Walt Disney Entertainment, Inc.
On November 10, 1981, Walt Disney Productions and Westinghouse Broadcasting announced that they had joined up to start a family-oriented cable television service.[2] In 1982, Disney hired Alan Wagner to develop a cable channel.[3]
Twenty months after the launch, the channel moved into the home satellite dish market thus scrambling its signal.
By July 15, 1982, Disney incorporated Walt Disney Entertainment, Inc., which was renamed by January 28, 1983, to The Disney Channel, Inc.[4]
The Disney Channel, Inc.
The Disney Channel was launched on April 18, 1983 as a premium channel with 16 hours of programming.[3][5]
The channel became profitable in January 1985.
The channel started moving to the basic cable level on September 1, 1990, with TCI Montgomery Cablevision.[5] In March 1995, the second Disney Channel began broadcasting in Taiwan[6] while the third is launched in October for the United Kingdom.[5]
Disney Channel, Inc.
By September 29, 1997, the corporate name was shortened to just Disney Channel, Inc.[4] Disney had hired Geraldine Laybourne away from Nickelodeon in 1996. She founded a kids channel codename ABZ, which the media speculated to be aimed at preschoolers, but was dismissed by Laybourne.[7] In December 1997, the Toon Disney channel was announced as a basic channel consisting of Disney animated programming.[5] As of April 1, 1998, most of the international versions are pay channels while the Taiwan and Malaysia versions are ad supported and the USA version is a basic channel.[8] Toon Disney Channel was launched on April 18, 1998, on Disney Channel's 15th anniversary.[9]
In 2000, the Playhouse Disney
ABC Cable Networks Group
Disney Channel, Inc. changed its name to ABC Cable Networks Group, Inc. by January 31, 2001.[4] In October 2003, ABC Family Worldwide was shifted from Disney COO Bob Iger's directly reporting unit to the ABC Cable Networks Group.[12] In early 2004, Disney Channel's original programming leaders took over ABC Family's original movies unit temporarily as two ABC Family executives left the channel.[13]
In January 2004, Fox Kids Europe, Fox Kids Latin America and ABC Cable Networks Group created the Jetix programming alliance that would rebrand Fox Kids in Europe, Middle East and Latin America as Jetix.[14] ABC1 launched on UK's digital terrestrial television platform on September 27, 2004.[15]
Disney Channels Worldwide
Barry Blumberg resigned as president of Walt Disney Television Animation on November 17, 2005 to allow the planned transfer of TV animation to Disney Channels Worldwide.[16]
In 2006, Disney India acquired Hungama TV from UTV Software Communications Limited[17] Disney Cinemagic began broadcasting in the UK on Sky in March 2006[18] and expanded across Western Europe in timeshift and HD variants.[19] ABC1 ceased broadcasting on all UK TV platforms at noon on September 26, 2007.[20]
Company split
With Disney's March 14, 2018 reorganization in the midst of acquiring 21st Century Fox, all international channels and businesses were transferred to a new dedicated segment known as Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International, while the US unit remained Disney–ABC Television Group.[39] On January 20, 2019, Disney India Media Networks shut down the local Disney XD variant and replaced it with Marvel HQ, featuring shows and movies from Marvel Entertainment as well as some acquired programming.[40]
Disney+ launched on November 12, 2019 in the US and New Zealand; the latter country its linear channels shut down a few days later. In June 2020, Disney Channels Worldwide announced that all 3 of its main channels in the UK and Ireland would shut down on October 1, with their content moving over to Disney+, as the extension of a carriage deal with Sky and Virgin Media could not be reached.[41]
Disney Branded Television
Following a company restructuring in November 2020, Disney's local television channels became part of Disney Branded Television, a newly created unit of Disney General Entertainment Content (now Disney Entertainment Television). Headed by the former Disney Channels Worldwide president, Gary Marsh, the new unit oversees development and production of content made for kids, tweens, teens and families for Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD and Disney+. Disney Branded TV also oversees all Disney+ unscripted series and specials.[42] In December 2020, Disney announced that Radio Disney and Radio Disney Country would cease operations in early 2021.[43] Following the reorganization, the management of Disney XD was moved to Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution.[44]
On December 9, 2021, Disney acquired the documentary short Sophie and the Baron and brought it under its newly created Disney Original Documentary banner.[45]
