Radio Disney is a radio network based in Dallas, Texas in the United States broadcasting music and other content targeted at children and young teenagers. As indicated by its name, it is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The network primarily uses AM stations, (the most in any state being the 6 stations in Florida) and it is also available on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio (both on channel 115), as well as via Music Choice on most digital cable-TV systems. 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 RadioDisney.com. The network was launched on November 18, 1996 (coincidentally with Mickey Mouse's birthday) at 4:58 A.M. EST with the song "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" as a direct competitor to Minneapolis-based Radio Aahs, which reached about 30 stations at its height. Disney had collaborated with Radio Aahs for a time prior to the launch of Radio Disney, and former Aahs owners sued for damages because of a breached agreement. In 2004, Disney paid the former Children's Broadcasting Corporation (which operated Aahs) $12.4 million.
| File:Rd logo 07.PNG | |
| Type | Radio network |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Availability | National; also distributed in Canada, Mexico, Argentina and certain other North American countries. |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
Launch date | November 18,1996 |
Official website | radio.disney.go.com |
Songs Played
"Classic" Disney songs are (now) rarely played on this radio network. Most of the format consists of:
- Songs currently/recently on the pop charts that are unusually popular with pre-teens and younger teenagers (if the song has a minor amount of "adult" lyrics, such as "Get the Party Started" by Pink or "1985" by Bowling for Soup, the song simply gets edited rather than lose airplay). Some good examples include music from Hilary Duff, Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte, All American Rejects, Usher, Chris Brown, Frankie J, Pretty Ricky and Hawthorne Heights.
- Other songs not on the pop charts that are popular with pre-teens, such as "The Hampster Dance" theme song or Axel F., by Crazy Frog.
- Songs from recent cartoons/movies made by Disney or one of its subsidiaries. Sometimes, fairly old songs that wouldn't normally play on Radio Disney get airplay for this reason (for example, various Elvis songs played in Lilo & Stitch) (although, back in the network's early years, oldies were a regular part of the format).
- Disney stars songs such as music from Lizzie McGuire, High School Musical and Hannah Montana, and music by Jonas Brothers, Vanessa Hudgens, Corbin Bleu, Aly & AJ, Hilary Duff, Ashley Tisdale, Keke Palmer, Everlife, B5, Jesse McCartney, Lucas Grabeel, and Jojo.
- Older artists including *NSYNC, 3 Doors Down, 3LW, 98 Degrees, A*Teens, Aaron Carter, B*Witched, BBMak, Backstreet Boys, Bon Jovi, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera, Creed, Donna Lewis, Dream, Dream Street, Hanson, Jessica Simpson, Jump5, LFO, Lil' Bow Wow, Lil' Romeo, M2M, Mandy Moore, No Secrets, Nobody's Angel, Play, S Club 7, Stevie Brock, Vitamin C, Weird Al Yankovic, Will Smith, & Youngstown
Capital Disney
A similar station, Capital Disney [1], broadcasts on the DAB digital radio network, on Sky Digital (Digital Satellite) and various digital cable TV operators in the UK.
Announcements
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 (including ABC Radio stations and networks) 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.
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)
Playhouse Disney
Playhouse Disney (originally "Mickey and Minnie's Tune Time" between 1996-2001) airs on Radio Disney weekdays durning the school year at 12:00 ET and ends at 2:00 ET. Like Playhouse Disney on Disney Channel, it is designed for 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. At 1:00 ET, a story is heard on air during "Circle Time Story" time. (Originally "Mickey And Minnie's Storytime Theatre" between 1996-2001). Stories are usually from Disney movies and films. During Playhouse Disney, many of Radio Disney's old liners and jingles are played. Mainly the ones that have the first slogan, "We're All Ears."
Programs
- Laugh Shack - Kids can call in and leave jokes.
- Secret Sound - A sound is played on air, and callers try to guess what the sound is.
- What’s Cool - Kids can call in and leave a message about the coolest stuff around.
- ESPN Sports for Kids - Sports news and some health tips.
- Sound File - The news on what's new. Talks about new artists. (New entries weekly during Top 30 Countdown)
- The Insider - Originally called the Juicy Scoop. Get the inside scoop about the coolest and hottest artists.
- 60 Seconds With - DJ's talk with the hottest artists.
- Radio Disney Review - What was cool in the past years of Radio Disney.
- Playback
- 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.
- Snipp it Clip - They play a small part of 3 songs and the person who guesses all three wins
- 'The Radio Disney Top 30 Countdown' - The longest running program. Susan Huber is 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. (Number 1) At the end of the year, the same thing was done, only it was the most requested songs of the whole year.
- Music Mailbag - During this segment of Radio Disney, the station introduces a new song and listeners call in to the station or vote online to "Pick It" or "Kick It".
Past Programs
- ABC News For Kids - Kid friendly news with Jimm Hicky.
- ABC Notebook
- Aptitude Dude
- Bumbling Bill’s Safety Spotlight - Bumbling Bill and Sally talk about what's safe and unsafe. End Date: Early 2006
- Grandma Nature
- Gross Me Out
- The Adventures of Bud and Iggy - Bud and Iggy always get lost. They give out clues on what city they are in. End Date: Late 2003.
DJs
Radio Disney has had a number of different DJ's since its launch in 1996. A list of current DJ's and a schedule can be found here on Radio Disney's website. Below are a number of DJ's along with their years of employment.
- “Just Plain” Mark (1997 - 2001)
- Aaron K. (2001 - Present)
- B.B. Good (1998 - Present)
- Blake (2005 - Present)
- Brian (Your Boy Brian) (1997 - Present)
- Candice (2005 - Present)
- Giel (? - Present)
- David Jordan (2001 - 2005)
- Dean Weant (1996 - 2001)
- Don Crabtree (1996 - Present)
- Ernie D. (1999 - Present)
- Kara (1997 - 2001)
- Kim Stewart (1997-2000)
- Lee Cameron (1996-1999)
- Lenny (2005- Present)
- Penny Nichols (2001 - Present)
- Sherry Rogers (1996 - Present)
- Sheryl Brooks (1996 - Present)
- Squeege (1996 - 2005)
- Susan Huber (1996 - Present)
- Terri (2004 - Present)
- Tina (1997-1998)
- Tony Moreira (2006 - Present) (WDDZ 550 Providence)
- Web Fingors (2001-2003)
- Zippy (1997 - 2001)
Contact
Radio Disney has many ways to let listeners contact them. Listeners can contact their local station for local contest information, but the local Radio Disney number is not for talking to a DJ or making a song request. The Radio Disney network has two toll free numbers which listeners may call:
- 1-888-EARS(3277)-018 This is to call to talk to a DJ, play a contest, or to make a song request.
- 1-888-MAIL(6245)-018 This is Radio Disney's Ear Mail. Listeners can use this number to leave birthday shout outs or to do one of the things like "What’s Cool".
Station listings for Radio Disney
The listing below is believed to be accurate as of January 2006. 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.
| Callsign | Frequency | Location |
|---|---|---|
| WOLF¹ | 96.7 | Syracuse, New York |
| *WRDZ | 98.3 | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| KDIS | 99.5 | Little Rock, Arkansas |
| WDZN² | 100.1 | Cumberland, Maryland |
- * Indicates an HD Digital Radio station.
- ¹ indicates multiple Radio Disney outlets in a single city
- ² W263AJ 100.5 is a broadcast translator for WDZN
| Callsign | Frequency | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1380 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| KMAP | 1050 | Bakersfield, California |
| KRYS | 1360 | Corpus Christi, Texas |
| WDDZ | 1500 | Zion, Illinois |
| KADZ | 1690 | Denver/Boulder, Colorado |
| KXTP | 970 | Duluth, Minnesota |
| WMYR | 1410 | Fort Myers, Florida |
| WKEW | 1400 | Greensboro, North Carolina (affiliate moved to WCOG in 2001) |
| KQMQ | 690 | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| KORL | 690 | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| KDYS | 1520 | Lafayette, Louisiana |
| KRNN | 1380 | 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 | 102.1 | Mobile, Alabama |
| WVAB | 1550 | Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia |
| WKYG | 1180 | Parkersburg, West Virginia |
| WJDY | 1470 | Salisbury, Maryland |
| KBEE | 860 | Salt Lake City, Utah (affiliate moved to KWDZ in 2001) |
| KSON | 1240 | 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 |
Triva
- It has recently been discovered that a market airing on HD Radio may have a 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.
- When Radio Disney first launched, Kids 12 and under were the only ones able to win a prize. In late 2000, the maximum age to win was bumped-up to 14.
- WQEW 1560 AM from New York City is one of the strongest stations, operating on a clear channel frequency which allows listeners to receive the signal from hundreds of miles away at night, even out as far as Ottawa, Ontario and Moncton, New Brunswick.
- There is also a Radio Disney in Argentina which has a Latin format.
- 2006 Marks 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.
- In 1997 Barrett Rakestraw helped launch RadioDisney.com with Disney Online
- 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.[1] 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.[2]
- Well-known Digital Cable Providers with Radio services may offer Radio Disney as a live radio broadcast selection to the listings.
Logos
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Radio Disney's original logo (1996-2001)
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Radio Disney logo between 2001-2007. Logo varies in different color types.
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Radio Disney's current logo (2007-present)
Albums released for the station
In 1999, Radio Disney released their first CD, Radio Disney Kid Jams, containing the top song 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
- Radio Disney Ultimate Jams
- Radio Disney Jingle Jams (Series 2004 & 2005)
- Radio Disney Jams Series (Volumes 1 - 9)
- Radio Disney Holiday Jams (Volumes 1 & 2)
- Radio Disney Move It
- Radio Disney Party Jams
- Radio Disney Karaoke Series (Volumes 1 & 2)