Disney Channels Worldwide

**Disney Channels Worldwide** (officially ABC Cable Networks Group, Inc.) is a subsidiary of Disney–ABC Television Group, a unit of Disney Media Networks, the division of The Walt Disney Company that operates various children's television channels around the world: Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, Disney Cinemagic, Dlife and Hungama TV. In addition, the division is responsible for operating Radio Disney and Disney Television Animation.

Disney Channel was originally established in the United States in April 1983 as a premium cable channel, and has since converted to a basic service; in addition, Disney Channel's programming has expanded internationally with the launch of various country-specific and regional versions of the channel, as well as program licensing agreements reached with television networks not bearing the Disney Channel brand.

## History

### Disney Channel, Inc.

On November 10, 1981, Walt Disney Productions and Westinghouse Broadcasting released that they had agreed to start a family-oriented cable television service. In 1982, Disney hired Alan Wagner to develop a cable channel. By July 15, 1982, Disney incorporated Walt Disney Entertainment, Inc. which was rename by January 28, 1983 to The Disney Channel, Inc. The channel, The Disney Channel, was launched in April 1983 with 16 hours of programming as a premium channel. The channel became profitable in January 1985, 20 months after launch. The channel moved into the home satellite dish market thus scrambling its signal. The channel started moving to the basic cable level on September 1, 1990 with TCI Montgomery Cablevision. In March 1995, the second Disney Channel began broadcasting in Taiwan while the third is launched in October for the United Kingdom.

By September 29, 1997, the corporate name was shorten to Disney Channel, Inc. In December 1997, the Toon Disney channel was announced as a basic channel consisting of Disney classic animation. As of April 1, 1998, most of the international version are pay channels while Taiwan and Malaysia are ad supported and the USA is a basic channel. The Toon Disney Channel was launched on April 18, 1998 on the Disney Channel's 15 anniversary.

### ABC Cable Networks Group

Disney Channel, Inc. changed its name to ABC Cable Networks Group, Inc. by January 31, 2001. In October 2003, ABC Family Worldwide was changed from a Disney COO direct reporting unit to being within the ABC Cable Networks Group.

In January 2004, Fox Kids Europe, Fox Kids Latin America and ABC Cable Networks Group agreed to the Jetix programming alliance that would rebrand Fox Kids as Jetix for all blocks, channels and companies.

### Disney Channels Worldwide

In November 2005, Barry Blumberg resigned as President of Walt Disney Television Animation as to allow the planned transfer of the TV animation into Disney Channels Worldwide.

In 2006, Disney TV India acquired Hungama TV from UTV Software Communications Limited Disney Cinemagic began broadcasting in the UK in March 2006 as the start to the launch of several Cinemagic channels including timeshift and HD versions across Western Europe.
Disney XD (DXD) was launched on February 13, 2009, taking over the channel space of Toon Disney in the US, while Jetix switched over to DXD (or for some Disney Channel) starting with France on April 1. Also in April, the Walt Disney Co., Ltd. Japan started Broadcast Satellite Disney Co., Ltd. to broadcast a women and family targeted channel, Dlife, with licensed received in October 2010 and debuted on March 17, 2012.

Jetix Play was closed on August 1, 2010 in most countries, on September 1, 2010 in Turkey, and in Romania it closed on March 12, 2011. In the most countries the channel was replaced with Playhouse Disney.

On May 26, 2010, Disney–ABC Television Group announced the launch of Disney Junior, which would replace the Playhouse Disney morning block on sister network Disney Channel in February 2011, and extend to a standalone preschooler-oriented channel that would replace Soapnet in January 2012. All 22 Playhouse Disney channels and blocks outside the U.S. also were renamed to "Disney Junior" in 2011.

On March 28, 2013, Cinemagic was replaced in the UK market with Sky Movies Disney.

## Localization

The international channels brands the on-air look consistently to the Disney brand. Individual channel managers are allowed to develop schedules and marketing programs to allow for the children's preferences in the market. Additional, local programming is acquired that meet Disney's standards which is a difficult. After a program is successful in a market, the program's format may be developed for other Disney Channels' market viewing tastes.

## Channels

† Management Company Television Net TV S.A. is owned by Vocento SA, The Walt Disney Company Iberia S.L. (20%) and Intereconomía Corporation SA. Which in addition to the Disney channels owns Intereconomia TV, a generalist channel.

### Southeast Asia

Disney Channel Asia was launched in January 2000 with a multi-language feed with an English main feed and dubbing and subtitling Mandarin. The channel became available in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. On June 1, 2002, the channel was launched in the South Korea market with a Korea language feed. Over the first six months of 2005, Disney Channel Asia along with sister channel Playhouse Disney launched in Vietnam, Palau and Thailand and finishing off with a launch of both in Cambodia, its 11th market, with Cambodia Entertainment Production Co. Ltd. as distributor.

### China

Disney Channel was recently launched a channel in mainland China. However, many of its live-action and animated series are still syndicated on regional channels through ABC owned Dragon Club since 1994 to 2010. It also has a new website for China.

### India

Previously, Disney programming was available through programming blocks starting as early as 1994 with Doordarshan then moving to Zee TV until the early 2001s. Disney moved its block to Sony Television for three years. Star TV pick up Disney TV blocks on Star One, Disney Time, and on Star Utsav.

In December 2004, Walt Disney Television International India launched a Toon Disney channel with three language feeds (English, Tamil and Telugu) at the same time as the Disney Channel with Star TV network distributing the channels. Disney reached an agreement with Doordarshan (DD) in November 2005 for DD to carry a half hour block called Disney Jadoo. Thus Disney was up to 4 branded blocks in India.

## Other services

Dlife

In April 2009, the Walt Disney Co., Ltd. Japan started Broadcast Satellite Disney Co., Ltd. to broadcast a women and family targeted channel, Dlife, with licensed received in October 2010 and debuted on March 17, 2012. In December 2013, Dlife launched a children's programming block called Disney Time.

### Disney Time

'*Disney Time* is TV programming block in Asia.

In 2005, Disney Time was airing from 6 to 7 PM on Star Plus in India. In December 2013, Dlife launched a children's programming block called Disney Time.

## External links

* Disney Channel Medianet
* DisneyChannel.net - Disney Channel International Sites

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