes (via Radio Disney's website) would be the next song that would be played as the winner. Frequency Jam ended in February 2007 with the redesign of Radio Disney website.
- Music Mailbag - The hour-long Saturday program was hosted by Halicia "Hallie" Ashford or Blake Kuhre. After a new song selected for entry into Radio Disney's regular playlist was played, listeners were urged to call into the network's hotline or vote on its website to "Pick It" (make the song part of the network's playlist rotation) or "Kick It" (reject it as an entry into the playlist).
- Playhouse Disney - Playhouse Disney (originally "Mickey and Minnie's Tune Time" from 1998 to 2001) aired on Radio Disney weekdays during the school year from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET and was hosted by Robin, Tina, B. B. Good and Susan Huber from its inception; it was also hosted by Betsy. Playhouse Disney was originally a two-hour block, but was later reduced to one hour; segments featured in the block included Circle Time Story (originally "Mickey and Minnie's Storytime Theatre" from 1998 to 2001), which featured read-along stories from Disney movies and films. Like the now-defunct Playhouse Disney block on Disney Channel, it was targeted towards preschoolers. Songs from Playhouse Disney shows, Disney movies, and songs from other shows such as Sesame Street were played, along with contests with preschool-related questions, and questions about Disney characters. Classic Disney songs were also played during the Playhouse Disney block.[13]
- The Wakey Blakey Show - A morning radio show hosted by Blake Kuhre for 6 years from 2007-2013, providing the network with the largest block of hosted programming for 6 hours each weekday on a portfolio of AM/FM stations, XM/Sirius satellite radio, iTunes, and internationally to Canada via family.ca. Blake's show was integral to the synergy programming strategy with some of the most successful Disney Channel Worldwide franchises including Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, and High School Musical. Morgan & Maddy in the Morning replaced "The Wakey Blakey Show" in 2013.
Serial radio
In July 2010, Radio Disney debuted its first scripted serial called My Dream, a contemporary story ulitizing a format reminiscent of serials from the 1940s. Unlike Depression-era radio serials that typically featured episodes lasting 15 to 30 minutes, episodes of My Dream runs for only 90 seconds and play multiple times throughout the day.[14] My Dream stars Daphne Blunt as a 14-year-old girl trying to make a name for herself in the music industry while dealing with the usual struggles, responsibilities and emotional ups and downs of an everyday teen.[15]
Radio Disney Music Awards
Since 2002, Radio Disney has held an annual awards ceremony, the Radio Disney Music Awards, to honor popular music artists featured on the network. Similar to the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, children vote to select the winner of each category including "They're The One" (Best Music Group), "Ultimate Breakout Star" (Biggest Viral Artist), "The Bestest" (Song of the Year) and Funniest Celebrity Take (celebrity interview) and "So FANtastic" (Fiercest Fans). Artists who have won awards in past ceremonies include Demi Lovato, Hilary Duff, Selena Gomez and The Cheetah Girls.
Features and contests
Radio Disney carries a number of features from interactive contests to informational programs.
Current features
- 60 Seconds With (actor/actress/artist name) - A segment featuring minute-long excerpts from interviews and celebrity "takeovers".
- Code Word of the Day - The "Code Word of the Day" is given out about five times an hour. If a caller knows the code word when he or she calls Radio Disney's hotline (usually around 6:30 p.m. ET), that person is awarded a prize.
- Grand Prize Drawing - Grand prize drawings often occur over the course of one to four weeks, depending on the contest. Contestants can win entries in a regular contest that contestant wins; contestants also periodially have the opportunity to win a "super entry", in which 100 entries for the drawing are entered into the contest. The winner of the grand prize will usually win a vacation, or a chance to meet a popular artist heard on Radio Disney or the opportunity to meet another celebrity. Drawings usually occur on a Friday.
- NBT (Next Big Thing) - This segment was hosted by Jake Whetter, and is similar to the former Incubator feature. Each year since the contest launched in 2008, Radio Disney plays new songs by five up-and-coming music artist that are contestants; listeners are able to vote for which contestant moves on to the next round of the competition until a winner is chosen.
- Planet Premiere - A music artist sits down with Ernest "Ernie D." Martinez or Candice Huckeba as their newest album or song is played on Radio Disney. Before each song plays, the artist tells the listeners how the song was conceived, and what its meaning was.
- Power Prize - The "Power Prize" occurs at least six times a day. A winner of a contest will not only win a super entry, but also a "power" prize. This started when Radio Disney stopped giving out prizes to every contest winner.
- Radio Rewind - A segment of a song was played backward and callers would try to guess the name of that song. The song would usually be played forward after someone wins.
- Sound File - The news on new music and artists (new entries appear weekly during the Top 30 Countdown).
- Super Entry - Winners of a contest receive 100 entries into the grand prize drawing. When the "super entry" first started, the winner would get 40 entries.
Former features
- ABC News for Kids - News updates from ABC News Radio's Jim Hickey which featured child-appropriate news updates and features segments.
- ABC Notebook
- Aptitude Dude - voiced by Squeege.
- Backwards Bop - A small excerpt of a song was played backward and callers would try to guess the name of that song.
- Battle of the Cities - A trivia game that retired DJs, Mark and Zippy, hosted. Two contestants from different cities would call in and the caller with the most answers wins.
- Bumbling Bill’s Safety Spotlight - Bumbling Bill and his friend Sally (Susan Huber) talk about what's safe and unsafe. In a running gag, Bumbling Bill would often malaprop Sally's name. This program ended near the beginning of 2006.
- Grandma Nature
- Garage Door Derby - This contest was hosted by DJ Aaron K., in which two callers would call in and participate in a race to see whose garage door closed the fastest. The first to say, "It's open!" or "It's closed!" would win a prize.
- Gross Me Out - "Gross Me Out" was a longtime segment that talked about gross things which kids often like to hear.
- Hairbrush Karaoke - Similar to the game "Karaoke" with DJ Kara. DJ Susan Huber would get a caller to sing karaoke on the radio, and then they would win a prize. This ended when Susan Huber left Radio Disney.
- Hogwarts or Hogwash - A game played by DJ Aaron K. The correct caller must answer three out of four questions from the popular Harry Potter book and/or film series as true or false, by saying 'Hogwarts' for being true and 'Hogwash' for being false. This game is no longer being played, as Aaron K. has since left Radio Disney.
- Incubator - A segments played between songs or during commercial breaks featuring interviews with up-and-coming music artists.
- Karaoke - A contest held by retired DJ, Kara Edwards. She would sing one line of a song and the correct caller would sing the other.
- Laugh Shack - Kids would call in and leave jokes on the network's voicemail (or "earmail") number. The jokes would then later be aired on the radio.
- Let's Make a Deal - Another game/contest hosted by Mark and Zippy. This was also parody of the television game show of the same name.
- Theatre Of The B-zarre - An interstitial segment that ended around mid-2006, in which Dr. B and a hairball-like creature named Critter talk about strange and creepy things.
- The Adventures of Bud and Iggy - A contest that centered on two unheard characters, Bud and Iggy, who are always getting lost. Clues were given as to what city the two are lost in. This longtime contest ended near the end of 2003.
- The Answer is Always "C." - The DJ would give a caller a multiple choice question, or questions, but a winner would almost always be assured, as the answer was always the "C." choice.
- The State Game - Three clues about a state were given out (the state nickname and two facts) and callers would try and guess what state it is. This game was played by B.B. Good and Sherry.
- Thinkenstein: 2000 - A segment featuring Dr. Thinkenstein (voiced by Clint Ford) a wild, hyperactive scientist with a Karloff-esque voice, who routinely examined technologies and breakthroughs that other scientists were currently working on to improve the future. He frequently discussed his findings with his computer assistant, "I.gor" (nicknamed "E-dot").
- Your Music, Your Way a.k.a. Your Music & Your Stars, Your Way
- Celebrity Take with Jake - A pre-recorded segment hosted by Jake Whetter, providing celebrity news stories focusing on actors and music artists popular with the network's target demographic.
DJs
Radio Disney has had a number of different DJs since its launch in 1996. Below are a number of DJs along with their years of employment. Many Radio Disney DJs left the network around 2008, when Radio Disney moved its broadcasts and operations to Burbank, California.
- B. B. Good (1998–2008)
- Blake Kuhre (2005–2014)
- Dean Wendt (1996–2001)
- Giel (2003–2008)
- Halicia Ashford (Hallie) (2009–2014)
- Jake Whetter (2008–2013)
- Just Plain Mark (1997–2001)
- Kara (1997–2001)
- Squeege (1996–2005)
- Susan Huber (1996–2008)
- Zippy (1997–2001)
Radio Disney World Tours
In 2000 and 2001, Radio Disney launched two separate "world tours" that traveled to major U.S. cities including Atlanta, New York City, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. In 2000, the tour featured up-and-coming talent (No Authority, Myra) and then Radio Disney DJs, Mark and Zippy. The tour played in theatrical venues and had audiences of up to 2,000 people per show (there were four shows each weekend in each city).
Availability
Online stream
A live stream of Radio Disney's programming is available at RadioDisney.com and is also available under the Pop/Top 40 section of the iTunes radio tuner. Streams are also available via the Radio Disney mobile app for Apple iOS devices and on Xbox 360 consoles via the iHeartRadio application.
Radio Disney was also made available as a special feature on the Blu-ray release of Hannah Montana: The Movie via Disney BD-Live as well as the PSP game, Hannah Montana: Rock Out the Show.
From 1997 to 1999, the network was streamed digitally in RealAudio format on the Disney.com website. The service was discontinued in 1999, only to resurface a short time later as a pre-installed streaming channel on QuickTime 4's streaming media list. The service disappeared again around 2000 in concurrence with the release of Quicktime 5. In March 2006, the stream resurfaced again in a Windows Media Player format as Radio Disney 2.0. It was then later revamped in a Flash format complete with lyrics and previously played songs. In October 2011, a stream of Radio Disney was made available in Canada on Family.ca, the website of cable network Family Channel (which coincidentally receives much of its U.S. programming from Radio Disney's sister cable television network Disney Channel).
Subscription radio and television
Radio Disney is available on Sirius XM Radio in digital audio in both the United States and Canada on channel 79. It was carried previously on Music Choice on the digital cable tiers of most television providers. Music Choice replaced Radio Disney on September 18, 2007, with its own channel, Kidz Only!, which is similar in format to Radio Disney, but with a less interrupted music format.[16][17] Radio Disney could be heard previously on DirecTV channel 867, until the satellite provider switched its digital music programming from XM Radio to Sonic Tap on February 9, 2010. A few digital cable providers with radio services offer Radio Disney as a live radio broadcast selection, although other providers (like Dish Network) do not.
Stations
Despite being music-oriented, the network is primarily carried on AM stations, with only one FM station as an affiliate. The list below is accurate as of March 2014. Despite their current standing, many of these stations have diverse histories. Many of the current call signs of Radio Disney stations (particularly those owned by The Walt Disney Company) are variations on the Disney name and that of Mickey and Minnie Mouse; at least one appears to be named for Goofy, and another is named for Walt Disney World (WDW).
The Walt Disney Company owns all of the network's affiliates; in the past, some stations were operated through local marketing agreements that had varying degrees of local management, but the last separately-owned Radio Disney affiliate, WOLF in Syracuse, New York, left the network in 2014.
On August 13, 2014, it was revealed that all of Radio Disney's remaining stations, excluding KDIS, were to be sold in an effort to focus more on digital distribution of the Radio Disney network. KDIS will be retained to serve as the originator of Radio Disney's programming, and its operations will be assumed by the network's national staff.[2][8]
| Owned and operated stations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Callsign | Frequency | Location | HD Radio[18] | Sale Notes |
| KMIK1 | 1580 | Phoenix, Arizona |  | |
| KMKY1 | 1310 | San Francisco, California |  | |
| KIID1 | 1470 | Sacramento, California | | |
| KDIS | 1110 | Los Angeles, California (flagship) | | Not being sold. |
| KDDZ1 | 1690 | Denver, Colorado | | |
| WMYM1 | 990 | Miami, Florida | | Pending sale to Radio Actualidad. Filed on 02/12/2015 |
| WWMI1 | 1380 | Tampa, Florida | | |
| WDWD1 | 590 | Atlanta, Georgia |  | Pending sale to South Texas Broadcasting, Inc. (Salem Media Group) Filed on 02/25/2015.[19][20] |
| WRDZ1 | 1300 | Chicago, Illinois | | |
| WRDZ-FM1 | 98.3 | Indianapolis, Indiana | | |
| WMKI1 | 1260 | Boston, Massachusetts | | |
| KDIZ1 | 1440 | Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota | | |
| WSDZ1 | 1260 | St. Louis, Missouri | | |
| WGFY1 | 1480 | Charlotte, North Carolina | | Pending sale to the Charlotte Advent Media Corporation. Filed on 01/26/2015.[21][22] |
| KDZR1 | 1640 | Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington | | |
| WWJZ1 | 640 | Mount Holly, New Jersey/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | | |
| WDDZ1 | 1250 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | | Pending sale to Pennsylvania Media Associates, Inc. (Salem Media Group) Filed on 02/25/2015.[19][23] |
| KMKI1 | 620 | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | | |
| KWDZ1 | 910 | Salt Lake City, Utah | | For sale since 2013.[6] Dropped Radio Disney on August 17, 2013 to remain silent.[24] The station resumed operations on August 14, 2014,[25] but resumed Radio Disney in October. |
| KKDZ1 | 1250 | Seattle, Washington | | |
| HD Radio notes: Authorized and operating. Authorized but currently turned off. Without authorization. | ||||
Notes:
- 1 Sale pending
| Callsign | Frequency | Location | Years of affiliation | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KADZ | 1550 | Arvada/Denver, Colorado | –2003 | Station was shut down in 2003. |
| KALY | 1240 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Sold in 2010; later carried similarly-formatted JENNiRADIO but now has an oldies format | |
| KBEE | 860 | Salt Lake City, Utah | –2001 | Affiliation moved to KWDZ in 2001 |
| KDEF | 1150 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Affiliation moved to KALY | |
| KDIS | 710 | Los Angeles, California | –2003 | Swapped with then ESPN Radio 1110 in 2003. |
| KDIS-FM | 99.5 | Little Rock, Arkansas | –2013 | Sold in 2013; format changed to religious programming in 2014. |
| KEBC | 1560 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 2004–2013 | Dropped Radio Disney for a comedy format in March 2013. |
| KDYS | 1520 | Lafayette, Louisiana | 1997-2004 | Originally a Radio Aahs affiliate; dropped Radio Disney upon station sale in 2004. |
| KKDD | 1290 | San Bernardino/Riverside, California | –2012 | Changed to Contemporary Christian music format in April 3, 2012. |
| KMAP | 1050 | Bakersfield, California | ||
| KMUS | 1380 | Tulsa, Oklahoma | –2010 | Sold in 2011; changed to Spanish. |
| KOIL | 1020 | Omaha, Nebraska | ||
| KORL | 690 | Honolulu, Hawaii | Affiliate originally operated under the call letters KQMQ | |
| KPHN | 1190 | Kansas City, Missouri | –2013 | Sold in 2014; format changed to religious programming. |
| KQAM | 1480 | Wichita, Kansas | –2009 | Sold in 2009; format changed to talk radio. |
| KRDY | 1160 | San Antonio, Texas | –2013 | Sold in 2013; format changed to Spanish religious programming in 2014. |
| KRNN | 1380 | Little Rock, Arkansas | Affiliation moved to FM dial KDIS-FM | |
| KRYS | 1360 | Corpus Christi, Texas | ||
| KMIC | 1590 | Houston, Texas | 1999-2015 | Dropped Radio Disney on January 13, 2015 to temporarily go dark. Pending sale to DAIJ Media.[26] |
| KSON | 1240 | San Diego, California | Station became a Vietnamese/ethnic station in 2004 | |
| KWTX | 1230 | Waco, Texas | ||
| KXTP | 970 | Duluth, Minnesota | ||
| KYDZ | 1180 | Omaha, Nebraska | Originally used the KOIL call sign; affiliation moved to (and KOIL reused on) 1020 AM | |
| WAJD | 1390 | Gainesville, Florida | –2010 | |
| WALL | 1340 | Middletown, New York | –2010 | Format changed to oldies. |
| WAMF | 1300 | Fulton, Oswego County, New York | –2012 | Dropped WOLF simulcast, in favor of classic country in October 2012. |
| WBWL | 600 | Jacksonville, Florida | –2010 | Sold in 2010; format changed to talk radio. |
| WBBQ | 1340 | Augusta, Georgia | ||
| WBHR | 660 | Sauk Rapids/St. Cloud, Minnesota | ||
| WBVA | 1450 | Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia | Disaffiliated from Radio Disney due to contractual issues. | |
| WBYU | 1450 | New Orleans, Louisiana | 2003–2011 | Closed down September 26, 2011.[27] |
| WCHY | 1290 | Savannah, Georgia | ||
| WDYZ | 990 | Orlando, Florida | 2001-2015 | Dropped Radio Disney on March 18th, 2015. Sold to Salem Media Group in 2014.[28] |
| WCOG | 1320 | Greensboro, North Carolina | –2010 | Sold in 2010; format changed to sports radio. |
| WDDY | 1460 | Albany, New York | –2013 | Sold in 2013; format changed to religious programming in 2014. |
| WDDZ | 550 | Providence, Rhode Island | –2010 | Sold in 2010, format changed to business radio. Call letters reused for Pittsburgh affiliate. |
| WDDZ | 1500 | Zion, Illinois | 1998–2000 | Former simulcast of WRDZ; call letters reused for Providence affiliate. |
| WDRD | 680 | Louisville, Kentucky | –2010 | Sold in 2010; before to the sale, the station flipped to the sports radio format as an ESPN Radio Owned-and-operated station. |
| WDZK | 1550 | Hartford, Connecticut | –2011 | Sold in 2010; format changed to religious programming in 2011. |
| WDZN | 100.1 | Cumberland, Maryland | –2011 | Changed to rock format in July 2011. |
| WDZY | 1290 | Richmond, Virginia | –2013 | Sold in 2013; format changed to religious programming in 2014. |
| WDSS | 1680 | Grand Rapids, Michigan | –2008 | Disaffiliated from Radio Disney on August 7, 2008. |
| WEOK | 1390 | Poughkeepsie, New York | –2010 | Format changed to oldies. |
| WFDF | 910 | Farmington Hills, Michigan | 2002-2015 | Sold in 2014 to The Word Network;[29] format changed to religious programming in 2015.[30] |
| WGSM | 740 | Long Island, New York | 1996–1998 | Disaffiliated from the network when WQEW became the market's Radio Disney affiliate in late December 1998. |
| WHKT | 1650 | Norfolk, Virginia | –2010 | Sold in 2010; format changed to talk radio. |
| WHRC | 1450 | Providence, Rhode Island | Originally known as WDYZ (reused for Orlando affiliate). Sold in 2001; affiliation moved to WDDZ. | |
| WJDY | 1470 | Salisbury, Maryland | ||
| WKEW | 1400 | Greensboro, North Carolina | Affiliation moved to WCOG in 2001 | |
| WKSH | 1640 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | –2013 | Sold in 2014; format changed to religious programming. |
| WKYG | 1230 | Parkersburg, West Virginia | ||
| WMBO | 1340 | Auburn, New York | 2000s–2013 | Former simulcast of WOLF; previously known as WKGJ and WWLF before reverting to its original WMBO call sign. The station flipped to oldies. |
| WMKI | 850 | Birmingham, Alabama | 1997–1999 | Call letters reused for Boston affiliate and call letters reverted to WYDE |
| WMNE | 1600 | West Palm Beach, Florida | –2009 | After sale to Travis Media, resumed broadcasting on May 6, 2010[31] as an ethnic radio station, and changed call letters to WHTY as of June 2. |
| WMYR | 1410 | Fort Myers, Florida | ||
| WNEX | 1400 | Macon, Georgia | ||
| WOLF | 1490 | Syracuse, New York | 2000s–2014 | Dropped Radio Disney on February 1, 2014 to remain silent.[32] The station resumed operations on January 6, 2015[33] as WNDR-FM simulcast.[34] |
| WOLF-FM | 96.7 | Oswego, New York | Former simulcast of WOLF; now WWLF-FM, a simulcast of (the current) WOLF-FM | |
| WOWW | 1430 | Memphis, Tennessee | –2012 | Format changed to news/talk in March 2012. |
| WPGA | 980 | Macon, Georgia | ||
| WQEW | 1560 | New York City, New York | 1998-2015 | Was the only Clear-channel station owned-and-operated by Radio Disney. Dropped the affiliation on February 17, 2015 and went silent in anticipation of a change in format. Was sold to Family Radio in 2014.[35]Returned to the air February 27, 2015 as WFME (AM) with religious programming from Family Radio. |
| WQUA | 102.1 | Mobile, Alabama | -2005 | Sold in 2005. |
| WWCS | 540 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | –2010 | Affiliation moved to WDDZ. |
| WWLF-FM | 100.3 | Sylvan Beach, New York | Former simulcast of WOLF; originally known as WBGJ. Now known as MOViN' FM | |
| WYNK | 1380 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | ||
| WVOA-FM | 105.1 | DeRuyter, New York | August 14–28, 2009 | WOLF (AM) simulcast was during 2 weeks;[36] format changed to country music. |
| WWMK | 1260 | Cleveland, Ohio | 1998-2015 | Sold on 12/24/2014 but continued to broadcast Radio Disney up until 4/24/2015. Scheduled to flip to a Catholic format on May 4 branded AM 1260 The Rock.[37][38] |
Albums
The Radio Disney Jams series CDs are various artists compilations of music featured on Radio Disney.
International
Internationally, there are Radio Disney stations in Australia, Chile, Japan, Poland, Argentina, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. There are plans to resume broadcasting of a Disney-branded radio station in the United Kingdom, but this time under the 'Radio Disney' brand, aimed at a younger audience than its predecessor in the UK. On October 21, 2010, Radio Disney launched in Brazil. Since October 1, 2013, Radio Disney is available in Russia via Disney.ru.[39] It plans to broadcast in the Philippines and Sweden in the near future.
Latin America
Radio Disney is available in Latin America via terrestrial broadcast. Similar to Radio Disney in the U.S., it broadcasts in Spanish to Argentina,[40] Chile,[41] Nicaragua,[42] Ecuador,[43] Guatemala, Paraguay,[44] Uruguay,[45] Dominican Republic, Panama, Costa Rica[46] and Mexico.[47][48]
Europe
Radio Disney planned to begin broadcasting on the digital radio platform in the United Kingdom by the end of 2008.[49] On July 6, 2007, Ofcom, the communications regulator of the United Kingdom, announced that the 4 Digital Group, a consortium headed by Channel 4 and featuring Emap, UTV, British Sky Broadcasting, Global Radio, Carphone Warehouse and UBC, had been awarded a license to run a new digital radio multiplex which would include Radio Disney as one of ten new national radio stations. On October 10, 2008, Channel 4 withdrew plans to launch 4 Digital, ending the probability of Radio Disney launching on the service.[50]
A similar station, Capital Disney began broadcasting in 2002 on the DAB digital radio network, on Sky Digital (Digital Satellite) and various digital cable television providers in the UK. The station was a joint venture between the UK's Capital Radio Group and Disney. The idea being to use Capital Radio's programming experience to assist Disney in launching a radio station in the UK. In early 2007, both Capital Radio (by now called GCap Media) and Disney agreed to pursue different goals, and as a result, Capital Disney closed down on June 29, 2007.
See also
- Bubblegum pop
- Cumulus Media Networks (formerly ABC Radio Networks and Citadel Media)
- ESPN Radio
- Hip hop music
- Nick Radio - A similar radio network launched by Nickelodeon and iHeartMedia in 2013
- Rock music
- Teen pop
References
- ↑ Magic Kingdom Radio
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lafayette, Jon (August 13, 2014). "Exclusive: Radio Disney Moving Off Air to Digital". Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- ↑ Booth, William (August 6, 2006). "In the Concert Hall, It Smells Like Tween Spirit". The Washington Post.
- ↑ Radio.disney.go.com
- ↑ Radio Disney Takes Six Stations Silent
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Graser, Marc (June 4, 2013). "Radio Disney Stations Up for Sale (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Rick Dees to Syndicate Radio Disney Top 30 (Exclusive)". Billboard.biz. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Radio Disney to Sell the Majority of Its Stations". Billboard. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ "NERW Extra: No Signoffs for Disney AMs". Northeast Radio Watch. Retrieved 27 September 2014. (subscription required)
- ↑ "Radio Disney Launches on AM/FM Push on New HD Networks". Billboard. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ↑ "Radio Disney Announces New Morning Show, Programming Shifts". The Hollywood Reporter. April 8, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
- ↑ "Radio Disney Junior To Launch February 14". Disney Channel. February 9, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
- ↑ "What relation does Playhouse Disney have to Radio Disney?".
- ↑ ABC News
- ↑ The Hollywood Reporter
- ↑ Music Choice channel
- ↑ Music Choice lineup change
- ↑ AM IBOC Stations on the Air
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Venta, Lance (February 25, 2015). "Salem Acquires Disney Properties In Atlanta & Pittsburgh". Radio Insight. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. January 26, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
- ↑ Venta, Lance (January 26, 2015). "Radio Disney Sells Off Charlotte". Radio Insight. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
- ↑ "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Notification of Suspension of Operations". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. August 22, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
- ↑ "Resumption of Operations - KWDZ". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. August 14, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
- ↑ "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. November 5, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- ↑ "Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. September 29, 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
- ↑ https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101664639&formid=314&fac_num=23442
- ↑ Radio Disney Sells WFDF/Detroit To The Word Network - All Access
- ↑ WFDF Detroit Joins The Word Network - Radio Insight
- ↑ Tillotson, David (June 21, 2010). "Resumption of Operations". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ↑ "Notification of Suspension of Operations/Request for silent STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. February 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Resumption of Operations - WOLF". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. January 6, 2015.
- ↑ Fybush, Scott (January 12, 2015). Salary Controversy Ousts Public TV Exec. NorthEast Radio Watch.
- ↑ "NERW Extra: Disney Off in NYC". Northeast Radio Watch. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ↑ "WVOA Flips to Radio Disney". CNYRadio.com. 2009-08-19.
- ↑ http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/91562/disney-sells-wwmk-cleveland/
- ↑ http://am1260therock.com/sample-page/history/
- ↑ Радио Disney - Disney.ru (Russian)
- ↑ Radiodisney.disneylatino.com
- ↑ Radiodisney.cl
- ↑ Radiodisney.com.ni
- ↑ Radiodisney.com.ed
- ↑ Radiodisney.disneylatino.com
- ↑ Radiodisney.com.uy
- ↑ Radiodisney.co.cr
- ↑ Radio Disney ya tiene presencia en México - El Universal (Spanish)
- ↑ Radio Disney transmitirá en México - Azteca Noticias (Spanish)
- ↑ Channel4.com
- ↑ Guardian.co.uk
External links
- Official website
- Former DJ Dean Wendt interview, containing info about the early days of Radio
- Radio Disney on Sirius
- Radio Disney on XM Radio
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