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Radio Disney
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Radio Disney is a radio network originally based in Dallas, Texas. In early November 2008, Radio Disney moved their studios to Burbank, California. Radio Disney broadcasts music and other content targeted at children and young teenagers; its format can be described as a youth-friendly contemporary hit radio. It is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.
o Disney was launched on November 18, 1996 (coinciding with Mickey Mouse's birthday) at 5:58 A.M.
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Encyclopedia
Radio Disney is a radio network originally based in Dallas, Texas. In early November 2008, Radio Disney moved their studios to Burbank, California. Radio Disney broadcasts music and other content targeted at children and young teenagers; its format can be described as a youth-friendly contemporary hit radio. It is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.
History
Radio Disney was launched on November 18, 1996 (coinciding with Mickey Mouse's birthday) at 5:58 A.M. EST with the song "Get Ready For This."
When Radio Disney first launched, kids 12 and under were the only ones able to win a prize. In late 2000, the maximum age was increased to 14. In 2002, the first Radio Disney Music Awards premiered. It is a music awards ceremony that has been held every year since.
In 2004, Disney paid the former Children's Broadcasting Corporation (which operated Aahs) $12.4 million. Disney had collaborated with Radio Aahs for a time prior to the launch of Radio Disney as a direct competitor to Minneapolis-based company which reached about 30 stations at its height and former Aahs owners sued for damages because of a breached agreement.
2006 marked the 10th year that the station was on the air, the rebroadcast of its first hour of broadcasting was aired on June 6, 2006 at around 4:58pm EDT on select markets such as WQEW.
Also, as part of the 10-year anniversary, the concert "Totally 10 Birthday Concert" was held on July 22, 2006 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. It also included a simultaneous live broadcast on the Radio Disney website. A second one was held in Dallas, Texas on November 18, 2006 at the Dallas Convention Center.
In February 2006, the Walt Disney Company announced that it will be keeping Radio Disney and its owned-and-operated stations while divesting much of its radio holdings to Citadel Broadcasting. Radio Disney will be reporting to the Cable Networks Group. This unit takes care of Disney's cable holdings, except for ESPN.
In April 2007, Radio Disney completely dropped the word "Ears" (from their first slogan, "We're all ears!") from their phone number, ear mail, and from Playhouse Disney dalia programming. The call-in number was originally spoken aloud as 1-8-8-8, E-A-R-S, 0-1-8; now, all DJs read it as 1-888-327-7018.
Markets airing on HD Radio may have an 8 second delay in its AM broadcast, which makes that station fall behind other Radio Disney stations on AM. A winner of a contest may be chosen before or while the contest details are announced. (In order to keep the analog/digital signals in sync, it is standard practice for Hybrid Digital Radio to delay all content by a few seconds.)
Availability
The network uses primarily AM stations, with a few FM stations, and is available also on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio in both the United States and Canada, both on channel 115. It was carried previously on Music Choice
on most digital cable-TV systems. However, on September 18, 2007, Music Choice replaced Radio Disney with their own channel, Kidz Only!, similar to Radio Disney, but with a less interrupted music format. Radio Disney is also available via satellite on XM on DirecTV (channel 867) – the Sirius package on Dish Network currently does not carry Radio Disney. KDIS in the Southern California Los Angeles area is the network's flagship station. The station is also streamed at and is also available on . A few Digital Cable providers with radio services offer Radio Disney as a live radio broadcast selection to the listings.
Slogans
These slogans have been said to still be used, however no proof has been produced yet.
- "We're All Ears" (1996–2000)
- "Music and Prizes That Rock!" (2000–2001)
- "Your Music, Your Way!" (2001–present)
Programming
Music
Radio Disney plays a large selection of songs from stars and shows on Disney Channel along with popular songs found on a typical radio station with a Top 40 format. Songs that contain adult lyrics or have mature meanings are edited to create more family friendly songs.
A related category is the airing of Disney-fied versions of popular songs. One example being Lou Bega's cover of "Mambo No. 5", with the Radio Disney version having the chorus "A little bit of Minnie in my life, A little bit of Mickey by her side", with all the other names similarly replaced by Disney characters.
Songs from Disney Channel stars
Disney Channel star songs such as music from Camp Rock, High School Musical, High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year are played. Jonas Brothers, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Demi Lovato, Aly & AJ, Jordan Pruitt, Keke Palmer, Emily Osment, Everlife, B5, Jesse McCartney, Lucas Grabeel, The Cheetah Girls, Mitchel Musso, Miley Cyrus, Corbin Bleu, Selena Gomez, Raven-Symoné, and Hilary Duff are among some of the celebrities that are played on Radio Disney.
Songs from Top 40 artists
Songs on a Top 40 format include Jonas brothers, Carrie Underwood, David Archuleta, Paramore, Chris Brown, Jesse McCartney, Hilary Duff, Natasha Bedingfield, Sara Bareilles, Jordin Sparks , Savannah Outen and Leona Lewis.
Artists that were big in the network's early years
Older artists that are very rarely played now, (or retired from the playlist), but were big in the network's early years include The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, James Brown, 'N Sync, 2gether, 3 Doors Down, 3LW, 98 Degrees, A*Teens, Ace of Base, Aaron Carter, B*Witched, BBMak, Backstreet Boys, Bon Jovi, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera, Creed, Donna Lewis, Dream, Dream Street, Hanson, Kelly Clarkson, Hilary Duff, Kylie Minogue, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Simpson, Jump5, LFO, Lil' Bow Wow, Lil' Romeo, M2M, Mandy Moore, Mariah Carey, No Authority, No Secrets, Nobody's Angel, Play, Rihanna, Ritchie Valens, S Club 7, Stacie Orrico, Sugar Ray, MC Hammer, Stevie Brock, Technotronic, The Jackson 5, Vitamin C, Weird Al Yankovic, Will Smith, and Youngstown.
Playhouse Disney
Playhouse Disney (originally "Mickey and Minnie's Tune Time" between 1998-2001) airs on Radio Disney weekdays during the school year at 12:00 ET and ends at 1:00 ET and has been hosted by Robin, Tina, B. B. Good and Susan Huber since its inception. It is now currently hosted by Betsy. Playhouse Disney was once a two hour block, but has recently been cut back an hour, along with Circle Time Story, (Originally "Mickey And Minnie's Storytime Theatre" between 1998-2001) which featured read-along stories from Disney movies and films. Like Playhouse Disney on Disney Channel, it is targeted towards preschoolers. Songs from Playhouse Disney shows, Disney movies, and songs from other shows such as Sesame Street get played, along with contests with preschool related questions, and questions about Disney characters. Classic Disney songs are also played durning Playhouse Disney.
Radio Disney World Tours
In 2000 and 2001, Radio Disney launched 2 separate "world tours" that traveled to large markets across the United States. In 2000, the tour featured up and coming talent (No Authority, Myra) and then Radio Disney DJs, Mark and Zippy. The tour traveled to the following cities: Atlanta, New York, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. It played in theatrical venues and had audiences of up to 2,000 people per show (there were 4 shows each weekend in each market).
In 2001, the tour was performed in amphitheatres across the United States and featured Baha Men, A-Teens, Krystal, Hoku, Myra and Aaron Carter. It toured in the following cities: Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Dallas, Atlanta, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It was also supposed to tour to Boston, but that performance date was scheduled for Saturday, September 15, which was the first Saturday after the Sept 11th attacks, so the show was cancelled and never went to Boston. There was also the "opening act" stage in the festival area of the amphitheatres which featured young stars including Jump 5, Play and Brook Allison.
Features and Contests
Radio Disney carries a number of features from interactive contests to informational programs.
Current features
- 60 Seconds With... - DJ's (normally Ernie D.) talk with the hottest artists.
- Celebrity Take with Jake - Jake chats about the newest celebrity news everyday at 7:35AM PST, 1:35PM PST and 4:35PM PST.
- Code Word of the Day - The Code Word of the Day is given out about 5 times an hour. If you know the word when they ask for it, (usually around 6:30 PM ET) you can win an awesome prize.
- Family Portrait - The radio show for the whole family. Callers call in to Radio Disney Ear Mail (1-888-MAIL-018) and describe their family traditions.
- Music Mailbag - Every Saturday during this segment of Radio Disney, a new song is introduced by Brian and listeners call in to the station or vote online to "Pick It" or "Kick It". Squeege, Kara, and Aaron K. use to host this.
- NBT (Next Big Thing) - A part of the show when they air new songs by new stars and listeners can vote. It is very similar to Incubator, a retired feature.
- Planet Premiere - A music artist sits down with Ernie D. as their newest album is played on Radio Disney. Before each song plays, the artist tells the listeners how the song came about, and the meaning of the song. Susan Huber use to host this.
- Park Pop Question - An on air game exclusively played by Blake (usually during the "Wakey Blakey" morning show) that relates to The Walt Disney Company's Parks and Resorts division.
- Power Prize - This happens at least six times a day. A winner of a contest will not only win a super entry, but also a really cool "power" prize. This started when Radio Disney quit giving prizes to every contest winner.
- Radio Rewind - A snippet of a song was played backward and callers would try to guess the name of that song.
- Saturday Night Move It Party - Jake and Hali dance (move it) along with Radio Disney listeners to remixes of their favorite songs.
- Snipp it Clip (In the Mix) - They play a small part of 3 songs and the person who guesses all three wins.
- Sound File - The news on new music and artists. (New entries weekly during Top 30 Countdown)
- Super Entry - Winners of a contest get one-hundred (100) entries into the grand prize drawing. When first started, the winner would get forty (40) entries.
- The .com Top 3 - The .com Top 3 airs every night at 9:30P.M. ET, 6:30P.M. PT. Brian plays the top 3 most requested songs of the day, and after, a caller with all three songs will win a prize or super entry.
- Top 30 Countdown - The longest running program originally hosted by former D.J. Susan Huber. Jake is now the host. Songs that got the most requests during the week were on the countdown, starting from 30 to the most requested song of the week. At the end of the year, the same thing was done, only it was the 50 most requested songs of the whole year. The Top 30 Countdown airs (effective June 3, 2007): Saturdays - 7am to 10am ET, 10am to 1pm PT and Sundays - 11am to 2pm PT, 2pm to 5pm ET.
- Word to the Wise - Played as fillers during commercial breaks, word to the wise talks about topics such as safety & good habits. Later installments were labeled as "A message from Radio Disney, because we care about kids".
Retired features
- ABC News For Kids - Kid friendly, and informational news with Jim Hickey.
- ABC Notebook
- Aptitude Dude
- Backwards Bop - A snippet 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 talk about what's safe and unsafe. Bumbling Bill can never seem to get Sally's name right. This program ended near the beginning of 2006.
- Connect Family - Originally "Family Fun Day" but re-branded early in April 2007 under the "Connect Family" title, formally hosted by Ernie D. and Blake. Parents and kids would hang out and play contests on Radio Disney. ("Call with your Mom or Dad to win now! 1-888-EARS-018. It's Family Funday on Radio Disney!")
- Frequency Jam - A program which started around 2002/2003. Every Friday night, three songs would be played by Ernie D. or Brian. The song with the most votes (via Radio Disney's website) would be the next song that will get played. Frequency Jam ended in February 2007 when Disney redesigned their website.
- Grandma Nature
- Garage Door Derby - This contest was ran with D.J. Aaron K. Two callers would call in and race their garage doors. The first to say, "It's open!" or "It's closed!" would win a prize.
- Gross Me Out - Gross Me Out was a long time program that talked about gross things which kids often like to hear.
- Hairbrush Karaoke - Similar to the game "Karaoke" with D.J. Kara. D.J. 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 Aaron K. The correct caller must answer three out of four questions from the popular Harry Potter 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. is no longer on air.
- Karaoke - A contest by retired DJ, Kara. 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 (via 1-888-MAIL-018). 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 - a program that ended around mid 2006. Dr. B and a hair-ball like creature named Critter talked about strange and creepy things.
- The Adventures of Bud and Iggy - Bud and Iggy always get lost. Clues are given out about what city they are lost in. This long-time contest ended near the end of 2003.
- 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 - Dr. Thinkenstein, a wild, hyperactive scientist with a Karloff-esque voice, 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
DJs
Radio Disney has had a number of different DJs since its launch in 1996. A list of current DJs and a schedule can be found on Radio Disney's website. Below are a number of DJs along with their years of employment.
Present DJs
Betsy (2008)Blake (2005)Brian (Your Boy Brian) (1997)Ernie D. (1999)Jake (2008)
Former DJs
Aaron K. (2001–2008)B. B. Good (1998–2008)Candice (2005–2007)Cherami (2007-2008)David Jordan (2001–2005)Dean Wendt (1996–2001)Don Crabtree (1996–2007)Giel (2003?-2008)Jim Hickly (2001?-2005?)Just Plain Mark (1997–2001)Kara (1997–2001)Kim Stewart (1997–2000)Lee Cameron (1996–1999)Lenny (2006)Penny Nichols (2001)Robin Jones (1996-1997)Rita (2007)Squeege (1996-2005)Sherry Rodgers (1996-2008)Sheryl Brooks (1996-2008)Susan Huber (1996-2008)Tina (1997–1998)Terri (2004–2008)Web Fingors (2001–2003)Zippy (1997–2001)
Stations
The listing below is accurate as of May 2007. Despite their current standing, many of these stations have diverse histories. Many of the current call signs of Radio Disney stations are variations on the Disney name and that of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. At least one appears to be named for Goofy. Another is named for Walt Disney World (WDW).
AM stations | Callsign | Frequency | Location | HD Broadcast |
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| KMIK | | Phoenix, Arizona | | | KKDD | | San Bernardino/Riverside, California | | | KMKY | | San Francisco, California | | | KIID | | Sacramento, California | | | KDIS | | Pasadena/Los Angeles, California (flagship) | | | KDDZ | | Denver, Colorado | | | WDZK | | Hartford, Connecticut | | | WBWL | | Jacksonville, Florida | | | WDYZ | | Orlando, Florida | | | WMYM | | Miami, Florida | | | WWMI | | Tampa, Florida | | | WAJD | | Gainesville, Florida | | | WMNE | | West Palm Beach, Florida | | | WDWD | | Atlanta, Georgia | | | WPGA¹ | | Macon, Georgia | | | WNEX¹ | | Macon, Georgia | | | WRDZ | | Chicago, Illinois | | | KQAM | | Wichita, Kansas | | | WDRD | | Louisville, Kentucky | | | WBYU | | New Orleans, Louisiana | | | WMKI | | Boston, Massachusetts | | | WFDF | | Farmington Hills/Detroit, Michigan | | | KDIZ | | Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota | | | KPHN | | Kansas City, Missouri | | | WSDZ | | St. Louis, Missouri | | | KALY | | Albuquerque, New Mexico | | | WALL | | Middletown, New York | | | WEOK | | Poughkeepsie, New York | | | WDDY | | Albany, New York | | | WOLF | | Syracuse, New York | | | WQEW | | New York, New York | | | WCOG | | Greensboro, North Carolina | | | WGFY | | Charlotte, North Carolina | | | WWMK | | Cleveland, Ohio | | | KMUS | | Tulsa, Oklahoma | | | KOCY | | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | | | KDZR | | Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington | | | WWJZ | | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | | | WWCS | | Canonsburg/Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | | | WDDZ | | Providence, Rhode Island | | | WOWW | | Memphis, Tennessee | | | KRDY | | San Antonio, Texas | | | KMIC | | Houston, Texas | | | KMKI | | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | | | KWDZ | | Salt Lake City, Utah | | | WDZY | | Richmond, Virginia | | | WHKT | | Norfolk, Virginia | | | KKDZ | | Seattle, Washington | | | WKSH | | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | |
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- ¹ indicates multiple Radio Disney outlets in a single city
- ² W260BP 99.9 is a broadcast translator for WDZN
Former Radio Disney stations | Callsign | Frequency | Location |
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| WBBQ | 1340 | Augusta, Georgia | | KDEF | 1150 | Albuquerque, New Mexico (affiliate moved to KALY). | | WMKI | 850 | Birmingham, Alabama (1997-1999, call letters reused for Boston affiliate and call letters reverted back to WYDE) | | WYNK | | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | | KMAP | | Bakersfield, California | | KRYS | 1360 | Corpus Christi, Texas | | WDDZ | 1500 | Zion, Illinois | | KADZ | 1690 | Denver/Boulder, Colorado | | KXTP | 970 | Duluth, Minnesota | | KAVT | 1680 | Fresno, California | | WMYR | | Fort Myers, Florida | | WDSS | | Grand Rapids, Michigan (As of August 7, 2008, no longer Radio Disney) | | WKEW | 1400 | Greensboro, North Carolina (affiliate moved to WCOG in 2001) | | KQMQ | | Honolulu, Hawaii | | KORL | | Honolulu, Hawaii | | KDYS | | Lafayette, Louisiana | | KRNN | | Little Rock, Arkansas (affiliate moved to FM dial KDIS-FM) | | WGSM | 740 | Long Island, New York (when WQEW became Radio Disney, this affiliate ceased being Radio Disney) | | WQUA | | Mobile, Alabama | | WBVA | 1450 | Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia (Contract Problems caused the station to stop broadcasting Radio Disney) | | WKYG | | Parkersburg, West Virginia | | WJDY | | Salisbury, Maryland | | KBEE | 860 | Salt Lake City, Utah (affiliate moved to KWDZ in 2001) | | KSON | | San Diego, California (station became a Vietnamese/ethnic station in 2004) | | WBHR | 660 | Sauk Rapids/St. Cloud, Minnesota | | WCHY | 1290 | Savannah, Georgia | | KWTX | 1230 | Waco, Texas | | WOLF | 96.7 | Syracuse, New York (Now known as MOViN' FM) | | WWLF | 100.3 | Syracuse, New York (simulcast of WOLF-FM) | | KOIL | | Omaha, Nebraska | |
Online Listening
Users can listen online in iTunes as well as on the Radio Disney website.
Albums
In 1999, Radio Disney released their first CD, Radio Disney Kid Jams, containing the top songs from Radio Disney's playlist. Over time, Radio Disney released more volumes of the Kid Jams series. (Commonly known as "Jams" since there was not enough room to put "Kid" and "Vol" on the jams sequels.) Radio Disney also released two Holiday Jams CDs, an Ultimate Jams with select songs from Jams 1-6, Jingle Jams (Series 2004 & 2005), Move It, and Party Jams from their tenth birthday concert.
Available Radio Disney CDs
International
Internationally, Radio Disney can be heard in Australia, Chile, Japan, Poland, Argentina, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Uruguay, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. There are plans to resume broadcasting of a Disney branded radio station in the UK, but this time under the 'Radio Disney' brand, aimed at a younger audience than its predecessor in the UK. It plans to broadcast in the Philippines, Sweden, Mexico and Brazil in the near future.
Latin America
Radio Disney is available in Latin America via terrestrial broadcast. Similar to Radio Disney in the US, it broadcasts in Spanish to Argentina, Chile Nicaragua, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Uruguay, Dominican Republic,
and Costa Rica
Europe
Radio Disney planned to begin broadcasting on the digital radio platform in the United Kingdom by the end of 2008. This has not yet happened! But on July 6, 2007, Ofcom, the communications regulator of the United Kingdom, announced that the , a consortium headed by Channel 4 and featuring Emap, UTV, British Sky Broadcasting, Global Radio, Carphone Warehouse and UBC, has been awarded a license to run a new digital radio multiplex which will include Radio Disney as one of Difficulties in the UK's digital radio industry have caused delays in the launch of this service.
A similar station (if edgier), Capital Disney began broadcasting in 2002 on the DAB digital radio network, on Sky Digital (Digital Satellite) and various digital cable TV operators 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 ceased broadcasting and closed down on June 29, 2007.
See also
External links
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