Disney Channel (Australia)

For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel (international). For the original Disney Channel, see Disney Channel.

Disney Channel
Launched	8 June 1996[1]
Owned by	The Walt Disney Company
Picture format	576i (SDTV 16:9)
Audience share	1.3% (February 2008, [1])
Country	Australia, New Zealand
Language	English
Broadcast area	Australia New Zealand Fiji Tuvalu
Sister channel(s)	Disney Junior
Website	disneychannel.com.au
Availability
Satellite
Foxtel	Channel 707
Austar	Channel 707
SKY Network Television (New Zealand)	Channel 040
Cable
Optus TV	Channel 707
Foxtel	Channel 707
Austar	Channel 707
TransTV Digital	Channel 201
Neighbourhood Cable	Channel 28
TelstraClear InHomeTV (New Zealand)	Channel 40
IPTV
Xbox 360	Channel 707

Disney Channel Australia is a television channel that is broadcast in Australia and New Zealand. It is mainly aimed at children and their families. It does occasionally broadcast commercial advertisements and programming is broken up by a number of breaks, during which trailers for Disney's programming are usually shown. On 1 September 2009 Disney channel started broadcasting in 16:9 widescreen.

History and Availability

Disney Channel has been broadcast by Optus since 8 June 1996.^[1] It became available though Austar on 1 April 2001,^[2] Foxtel on 1 December 2001,^[3][4] TransTV on 21 January 2002,^[5] and is also available on Neighbourhood Cable. It was formerly available on SelecTV from September 2008 until the closure of its English service in late 2010.^[6][7]

It has been broadcast on New Zealand's pay television network (SKY Network Television) since December 2003.

On 5 December 2005, Disney Channel launched Playhouse Disney Channel in Australia on the Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television digital services and in New Zealand on the SKY Network Television digital service.

Starting on 1 September 2009 Disney Channel Australia and New Zealand started 16:9 widescreen broadcasting.

Ratings

Almost all of Disney's shows are rated G and usually feature low level violence. When there is a DCOM, the ratings sometimes go up to PG, being the cause of violence, action and sci-fi themes throughout the showing of the movie.

• 

  The G rating is used for most of the sitcoms on the channel.

• 

  The PG rating is used for some DCOM's on the channel.

• 

  The M rating is used very rarely on Disney Channel, but has been used for some movies.

Shows

Disney Channel (Australia and New Zealand) features many of the shows the U.S. version broadcasts. The channel also airs shows made in Australia, such as H2O: Just Add Water, Wicked Science, As The Bell Rings and Double Trouble, and New Zealand, such as Camp Rock the Tasman.

Shows are often shown on Disney Channel a few months after their US counterpart, although there are some exceptions.

Current shows

Sitcoms

Show title	Original Run	Disney Channel Run
Hannah Montana	2006–2011	2006 – present
The Suite Life On Deck	2008 – 2011	2008 – present
Wizards of Waverly Place	2007 – 2011	2007 – present
Sonny with a Chance	2009 – 2011	2009 – present
JONAS L.A.	2009–2010	2009 – present
I'm in the Band	2010 – present	2010 – present
Good Luck Charlie	2010 – present	2010 – present
That's So Raven	2003-2007	2003 – present
Pair of Kings	2010 – present	2011 – present
Shake It Up	2010 – present	2011 – present
Zeke and Luther	2009 – present	2009 – present
A.N.T. Farm	2011 - present	2011 - present

Drama/Sci Fi

Show title	Original Run	Disney Channel Run
Young Dracula	2006–2008	2008 – present

Animated Shows

• Phineas and Ferb
• A Kind of Magic
• Stitch!
• Kick Buttowski
• Fish Hooks
• Hareport
• Planet Inc.
• Oscar's Oasis
• Yin Yang Yo!

Other Shows

• Disney Channel Games (Annually during January- February)

Upcoming Series

• Jessie (30 September 2011)^[8][9][10] (Series is currently in production.)^[11]
• Austin & Ally (Late 2011)^[12] (Production starts mid August 2011)

2012

• Gravity Falls (Spring 2012)^[13]

Pilot for Consideration

• Madison High^[14][15] (Pilot filmed in March 2011, if picked up, it will premiere in early 2012)

Former Programming

101 Dalmatians: The Series Aaron Stone Adventures of the Gummi Bears Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 (Now on Disney XD Australia) Aladdin American Dragon: Jake Long Archie's Weird Mysteries Art Attack As the Bell Rings Beverly Hills Teens Black Hole High Bonkers (Now On Disney XD Australia) Boy Meets World Brandy and Mr. Whiskers Buzz Lightyear of Star Command The Care Bears Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers Cory in the House Darkwing Duck Dave the Barbarian Disney's House of Mouse Donald's Quack Attack Donkey Kong Country Dogstar Double Trouble Doug Ducktales The Electric Company aired on Disney XD Australia) Eliot Kid Even Stevens Extreme Ghostbusters

Family Biz Famous Five: On the Case Fillmore! Gadget Boy & Heather Gargoyles George of the Jungle Girl Stuff, Boy Stuff Goof Troop Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics Hercules Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show Jessie.com Kidd Video Kim Possible I Got a Rocket Lilo & Stitch: The Series Lizzie McGuire Lloyd in Space Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies Maxie's World Mickey's Mouse Tracks Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Monster by Mistake Mortified Peep and the Big Wide World Pepper Ann Phil Of The Future Pirate Islands Proud Family Pucca Quack Pack Recess Rolie Polie Olie Rupert Sabrina's Secret Life Sabrina, the Animated Series

Schoolhouse Rock! Scooter: Secret Agent So Weird Sonic Underground Studio D / Studio Disney Super Mario World (TV series) Tales from the Neverending Story TaleSpin Teacher's Pet Teamo Supremo The Buzz On Maggie The Emperor's New School The Lion King's Timon and Pumbaa The Little Mermaid The Muppet Show The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog The Replacements The Sinbad Show The Weekenders The Zack Files Thomas & Friends Wicked Science W.I.T.C.H. Wormwood

Movies

Disney Channel (Australia and New Zealand) traditionally broadcasts most of Disney's movies, including Walt Disney Studio movies and Disney Channel Original Movies. Until 2003, these broadcasted daily at 7pm under the title of The Wonderful World of Disney, which was aired since the mid 1990s. They now broadcast under the title of Disney Channel Movie or Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM). Movies, like all Disney Channel Australia and New Zealand content as of 1 September 2009, are broadcast in a 16:9 format, presented in letterbox (film) format for those viewing on regular 4:3 television sets.

Starting on 1 September (when Disney Channel went 16:9 widescreen) all movies are now shown in their original 16:9 widescreen format.

Disney Channel also airs many movies produced by Disney Channel, and Fox Family and ABC Family Channel, many of which are no longer shown in the United States, among them include Searching for David's Heart, Casper: A Spirited Beginning, Escape to Witch Mountain, Stepsister From Planet Weird, and Au Pair.

Disney Channel also played the following successful DCOMs:

• High School Musical
• High School Musical 2
• High School Musical 3: Senior Year
• Camp Rock
• Dadnapped
• Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior
• Jump In
• Read it and Weep
• The Cheetah Girls
• The Cheetah Girls 2
• The Cheetah Girls: One World
• Cow Belles
• Tru Confessions
• Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure
• You Wish!

See also

• Disney
• Disney Channel
• List of television networks by country
• Playhouse Disney
• Disney Channel Around a World

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Elder, Bruce (2 June 1996). "Disney to the rescue". Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, Australia: Fairfax Media): p. 1. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=news960602_0153_7992. Retrieved 2009-12-21. "The Disney Channel, which kicks off with the TV premiere of Aladdin at 6.30 pm on Saturday, June 8" 
2. ^ "News on the Hour". Illawarra Mercury (Illawarra, Australia: Fairfax Media): p. 55. 17 March 2000. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=news000318_0496_9436. Retrieved 26 January 2010. 
3. ^ "Hitting Disney heights". The Sunday Mail: p. T35. 16 December 2001. 
4. ^ "Package Updates" Foxtel 2001 archived from the original on 2001-12-14 http://web.archive.org/web/20011214001411/www.foxtel.com.au/about/packageupdate.jsp. Retrieved 2009-12-01 "You'll be able to enjoy a world of fun and adventure, with Disney Channel coming to FOXTEL for the first time! Disney Channel becomes part of our Entertainment Plus package, moving TCM from Entertainment Plus into the Movies package." 
5. ^ "Transact to screen 24-hour Disney films, animation, on its 12th channel.". The Canberra Times (Canberra, Australia: Fairfax Media): p. 10. 20 January 2002. 
6. ^ Shoebridge, Neil (15 September 2008). "WIN’s on to a winner as SelecTV ups service". The Australian Financial Review: p. 16. http://afr.com/p/business/media_marketing/item_Kg8s7HsBJkxV8WVoNsZibJ?hl. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
7. ^ Chessell, James (20 August 2010). "Bruce Gordon's SelecTV to make changes". The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/city-beat/bruce-gordons-selectv-to-make-changes/story-fn4xq4cj-1225907617882. Retrieved 20 August 2010. 
8. ^ Ross, Robyn (10 August 2011). "Exclusive: Debby Ryan's Disney Series Jessie Gets a Premiere Date". TV Guide. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Debby-Ryan-Jessie-1036266.aspx. Retrieved 10 August 2011. 
9. ^ http://www.disneychannelmedianet.com/dnr/2011/dc_kids_fam_2011_upfront.doc
10. ^ "Debby Ryan Teases a Suite Life Graduation Tearjerker". TV Guide. 4 April 2011. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Debby-Ryan-Suite-Life-1031460.aspx. Retrieved 7 April 2011.  with interview video confirms pre-production status.
11. ^ http://www.disneychannelmedianet.com/DNR/2011/JES_060911.doc
12. ^ http://www.disneychannelmedianet.com/DNR/2011/austinally_052511.doc
13. ^ http://www.disneychannelmedianet.com/DNR/2010/doc/dc_new_120810.doc
14. ^ http://www.deadline.com/2010/11/disney-channel-preps-first-musical-series/#more-83717
15. ^ http://www.disneychannelmedianet.com/DNR/2011/madison_021711.doc

External links

• Official Site
• Disney Australia
• Playhouse Disney Channel
• Disney Girl Magazine
• Disney Adventures Magazine
• Disney Music Australia