Slogan Your Music, Your Way Official website radio.disney.com Headquarters Burbank Launch date 18 November 1996 | Country United States Affiliates See list Founded 1996 Motto Your Music, Your Way | |
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Radio Disney, also known as Radio Disney Networks (corporate name Radio Disney, Inc.), is an American radio network that is owned by Disney Channels Worldwide, Inc., a subsidiary of Disney–ABC Television Group, a primary component of Disney Enterprises' Disney Media Networks segment. Radio Disney Networks broadcasts three separated digital channels, Radio Disney, Radio Disney Country and Radio Disney Junior, via radio station's HD channel or by online stream sites. The original Radio Disney network play music and other content aimed at preteens and young teenagers; 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.
Contents
- Cameron boyce talks descendants disney villains radio disney music awards 2014
- Background
- ABC Radio Networks
- Disney Channels Worldwide
- Digital networks
- Programming
- Current programs
- Former programs
- Serial radio
- Features and contests
- Current features
- Former features
- Radio Disney Music Awards
- DJs
- Radio Disney World Tours
- Stations
- Radio Disney History of 1s
- Albums
- International
- Latin America
- Europe
- References
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.
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. Disney announced that it would begin to syndicate Radio Disney through affiliations with HD Radio subchannels.
Background
Disney had for a long time be involved in the music business building off its success in movies and TV shows, which later became Disney Music Group. However, with radio, Disney was not committed to the medium only doing a few shows. Radio Disney is Disney's third foray into radio. In late 1955, Walt Disney started The Magic Kingdom radio show—running Monday through Fridays and which was heard on ABC Radio. Even before the 1996 Disney-CC/ABC merger, Disney and ABC Radio considered as early as 1992 planned for a children's radio network but dropped the idea. Starting on July 31, 1994, Disney started a weekend radio show, Live From Walt Disney World, that originated from both Disney World and Disneyland on Radio AAHS.
In November 1995, ABC Radio Networks and Children's Broadcast Corp. reached an agreement for ABC Radio to provide marketing and sales to Radio AAHS. After Disney's acquisition of CC/ABC, Disney had ABC Radio cancel the agreement in August 1996 plus announced the start of its own children's network and ended AAHS's Disney World broadcasting rights.
ABC Radio Networks
Radio Disney was test launched in November 1996 in four markets, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Salt Lake City and Birmingham, Ala., by ABC Radio Networks. On August 26, 1997, Radio Disney was launched in Los Angeles on KTZN-AM (710).
A nationwide roll out occurred in 1998 with 28 stations affiliating by August 1998 with an expected 63 stations by the end of 1999. Radio Disney purchased KAAM (AM) (Plano, Texas) for $12 million and switched the station to the network in July. In 1998, the network was based out of its Dallas station.
Other than music, the network in 1998 had "Mickey & Minnie's Tune Time," a 2-hour weekday toddler program and two 60-second features per hour which included contests, "ABC News for Kids", "Gross Me Out," a "gross" facts. The network ran its Radio Disney Project Family Initiative from July 1 to September 15, 2003 with family-themed programming and events to get family to sign on to the Radio Disney Family Pledge.
Radio Disney began being carried by SiriusXM in 2002. Disney entered a joint venture to launch Capital Disney digital radio channel in Britain and operated from 2002 until June 29, 2007. 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.
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. 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.
Disney spun off and merged on June 12, 2007 its ABC Radio Networks with Citadel Broadcasting into Citadel Communications while retaining its ESPN Radio and Radio Disney networks and stations.
Disney Channels Worldwide
Operational duties of Radio Disney were transferred to the company's Disney–ABC Cable Networks Group (currently d.b.a. Disney Channels Worldwide), which otherwise operates Disney's cable television properties, except for ESPN.
In March 2008, Radio Disney and Gracenotes signed a licensing agreement starting immediately that allow the lyrics be seen along with the song online on Radio Disney Internet Radio Player. The channel began streaming live on iTunes Radio Tuner in August 2008. In November 2008, Radio Disney relocated its main operations from Dallas to Los Angeles.
The network launched on October 8, 2008 the Next Big Thing feature which allows listeners vote on young unsigned artists' songs to be played. In 2013, the Radio Disney Music Awards began airing on the Disney Channel.
On February 14, 2011, a Radio Disney Junior block launched in tandem with Disney Junior on Disney block. The hour long block focus on music for the preschool age plus fun "audio theater" with Disney Junior characters.
Radio Disney started to reduce it station footprint to the larger markets to make the network more profitable. 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. Disney sold six AM stations and one FM station that year. 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.
Digital networks
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. Aha Radio, Slacker and ShowMobile signed online carriage agreements with the network in mid-2014.
On August 13, 2014, Radio Disney's general manager Phil Guerini announced plans to sell all but one of its remaining owned-and-operated 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 remains operational to serve as the originating station for the Radio Disney network, while the remaining stations would continue carrying Radio Disney programming until their respective sales were completed. The last five Radio Disney owned-and-operated stations for sale were sold on September 15, 2015 to Salem Media Group (who was the largest purchaser of the stations) for $2.225 million.
On April 13, 2015, Disney announced that the Radio Disney network would become syndicated through affiliations with HD Radio subchannels; the 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. On August 6, 2015, Radio Disney was made available for listening on iHeartRadio platform.
Radio Disney launched a digital also spin-off channel known as Radio Disney Country on November 4, 2015. The channel primarily airs country music, with a wide focus on new and old material from popular artists, pop songs featuring country acts, and newer material. Guerini explained that the format of the channel was meant to allow it to draw from a wider range of songs than traditional country radio stations, owing to the format's "embrace" of rock and pop-oriented songs. By November 2015, Radio Disney Networks launched Radio Disney Junior channel digitally via the Watch Disney Junior app, Slacker Radio curated playlist and on iHeartRadio. Radio Disney Jr. consists only of eight hours of programming. On IHeartRadio, "The Alli Simpson Show" was also given its own stream on November 11.
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. The specialized radio format favors music which often takes on a sound reminiscent of "bubblegum pop" of the 1960s and '70s.
Current programs
Former programs
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. 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.
Features and contests
Radio Disney carries a number of features from interactive contests to informational programs.
Current features
Former features
Choo Choo Soul stars and host for Disney Junior radio at the 2016 White House Easter Egg Roll.
Radio Disney Music Awards
Since 2001, 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 Teen Choice Awards and Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, teenagers vote to select the winner of each category including Best Female Artist, Best Male Artist, Best Music Group, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Band, Fiercest Fans, Artist with the Best Style, Most Talked About Artist and more. The most winners include Hilary Duff, Taylor Swift, Avril Lavigne, Miley Cyrus, Amanda Bynes, Fifth Harmony and The Cheetah Girls.
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.
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).
Stations
Despite being music-oriented, the network was carried primarily on AM stations. The Walt Disney Company owned most of the network's affiliates, though some stations were operated through local marketing agreements that had varying degrees of local management. The last separately-owned Radio Disney affiliate, WOLF in Syracuse, New York, left the network on February 1, 2014.
On August 13, 2014, it was announced 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. However, Disney later announced that it would syndicate Radio Disney through affiliations with HD Radio subchannels.
Many former Radio Disney stations have diverse histories prior to the network affiliation. The call signs of Radio Disney stations (particularly those owned by The Walt Disney Company) were variations on the Disney name and that of Mickey and Minnie Mouse; at least one appeared to be named for Goofy (WGFY), and another after Walt Disney World (WDW).
This is the current list of stations for Radio Disney as of March 6, 2017.
Radio Disney History of #1s
These songs hit #1 on Radio Disney's Top 50 Songs from 1997 to 2016.
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. 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, Radio Disney Brasil, Bolivia, Chile, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico.
Europe
Radio Disney planned to begin broadcasting on the digital radio platform in the United Kingdom by the end of 2008. 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.
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.