Disney XD, Disney's "New" Cable Channel

[Flanger-Hanger]

"Disney to target boys with rebranded cable channel


Brooke Palmer / Disney Channel
Kelly Blatz plays the lead character in "Aaron Stone," a live-action show about a video game virtuoso who leads a secret double life as a crime fighter. The show will appear on the rebranded Disney XD cable network.


The entertainment giant plans to relaunch Toon Disney as Disney XD, which will be aimed at boys ages 6 to 14.

By Dawn C. Chmielewski
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 7, 2008

Quote:
Someday, Disney hopes its princes will come.

The entertainment giant, which has made billions catering to the princess fantasies of young girls, plans to relaunch Toon Disney as Disney XD, a cable channel that will target boys. The move, under wraps for more than a year, is an attempt by the company to capture a market that has long eluded it.

Starting in February, Disney XD will seek to become to young dudes what Disney Channel, with its lineup of tweeny bopper programs such as "High School Musical," "Hannah Montana" and "Camp Rock" is to girls. Disney XD, aiming at boys ages 6 to 14, will offer original action-adventure and comedy series, movies, animation and sports-themed shows developed with Walt Disney Co.-owned ESPN.

"What was clear to me, and clear to us, is we had a huge opportunity to create content that were boys' favorites," said Rich Ross, president of Disney Channels Worldwide.

Tween boys, ages 9 to 14, account for about $50 billion in spending worldwide, said Greg Kahn, senior vice president of strategic insights for media buying firm Optimedia International USA Inc. Advertisers are eager to reach these young consumers, not just snag a portion of their disposable income, but to build a loyalty they hope will extend into even more free-spending teen years, he said.

But the Disney Channel has struggled for years to find the right programming formula to lure boys, who tend to gravitate to Viacom's Nickelodeon and Time Warner's Cartoon Network -- that is, when they're not spending time playing video games. Disney Channel's popular live-action shows, from its early tween phenomenon, "Lizzie McGuire," through its current pop-culture sensation, "Hannah Montana," mainly attract girls.

Efforts to bring in more boys, through male-led series such as "Even Stevens" or "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," still haven't succeeded enough to close the gender gap between female and male viewers.
Quote:
None of this is news to Ross, who, with his executive team, spent more than a year with focus groups pondering the eternal verities: "What do boys want?"

The answer, perhaps not surprisingly, is that boys want it all. "What we heard, loud and clear, is they expect from Disney this broad array," Ross said, with programs running the gamut from animation to action-adventure to comedy. "They expect from Disney the whole thing, including movies." In short, tween boys are looking for more than a show or two wedged in the midst of the musical theater-inspired programs that have come to define Disney Channel. They want, Disney says, a channel they can call their own.

"They want a place, essentially a headquarters for them where their favorite content exists, that has this broad array of shapes and sizes and tenors and complexities, and treats them with the respect that Disney Channel treats all kids, and the girls are fanatical about," Ross said.

Instead of tinkering with what works -- Disney Channel, which has spawned two billion-dollar creative franchises in High School Musical and Hannah -- Ross relaunched a struggling cable asset, Toon Disney, into this destination for boys."



Well, isn't kind of sad that The Disney Channel which once appealed to everyone can only appeal to girls ages 6-14.

[PeterPanfan]

THAT IS CRAP!

While not as great as it used to be, Toon Disney is where we got to watch some of the old animated shows.

Thanks a lot, Disney, for taking away:

Chip N'Dale: Rescue Rangers
TaleSpin
Ducktales
Quack Pack
And more!

UGH! I AM FURIOUS!

NOBODY WILL WATCH YOUR XD CHANNEL, DISNEY! Boys are allowed to like Disney Channel just as much as girls! This just irritates me.

What is the e-mail address for The Disney Channel? They are getting an e-mail from me.

[musicradio77]

OMG! No more Toon Disney for good! Thankfully, they got rid of such shows like "Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers", "Mouse of House", "DuckTales" and some crappy Jetix shows that sucked. I guess starting in February of next year, the month where all of the TV stations will go digital after analog will pull the plug, it will be Disney XD, named after the section of the official Disney website.

Most of these shows and films are okay except "High School Musical" is still a favorite of mine. I'm very sad to see Toon Disney/Jetix go. Maybe all of the shows on Jetix should end up somewhere on a different channel anytime soon.

You've got the DVD's of "DuckTales" and "Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers" and many of the series that are on TV which are going to be for a long time.

[blackcauldron85]

My brain is fried- will Disney XD be on TV, just replacing Toon Disney? Or will it be an online channel? Because Disney XD is online...

Sorry- I'm just tired and my brain isn't comprehending.

[toonaspie]

They already have a boy-oriented Disney Channel. It's called Jetix. I highly doubt boys in that age demographic care for shows like Even Stevens and The Suite Life. Boys at this age will still be watching those ridiculous action-packed made-on-the-cheap Japanese/Korean cartoons.

I stopped watching Cartoon Network (except for a few shows on Adult Swim) because they became a boy-oriented network so fast.

[Disney's Divinity]

Great. Now they're taking away the one channel I [occasionally] watched. I need to hurry up and tape Aladdin before I lose my chance. When I first started doing that with my favorite shows, I realized they'd already x-ed Hercules to maybe one episode a week. But maybe this new channel will have these two shows, in generic "manly" fashion?

[Super Aurora]

THAT IS CRAP!

While not as great as it used to be, Toon Disney is where we got to watch some of the old animated shows.

Thanks a lot, Disney, for taking away:

Chip N'Dale: Rescue Rangers
TaleSpin
Ducktales
Quack Pack
And more!

UGH! I AM FURIOUS!

NOBODY WILL WATCH YOUR XD CHANNEL, DISNEY! Boys are allowed to like Disney Channel just as much as girls! This just irritates me.

What is the e-mail address for The Disney Channel? They are getting an e-mail from me.

I share the same statements.

[JiminyCrick91]

Well, this is very sad but since very few hotels have Toon Disney, it does not affect me that much. RIP, anyway, Toon Disney.

-Sky

[Flanger-Hanger]

My brain is fried- will Disney XD be on TV, just replacing Toon Disney? Or will it be an online channel? Because Disney XD is online...

Sorry- I'm just tired and my brain isn't comprehending.

Disney XD will be replacing Toon Disney on TV.

[blackcauldron85]

Oh, okay- thanks, F-H!

What kinds of shows, exactly, will be shown on Disney XD, the TV channel? It'll surely still show some of the shows from Toon Disney, right?

[Skellington or Sparrow]

something tells me they'll PROBABLY keep jedix, only they won't call it that, they'll call it disney xd, and they'll add a few shows like phineus and ferb, the suite life and it's spinoff, maybe show reruns of cory in the house until it gets replaced.

i think that's kind of stupid, because that sounds like they're making the MAIN disney channel a girl's channel, and it's going to be ALL and ONLY hannah montanna and high school musical (then again..)

sure, the channel doesn't have much for boys, but it probably has just enough. they're probably also watching cartoon network, nickelodeon, and 12+ set are probably watching family guy and south park. it's not that disney channel is "sissy stuff" but there's a vast number of other channels. the boy targetted shows on disney channel aren't as sucessful because, well, they don't have as much of a grasp on what boys like. and besides, boys won't spend their whole time on disney xd, just like girls won't spend their whole time on disney channel.

plus another reason toon disney's not as sucessful (i'm sure) is because it isn't on regular cable. that's why i, personally, don't watch it.

silly disney, kids DO have better things to do than watch your cheap programming that belittles them (imho).

[Skellington or Sparrow]

hey, HERE'S a question:
when are we (the disney fans) going to get a channel for US?
maybe a few old disney afternoon cartoons, some documentary type shows about the making of certain older films, disney attractions, a nice disneyland/wonderful world of disney type show, play some classics (or well respected recent films), and vault disney?

i'd like that.

[Disney Duster]

In short, tween boys are looking for more than a show or two wedged in the midst of the musical theater-inspired programs that have come to define Disney Channel. They want, Disney says, a channel they can call their own.

You hear that? Disney thinks musical theater is only for girls, and I guess gay guys.

So, all you boys, stop watching all those Disney films with songs in them, okay? That means no Aladdin, no Lion King, no Beauty and the Beast, etc.

FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! BOYS AND GIRLS CAN LIKE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO! MEN AND WOMEN CAN LIKE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO! GAY OR STRAIGHT CAN LIKE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO!!!!

Disney gets worse and worse.

[PeterPanfan]

Disney can back off. I want to be on Broadway when I get older, none of their marketing can change that.

And I'm straight, yet I enjoy some of the stuff on Disney Channel. Yes, I enjoyed High School Musical.

I seriously think we should hold an e-mail campaign to get them to change their motive from freaking "Disney XD*" to something that the TRUE Disney fans can enjoy.

* By the way, WHAT THE HELL kind of a name is Disney XD?

[blackcauldron85]

Doesn't the XD in the website Disney XD stand for "Xtreme Digital"...or did I make that up (lol)? Do you think that the new cable channel will be a digital cable channel? I don't even know if I know what a digital cable channel means...

Technology hurts my head. I don't know what I am meaning.

[Chernabog_Rocks]

Disney can back off. I want to be on Broadway when I get older, none of their marketing can change that.



I seriously think we should hold an e-mail campaign to get them to change their motive from freaking "Disney XD*" to something that the TRUE Disney fans can enjoy.

Hope you get there one day PPF

I agree about the e-mail campaign. I"m confused about Toon Disney what is this? I'm assuming it's a United States only channel? Knowing my luck Toon Disney is the channel with the good shows still on it Aladdin, Hercules etc. All I'm stuck with is Family Channel *gag* only good thing on there is Kim Possible and I never get to see it.

One thing I hate, Family Channel just has the same handful of shows repeated all day long. I can't count how many times I've heard the theme songs for Rave, Cory in the House, Life With Derek and Suite Life in one day. Seriously Disney PUT ON SOME WIDER VARIETY OF SHOWS.

I'm off in search for an e-mail link to send them a rant.

P.S Amy I know how you feel, technology hurts my head too

[blackcauldron85]

[P.S Amy I know how you feel, technology hurts my head too

Glad I'm not the only one, Shawn.

[Kram Nebuer]

All in all, I just don't think its fair to Disney's worldwide Disney Channel audience to categorize The Disney Channel as the girl one and remake the supposed to be all Disney animation Toon Disney channel into the boy Disney Channel. If they're going to make a "boy" channel, they ought to make a "girl" channel, and leave Toon Disney and the original 1980s began Disney Channel alone (well, fix/bring back the latter).

Now this advent of Disney XD channel is quite upsetting for two things....

(1) I agree with a lot of people here about how they shouldn't be dividing there channels and programming by gender, but sadly enough, that's just how times are nowadays. Society keeps widening the gender gap with each successive generation by offering more gender-specific oriented entertainment, and for what? A profit? I feel it's just going to lead to an even bigger Man vs. Woman war and gender stereotyping for future generations. We learned in my Marriage and Family class that gender roles are clearly defined by what children experience when they're young based on things they see, toys they play with, parental roles, etc. The gender stereotypes will just be further enforced with gender specific Disney Channels! BUT, then again, I don't think we can expect children to be sitting in front of the TV with ONE channel on ALL day, so I guess I'm worrying for nothing?


(2) I'm mostly upset with the fact that they're making a new channel with new programming when basically nearly every bit of the classic/traditional Disney has been erased from the Disney Channel except for the Mickey shaped logo! I love the Disney Channel shows in comparison to the other programming offered on television, but I really am ticked off by the fact that I can't turn to the Disney Channel if I want to come across an old Disney cartoon or see a Disney movie. They were right about one thing: "[boys] expect from Disney this broad array." So why not just make ONE channel with a broad array of programming appealing to different groups and maybe programs that appeal to all groups?

Ahh, sorry, I'll get off my soap box now...

I can't count how many times I've heard the theme songs for Rave, Cory in the House, Life With Derek and Suite Life in one day. Seriously Disney PUT ON SOME WIDER VARIETY OF SHOWS.

Amen! Back in the old days of my Disney Channel (mid 1990s), early morning meant preschool programming, afternoon Disney Channel meant tweens/teen programming, evening Disney Channel meant family programming, and late night Disney Channel meant classic/vintage Disney stuff. It also weaved in some classic Disney like old shorts/DTV between programs and used classic Disney characters for network promos and logos and things.

I don't know the costs of running an additional channel, but I think there should just be 3 or 4 Disney produced television channels since they feel it necessary to provide gender-specific entertainment. There could be the Disney "Girl" Channel, The Disney "Boy" Channel, The Vault Disney Channel, and the plain old Disney Channel. The Disney Channel should just be the BEST programming from each with classic Disney Channel movies/DCOMs/commercials all mixed with new stuff appealing to many generations who enjoy all aspects of Disney. I hope that's not asking too much. The BBC did it for America, why can't Disney do it for themselves?

[goofystitch]

I don't think the Disney Channel is becoming exclusively for girls. I doubt we will see all of the shows become centered around female characters. The channel is successful the way it is, so why change anything? What this all boils down to is demographics. Disney has discovered that Disney Channel is mostly popular with young girls while young boys tend to gravitate towards Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. Disney Channel sort of owns the market for tween girls.

So from a business perspective, how do you attract the other half of the tween population? Create media content that specifically targets their current interests. Its sad to see Toon Disney go if you are someone who watches it regularly. Personally, the channel stopped appealing to me once the Disney Afternoon programs started getting their DVD releases. The only thing I will miss about the channel will be House of Mouse.

Just because the channel is being refocused doesn't mean all of the Toon Disney elements necessarily will be stripped away. It could be that Jetix and its programs will stay, such as the Power Rangers. And perhaps the early morning program block will include some of your favorite Toon Disney programs, including House of Mouse and Rescue Rangers.

I hate the name. I think its confusing that the channel uses the same name as Disney's digital video service on its website. But in general, I'm excited to see where Disney goes with this. And who knows? Maybe one of the programs will focus on a classic Disney character in an adventure series, sort of like what happened in the 80's with Tail Spin and Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers. As far as I know, none of the specifics have been announced, except that some shows will center around sports in conjunction with ESPN.

I'm taking the optimistic approach.

[Super Aurora]

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... xd-channel

One show that will be on Disney's XD channel confirmed.