This article was from the Times-Herald Record back on March 4th about Radio Disney in Poughkeepsie:
Spanish radio station taken off air
Poughkeepsie – Tens of thousands of Spanish-speaking listeners eager to tune in their favorite radio station Wednesday got an unpleasant surprise.
The voice of El Ritmo, the Hudson Valley's only 24-hour Spanish language radio station, was silent. The popular Latin music and Spanish talk that listeners craved had been unceremoniously replaced with cartoon theme songs.
The station, which broadcast on WEOK 1190 AM and WALL 1340 AM, had been on the air since August 2002, serving the Hudson Valley's large and growing Spanish-speaking population a tasty combination of music, talk and community events programming.
El Ritmo's sudden demise came as a shock to both listeners and the station's popular disc jockeys, who said news of shutdown came without warning or fanfare from the station's general manager, Chuck Benfer.
"They just took us into a room about 1 p.m., and by 2 p.m., we were gone," DJ Gonzalo Quintana said.
Benfer said El Ritmo fell victim to low ratings and poor advertising revenue.
"It's unfortunate," Benfer said. "We didn't get much rating support. But another problem was the community just didn't seem to be supporting our advertisers. Unfortunately those two things are really very important for radio to be successful."
Quintana said the formula is not that simple.
"People were not returning the rating forms, but then again those forms are in English" Quintana said. "Everyone understands they live in an English-speaking world, and they have to function in English. But everything that can make them feel a little more at home helps.
"It's like having the rug pulled out from under them," he added.
Benfer said the market just couldn't support the station.
"The Spanish market is a growing market, but it's a small market for us," he said.
U.S. Census data show a Hispanic population of more than 50,000 in Orange and Ulster counties. The data also shows those numbers are rising.
Prominent members of the mid-Hudson's Hispanic community say they're outraged by the loss of El Ritmo, which translates as "The Rhythm."
"I'm furious," said Eddie Ramirez of R&M productions, one of the region's biggest promoters of Latino culture and entertainment events.
"They didn't even give them a chance to say goodbye on the air," Ramirez said.
"I'm just shocked," said Sonia Ayala, president of Orange County's Latino Democratic Committee. "It's an insult. The market is there, especially in Orange County. I hope someone will take advantage of this because there's a huge need and an audience out there for it."
Former El Ritmo DJ Ruben Estrada, a member of the Orange County Republican Committee and a former vice president of the successful Spanish Broadcasting Corp., echoed Ayala, saying Hispanic ownership of radio stations is key.
"I think we should be looking at this as a void, and that void should be filled by us," Estrada said.
El Ritmo's departure leaves Spanish-speaking listeners with only one alternative – Latin Jubilee, which airs one hour a week, Saturday from 5 to 6 p.m. on WTBQ 1110 AM.
WEOK and WALL will begin broadcasting Disney Radio for kids today, Benfer said.
As I was saying 1990 AM is currently havve Radio Disney on. In New York City, the same station is currently running Radio Disney is on WQEW at 1560 AM after they dropped standards in 1998. Anybody listened toRadio Disney?
Radio Disney
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Radio Disney Turns 10
I found this article from "Inside Radio" was about the 10-year anniversary of Radio Disney.
Happiest Place On The Dial
Incalculable changes and nuances notwithstanding, the broad 25-54 demo is still widely coveted by the majority of advertisers and consequently by radio executives.
That’s as true today as it was ten years ago when skeptics were quick to dismiss an about-to-be syndicated format whose target wasn’t 25-54, 25-49, 18-49, 18-34 or even Teens.
Going completely counter to customary thinking, architects and visionaries who’d craft and shape what became Radio Disney placed youngsters – as in pre-Teens – as their top priority.
Since Arbitron didn’t then nor does it now include pre-Teen listening in its ratings books, Radio Disney couldn’t be anything but a laudable effort doomed to fail.
Some scratch their heads and think it’s downright goofy that ten years later Radio Disney is doing positively ducky – but that’s indeed the case.
Shot In The Dark
Many have been responsible for the ten candles on Radio Disney’s birthday cake but none has made a more significant ongoing contribution than vivacious Dallas-based VP/Programming Robin Jones, who modestly downplays her pivotal role. “I wish I could take full credit for the idea of doing a radio product for kids, she remarks. “ABC Radio thought about doing [it] and looked at it from several different perspectives. At one time, [current XM Chief Programming Officer] Lee Abrams was here and we put together a demo that was celebrities singing children’s songs.”
But it was Jones’ very adamant contention that kids were “hipper” than that. “They deserved to be respected for their acumen of relevant music and relevant entertainment,” she comments. “I can take credit with my team for putting together the product it has evolved into, which is relevant music pulled from sources kids were a part of. We also incorporated ‘edutainment.’ It teaches kids something that is fun but doesn’t feel like they’re in school.”
Even in Radio Disney’s most primitive stages, Jones never wavered in her belief in the product. “I thought it would be successful but not to the [extent] it has,” she admits. “I’ll never forget how the phones lit up when we first launched the format. You could feel the momentum. I also remember that, when I hired people, I told them it was a shot in a dark and I [couldn’t promise] it was going to work. We paid to move them here but couldn’t [pay] to move them back [if it failed].”
Wonderfully Weird
Akin to launching a new station at the local level, there were plenty of late-night pizza parties with an energetic staff who practically took up residence at the studios. “It was that kind of magic happening,” Jones beams. “We could all feel something weird was going on.”
The original record library had to be purchased outright because no one would provide gratis record service. “Record companies would laugh; hang up; and we’d never hear from them,” Jones remembers. “I was just cleaning out storage cabinets and found the original letters we wrote to labels, begging for music. Now labels bring in artists and showcase them to us.”
Prior to joining Radio Disney, Jones had already achieved national prominence for adeptly programming ABC Radio’s Hot AC format, and also worked on-air. “I remember kids calling [on the request line] in the middle of the night who acted stupid,” she notes with a smile. “You want to hang up on them. [But this format] was designed to listen and give them what they want, but in a way that was safe and comfortable to their parents. We found parents enjoyed it right alongside them. They want to see their kids have fun, enjoy music, and also want to participate as their kids grow into well-rounded people.”
Pre-Hormonal
As Radio Disney’s on-air product matured, Jones discovered and “respected” that parents are there as well. “We gave them a `wink/wink, nudge/nudge.’ They’re coming [to us] because their kids are happy. Kids are so awesome about responding and telling us who they like and who they want to be like. It’s so easy to get them to talk back to us. In many cases, we have more than two million calls a week and [countless] emails. It’s immediate – not like the old days when you had to wait for your callout research to come back. I can ask what they think in a Saturday `Online Mailbag’ and we take what they say to heart.”
Conventional industry research methods are important to the format and are utilized by Jones, but she explains, “It’s not my main nugget. Especially in a kid’s mind, a week or a month is like a lifetime. Things can change a lot [in the six months between auditorium tests]. There are cases where we are willing to [add] songs much earlier than anyone else.”
In contrast to other formats that ideally visualize their bulls-eye listener as a 37-year-old female, Radio Disney’s typical partisan is 11 or 12. “When the hormones hit, we start to see it go downhill,” Jones comments. “However, there are plenty of 15 and 16 year-olds – particularly girls – who still listen. Our sweet spot, though, is right around 11.”
Some Things Never Change
Percentages of African-Americans and Hispanics listening to Radio Disney are perhaps higher than one might anticipate. “It speaks to many cultures and many ethnicities and is just good music,” Jones states. “Kids growing up look for someone to emulate. Girls want to be like Hilary Duff. They dream of that knight in shining armor and want that fairytale ending. Boys [are partial] to sports anthems and songs you grit your teeth to and hope you never hear them again. Girls like ballads - it never changes.”
Something else that has remained consistent is the immense amount of time Jones, a mother of two Radio Disney-age daughters, listens to her creation. “Honestly - it’s by their request,” she steadfastly maintains. “Radio Disney is on in my car [when I drive my daughters to school]; every weekend to the soccer games; and evenings to soccer practice. My 12-year-old has an uncanny ability to tell me [which songs will do well and which won’t]. I have to remember to keep my eye on the Mother Ship. Content needs to remain fresh and relevant to those listening. We have to continually watch the kids’ entertainment landscape to see what’s hot and what’s not, to see how we’re going to stay in that ballgame.”
Grand Brand
As the kid-geared venture that began in 1996 as a four-market test rolls on, Radio Disney President/GM Jean-Paul Colaco reflects that the thing that sticks out to him is the product’s gradual evolution. “The acceptance by our listeners has fully snowballed and has given us something unparalleled in the radio industry. We went from being a radio station into being a brand. We’ve transcended the radio platform by being on Sirius and XM satellite radio and Music Choice. We also stream at RadioDisney.com and launched a video-on-demand television channel, which will be expanded across the country. We’re podcasting on iTunes and Yahoo and have a Radio Disney store on iTunes where people can buy downloaded [music].”
Especially gratifying to native Canadian Colaco is the format’s international expansion. “We realized what we started in the United States is easily transportable to the rest of the world,” he explains. “We are on all across South America and in the U.K. and we’re on in English in Japan. It’s something that began with great programming and great content and defined itself as a brand. It’s been able to expand on so many platforms and so many geographies that it’s really become a success story. Radio is often the medium of choice in many countries that don’t have as prevalent access to television as we do in the United States. Living by the `radio is local’ mantra, we’re able to customize the format so that it fits the target audience in the specific country.”
In South America, for example, Radio Disney is geared to 12-24s, rather than the format’s 6-14 United States target audience. “The programming is in Spanish, of course, but stays true to the Disney core equities and has been extremely successful,” Colaco remarks. “We’re in the Top Five in almost every country [in which we broadcast]. As long as you stay true to the localism related to radio and capitalize on the Disney brand and core equities, you can be successful. We want to expand further and are looking at countries like Singapore and India. It’s exciting because it’s also a good adjunct to the Disney brand. As we penetrate new markets, radio can be a big piece of that puzzle.”
Kids Stay No. 1
While Radio Disney has evolved a bit more toward families, the intention of being the ultimate music destination for kids remains intact. “We want to provide high-quality content in a family-friendly way,” Colaco declares. “That’s always been our [goal] and we still remain committed to the segment we’re targeting - kids first and families second. In `Family Fun Day Sunday,’ kids and moms do things and play games together.”
In addition to being on the two satcasters, the format is heard domestically in 40 major markets on terrestrial stations Radio Disney owns. There are also two LMAs and it has 12 non-owned affiliates. “We’d like to be more fully distributed on terrestrial radio,” Colaco concedes. “[But] we’re happy that, when you combine terrestrial radio, satellite radio, Music Choice and DIRECTV, we’re really at 100% coverage of the United States. We have full distribution of the country [but] I think I’d like to eventually cover 70% of the U.S. on terrestrial stations [alone].”
There’s been a concerted effort to continue to buy stations although Colaco explains, “Some markets such as Washington, D.C. have been challenging to get into. Our goal is to get into [all] Top 50 markets, which would give about 68% coverage of the country just with those markets.”
Niche Operator
With the exception of Indianapolis and Little Rock, Radio Disney’s terrestrial stations are AMs.
WRDZ-FM/Indianapolis’ 0.9 (12+) in the Winter 2006 book placed it 23rd, while KDIS-FM/Little Rock ranked 18th (1.1). “Kids care less about the fidelity so it hasn’t substantially hurt us,” Colaco maintains. “I would, however, be fibbing if I said we wouldn’t want to be on FM. HD Radio will be a huge opportunity for us. We’re gradually updating all our stations and our AMs will be of comparable quality to FM. As receivers roll out in the next five to ten years, we’ll have a huge opportunity to improve our fidelity and capture more listening.”
In that context, another strategy Colaco would like to employ is having Radio Disney as an HD-2 channel. “They’ll obviously need a lot of good programming for these ancillary HD channels,” he notes. “That could be another way for us to achieve affiliations. Our high-quality, niche programming could also help drive the adoption of HD radio.”
Advertising is now fairly evenly divided between the tweeners and their mothers. “Advertisers have understood moms are an elusive target in today’s media landscape,” Colaco comments. “You can get a lot of wastage if you just target women when you’re trying to reach moms. It’s pretty clear that, if there are kids in the car, someone else is driving. We’re reaching 2.4 million moms a week. That’s a pretty attractive target for any mom advertiser.”
As a result, business has been very strong in 2006, with Colaco seeing double-digit increases over last year. “It’s pretty much driven by all the major categories,” he reports. “Automotive is a little slow right now [but] entertainment is very strong. There have been many kids and family releases in the marketplace this year, [which has] been helpful to us. We’ve been able to get some acceptance from new advertisers that we couldn’t get in the past. We’re a niche operator and have been able to use promotions and national coverage to help gain traction with major advertisers.”
Safe & Sound
A critical component Radio Disney has been able to capture is the “four-legged consumer” – kids and moms in cars. “There’s so much competition in the kid marketplace [but] so few dollars to go after,” Colaco explains. “We’ve established ourselves as the family vehicle for reaching moms and kids on their way to soccer practice and to the grocery store. Retail has stepped up and become a big [player] for us and we’re also now getting some automotive. Consumer packaged goods continues to be [a] strong [category] for us.”
From a programming standpoint, the format sparks parent/child connections.
In “Dress Under Stress,” for example, parents (most often the mother) time their kids as they get ready for school “We’ve always been about programming to kids,” Colaco remarks. “The part for the parents is that it’s a safe haven for music. In many cases, it’s music that the moms personally like. We play a lot of oldies they can relate to and also play many remakes. Kids love the artists and moms recognize the songs and can sing along.”
Limitless Future
The actual Radio Disney birthday is November 18, 2006 - but in true Disney fashion, the festivities (under the “Totally Ten” moniker) at the network and station level are ongoing and will include a major concert in two months (7-22-2006) at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. “We’re having an on-air contest where kids can win a trip to Los Angeles to be part of it,” Colaco notes. “They’ll be able to go backstage and have their own dressing room. Each individual market will be doing flyaways to this big event.”
Expecting to see further growth in the next five years, particularly on the way technology can enable him to distribute the product further, Colaco envisions a national, 24/7 television channel. “I [also] see us being well-distributed on cellular telephone technology,” he predicts. “We’re looking at our first few deals now where you can actually stream Radio Disney from your cell phone.”
Developing multiple channels is another potential challenge and Colaco contends Playhouse Disney might be a fulltime entity that could be distributed on the Internet as well as on supplemental HD channels. “If XM and Sirius were interested, we could [provide them] with more channels, as well,” he comments. “Technology will enable us to broaden our scope and capitalize on different ways to reach listeners. One goal has been to capture the maximum amount of time people can spend with Radio Disney. The more options we give consumers to have `their music/their way,’ the better the chance to maximize listening. We’re excited about the journey we’ve been on - the future is even more exciting. Seeing this become a living, breathing thing is very exciting. The only limitations to where we can go are the limits of our imagination.”
Happiest Place On The Dial
Incalculable changes and nuances notwithstanding, the broad 25-54 demo is still widely coveted by the majority of advertisers and consequently by radio executives.
That’s as true today as it was ten years ago when skeptics were quick to dismiss an about-to-be syndicated format whose target wasn’t 25-54, 25-49, 18-49, 18-34 or even Teens.
Going completely counter to customary thinking, architects and visionaries who’d craft and shape what became Radio Disney placed youngsters – as in pre-Teens – as their top priority.
Since Arbitron didn’t then nor does it now include pre-Teen listening in its ratings books, Radio Disney couldn’t be anything but a laudable effort doomed to fail.
Some scratch their heads and think it’s downright goofy that ten years later Radio Disney is doing positively ducky – but that’s indeed the case.
Shot In The Dark
Many have been responsible for the ten candles on Radio Disney’s birthday cake but none has made a more significant ongoing contribution than vivacious Dallas-based VP/Programming Robin Jones, who modestly downplays her pivotal role. “I wish I could take full credit for the idea of doing a radio product for kids, she remarks. “ABC Radio thought about doing [it] and looked at it from several different perspectives. At one time, [current XM Chief Programming Officer] Lee Abrams was here and we put together a demo that was celebrities singing children’s songs.”
But it was Jones’ very adamant contention that kids were “hipper” than that. “They deserved to be respected for their acumen of relevant music and relevant entertainment,” she comments. “I can take credit with my team for putting together the product it has evolved into, which is relevant music pulled from sources kids were a part of. We also incorporated ‘edutainment.’ It teaches kids something that is fun but doesn’t feel like they’re in school.”
Even in Radio Disney’s most primitive stages, Jones never wavered in her belief in the product. “I thought it would be successful but not to the [extent] it has,” she admits. “I’ll never forget how the phones lit up when we first launched the format. You could feel the momentum. I also remember that, when I hired people, I told them it was a shot in a dark and I [couldn’t promise] it was going to work. We paid to move them here but couldn’t [pay] to move them back [if it failed].”
Wonderfully Weird
Akin to launching a new station at the local level, there were plenty of late-night pizza parties with an energetic staff who practically took up residence at the studios. “It was that kind of magic happening,” Jones beams. “We could all feel something weird was going on.”
The original record library had to be purchased outright because no one would provide gratis record service. “Record companies would laugh; hang up; and we’d never hear from them,” Jones remembers. “I was just cleaning out storage cabinets and found the original letters we wrote to labels, begging for music. Now labels bring in artists and showcase them to us.”
Prior to joining Radio Disney, Jones had already achieved national prominence for adeptly programming ABC Radio’s Hot AC format, and also worked on-air. “I remember kids calling [on the request line] in the middle of the night who acted stupid,” she notes with a smile. “You want to hang up on them. [But this format] was designed to listen and give them what they want, but in a way that was safe and comfortable to their parents. We found parents enjoyed it right alongside them. They want to see their kids have fun, enjoy music, and also want to participate as their kids grow into well-rounded people.”
Pre-Hormonal
As Radio Disney’s on-air product matured, Jones discovered and “respected” that parents are there as well. “We gave them a `wink/wink, nudge/nudge.’ They’re coming [to us] because their kids are happy. Kids are so awesome about responding and telling us who they like and who they want to be like. It’s so easy to get them to talk back to us. In many cases, we have more than two million calls a week and [countless] emails. It’s immediate – not like the old days when you had to wait for your callout research to come back. I can ask what they think in a Saturday `Online Mailbag’ and we take what they say to heart.”
Conventional industry research methods are important to the format and are utilized by Jones, but she explains, “It’s not my main nugget. Especially in a kid’s mind, a week or a month is like a lifetime. Things can change a lot [in the six months between auditorium tests]. There are cases where we are willing to [add] songs much earlier than anyone else.”
In contrast to other formats that ideally visualize their bulls-eye listener as a 37-year-old female, Radio Disney’s typical partisan is 11 or 12. “When the hormones hit, we start to see it go downhill,” Jones comments. “However, there are plenty of 15 and 16 year-olds – particularly girls – who still listen. Our sweet spot, though, is right around 11.”
Some Things Never Change
Percentages of African-Americans and Hispanics listening to Radio Disney are perhaps higher than one might anticipate. “It speaks to many cultures and many ethnicities and is just good music,” Jones states. “Kids growing up look for someone to emulate. Girls want to be like Hilary Duff. They dream of that knight in shining armor and want that fairytale ending. Boys [are partial] to sports anthems and songs you grit your teeth to and hope you never hear them again. Girls like ballads - it never changes.”
Something else that has remained consistent is the immense amount of time Jones, a mother of two Radio Disney-age daughters, listens to her creation. “Honestly - it’s by their request,” she steadfastly maintains. “Radio Disney is on in my car [when I drive my daughters to school]; every weekend to the soccer games; and evenings to soccer practice. My 12-year-old has an uncanny ability to tell me [which songs will do well and which won’t]. I have to remember to keep my eye on the Mother Ship. Content needs to remain fresh and relevant to those listening. We have to continually watch the kids’ entertainment landscape to see what’s hot and what’s not, to see how we’re going to stay in that ballgame.”
Grand Brand
As the kid-geared venture that began in 1996 as a four-market test rolls on, Radio Disney President/GM Jean-Paul Colaco reflects that the thing that sticks out to him is the product’s gradual evolution. “The acceptance by our listeners has fully snowballed and has given us something unparalleled in the radio industry. We went from being a radio station into being a brand. We’ve transcended the radio platform by being on Sirius and XM satellite radio and Music Choice. We also stream at RadioDisney.com and launched a video-on-demand television channel, which will be expanded across the country. We’re podcasting on iTunes and Yahoo and have a Radio Disney store on iTunes where people can buy downloaded [music].”
Especially gratifying to native Canadian Colaco is the format’s international expansion. “We realized what we started in the United States is easily transportable to the rest of the world,” he explains. “We are on all across South America and in the U.K. and we’re on in English in Japan. It’s something that began with great programming and great content and defined itself as a brand. It’s been able to expand on so many platforms and so many geographies that it’s really become a success story. Radio is often the medium of choice in many countries that don’t have as prevalent access to television as we do in the United States. Living by the `radio is local’ mantra, we’re able to customize the format so that it fits the target audience in the specific country.”
In South America, for example, Radio Disney is geared to 12-24s, rather than the format’s 6-14 United States target audience. “The programming is in Spanish, of course, but stays true to the Disney core equities and has been extremely successful,” Colaco remarks. “We’re in the Top Five in almost every country [in which we broadcast]. As long as you stay true to the localism related to radio and capitalize on the Disney brand and core equities, you can be successful. We want to expand further and are looking at countries like Singapore and India. It’s exciting because it’s also a good adjunct to the Disney brand. As we penetrate new markets, radio can be a big piece of that puzzle.”
Kids Stay No. 1
While Radio Disney has evolved a bit more toward families, the intention of being the ultimate music destination for kids remains intact. “We want to provide high-quality content in a family-friendly way,” Colaco declares. “That’s always been our [goal] and we still remain committed to the segment we’re targeting - kids first and families second. In `Family Fun Day Sunday,’ kids and moms do things and play games together.”
In addition to being on the two satcasters, the format is heard domestically in 40 major markets on terrestrial stations Radio Disney owns. There are also two LMAs and it has 12 non-owned affiliates. “We’d like to be more fully distributed on terrestrial radio,” Colaco concedes. “[But] we’re happy that, when you combine terrestrial radio, satellite radio, Music Choice and DIRECTV, we’re really at 100% coverage of the United States. We have full distribution of the country [but] I think I’d like to eventually cover 70% of the U.S. on terrestrial stations [alone].”
There’s been a concerted effort to continue to buy stations although Colaco explains, “Some markets such as Washington, D.C. have been challenging to get into. Our goal is to get into [all] Top 50 markets, which would give about 68% coverage of the country just with those markets.”
Niche Operator
With the exception of Indianapolis and Little Rock, Radio Disney’s terrestrial stations are AMs.
WRDZ-FM/Indianapolis’ 0.9 (12+) in the Winter 2006 book placed it 23rd, while KDIS-FM/Little Rock ranked 18th (1.1). “Kids care less about the fidelity so it hasn’t substantially hurt us,” Colaco maintains. “I would, however, be fibbing if I said we wouldn’t want to be on FM. HD Radio will be a huge opportunity for us. We’re gradually updating all our stations and our AMs will be of comparable quality to FM. As receivers roll out in the next five to ten years, we’ll have a huge opportunity to improve our fidelity and capture more listening.”
In that context, another strategy Colaco would like to employ is having Radio Disney as an HD-2 channel. “They’ll obviously need a lot of good programming for these ancillary HD channels,” he notes. “That could be another way for us to achieve affiliations. Our high-quality, niche programming could also help drive the adoption of HD radio.”
Advertising is now fairly evenly divided between the tweeners and their mothers. “Advertisers have understood moms are an elusive target in today’s media landscape,” Colaco comments. “You can get a lot of wastage if you just target women when you’re trying to reach moms. It’s pretty clear that, if there are kids in the car, someone else is driving. We’re reaching 2.4 million moms a week. That’s a pretty attractive target for any mom advertiser.”
As a result, business has been very strong in 2006, with Colaco seeing double-digit increases over last year. “It’s pretty much driven by all the major categories,” he reports. “Automotive is a little slow right now [but] entertainment is very strong. There have been many kids and family releases in the marketplace this year, [which has] been helpful to us. We’ve been able to get some acceptance from new advertisers that we couldn’t get in the past. We’re a niche operator and have been able to use promotions and national coverage to help gain traction with major advertisers.”
Safe & Sound
A critical component Radio Disney has been able to capture is the “four-legged consumer” – kids and moms in cars. “There’s so much competition in the kid marketplace [but] so few dollars to go after,” Colaco explains. “We’ve established ourselves as the family vehicle for reaching moms and kids on their way to soccer practice and to the grocery store. Retail has stepped up and become a big [player] for us and we’re also now getting some automotive. Consumer packaged goods continues to be [a] strong [category] for us.”
From a programming standpoint, the format sparks parent/child connections.
In “Dress Under Stress,” for example, parents (most often the mother) time their kids as they get ready for school “We’ve always been about programming to kids,” Colaco remarks. “The part for the parents is that it’s a safe haven for music. In many cases, it’s music that the moms personally like. We play a lot of oldies they can relate to and also play many remakes. Kids love the artists and moms recognize the songs and can sing along.”
Limitless Future
The actual Radio Disney birthday is November 18, 2006 - but in true Disney fashion, the festivities (under the “Totally Ten” moniker) at the network and station level are ongoing and will include a major concert in two months (7-22-2006) at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. “We’re having an on-air contest where kids can win a trip to Los Angeles to be part of it,” Colaco notes. “They’ll be able to go backstage and have their own dressing room. Each individual market will be doing flyaways to this big event.”
Expecting to see further growth in the next five years, particularly on the way technology can enable him to distribute the product further, Colaco envisions a national, 24/7 television channel. “I [also] see us being well-distributed on cellular telephone technology,” he predicts. “We’re looking at our first few deals now where you can actually stream Radio Disney from your cell phone.”
Developing multiple channels is another potential challenge and Colaco contends Playhouse Disney might be a fulltime entity that could be distributed on the Internet as well as on supplemental HD channels. “If XM and Sirius were interested, we could [provide them] with more channels, as well,” he comments. “Technology will enable us to broaden our scope and capitalize on different ways to reach listeners. One goal has been to capture the maximum amount of time people can spend with Radio Disney. The more options we give consumers to have `their music/their way,’ the better the chance to maximize listening. We’re excited about the journey we’ve been on - the future is even more exciting. Seeing this become a living, breathing thing is very exciting. The only limitations to where we can go are the limits of our imagination.”
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Timon/Pumbaa fan
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10 years on air, and they still don't really play Disney music, even if they're called Radio DISNEY. 
Well at least there's Sorcerer Radio.
Well at least there's Sorcerer Radio.
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musicradio77
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Radio Disney Folded Into Television Group
Radio Disney, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary as a 24/7 children's network, is being shifted from ABC Radio Networks to the Disney-ABC Television Group. With the change, Disney Channel Worldwide SVP/Programming Strategy Jill Casagrande has been appointed SVP/GM of Radio Disney.
In her new role, Casagrande will manage the day-to-day operations of Radio Disney and continue to report to Disney Channel Worldwide President Rich Ross, who will "spearhead Radio Disney's overarching strategic direction," the company said in a press release issued late Monday. Ross reports to Disney-ABC Television Group and Disney Media Networks co-chair Anne Sweeney, who said, "Radio Disney stands to benefit enormously from its integration into our portfolio of global kids' business. I know Rich and the entire team will create one cohesive vision to provide Disney-quality entertainment to kids and families wherever they are and whenever they want it."
Meanwhile, Radio Disney President/GM Jean-Paul Colaco — a central figure since 1998 in the network's growth — has been promoted to role of SVP/Business Development for The Walt Disney Co., and Radio Disney VP/Programming Robin Jones will continue in her present role, Disney spokeswoman Patti McTeague told R&R. McTeague added that Radio Disney's new oversight by Disney Channel executives is not a result of recent budget cuts at The Walt Disney Co.
In her new role, Casagrande will manage the day-to-day operations of Radio Disney and continue to report to Disney Channel Worldwide President Rich Ross, who will "spearhead Radio Disney's overarching strategic direction," the company said in a press release issued late Monday. Ross reports to Disney-ABC Television Group and Disney Media Networks co-chair Anne Sweeney, who said, "Radio Disney stands to benefit enormously from its integration into our portfolio of global kids' business. I know Rich and the entire team will create one cohesive vision to provide Disney-quality entertainment to kids and families wherever they are and whenever they want it."
Meanwhile, Radio Disney President/GM Jean-Paul Colaco — a central figure since 1998 in the network's growth — has been promoted to role of SVP/Business Development for The Walt Disney Co., and Radio Disney VP/Programming Robin Jones will continue in her present role, Disney spokeswoman Patti McTeague told R&R. McTeague added that Radio Disney's new oversight by Disney Channel executives is not a result of recent budget cuts at The Walt Disney Co.
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blackcauldron85
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Radio Disney Jingle Jam- I met Drew Seeley!
This possibly could belong in the General Discussion forum, since it's Disney-related, but it's kind of Off-Topic, too.
Anyhoo, yesterday I went to the free Radio Disney Jingle Jam in Celebration, FL. It was free, and it was fun!
I saw Mitchel Musso (from "Hannah Montana"- yes, he is a musician now), Keke Palmer (the main girl from "Jump In!", and Drew Seeley (he sang as Troy for some parts of songs in "High School Musical", and he was a part of the HSM tour, and he has some various Disney-related songs).
After the concert was a "limited" autograph signing. Mitchel and Keke left about 5 minutes before it was my turn for getting autographs, so I didn't get to meet them, but I did meet Drew Seeley and briefly talked with him. He seems like a really genuine guy, and that was refreshing. To make the lines go faster, eventually they said that you couldn't get your picture taken with the celebrities, but Bobby took a picture of me getting Drew's autograph.
The pictures from the concert didn't turn out so great, since the sun was at a weird angle.
But, here's the link to my Photobucket account with the pictures:
http://s231.photobucket.com/albums/ee22/concert81807/ (starting near the bottom- the pictures labeled 12-06-07 [even though they're from the 22nd]).
and here's a picture with me & Drew (it came out pretty bad):
Anyhoo, yesterday I went to the free Radio Disney Jingle Jam in Celebration, FL. It was free, and it was fun!
I saw Mitchel Musso (from "Hannah Montana"- yes, he is a musician now), Keke Palmer (the main girl from "Jump In!", and Drew Seeley (he sang as Troy for some parts of songs in "High School Musical", and he was a part of the HSM tour, and he has some various Disney-related songs).
After the concert was a "limited" autograph signing. Mitchel and Keke left about 5 minutes before it was my turn for getting autographs, so I didn't get to meet them, but I did meet Drew Seeley and briefly talked with him. He seems like a really genuine guy, and that was refreshing. To make the lines go faster, eventually they said that you couldn't get your picture taken with the celebrities, but Bobby took a picture of me getting Drew's autograph.
The pictures from the concert didn't turn out so great, since the sun was at a weird angle.
But, here's the link to my Photobucket account with the pictures:
http://s231.photobucket.com/albums/ee22/concert81807/ (starting near the bottom- the pictures labeled 12-06-07 [even though they're from the 22nd]).
and here's a picture with me & Drew (it came out pretty bad):
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PeterPanfan
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blackcauldron85
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Radio Disney online stream won't work
Hello,
cqan anyone say, if there are alternative methods for the online stream of radio disney?
I always get "stream failed to load" on every attempt.
Or is there an IP Filter which locks out non-US IP adresses?
regards,
Thorsten
cqan anyone say, if there are alternative methods for the online stream of radio disney?
I always get "stream failed to load" on every attempt.
Or is there an IP Filter which locks out non-US IP adresses?
regards,
Thorsten
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Dr Frankenollie
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What's 'Radio Disney'?
Last edited by Dr Frankenollie on Tue May 21, 2019 7:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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milojthatch
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http://radio.disney.go.com/index.htmlDr Frankenollie wrote:What's 'Radio Disney'?
It's a radio station in the US (not sure if they have anything outside the US) that play a lot of the same kind of music you'd find on Disney Channel. It used to be geared more for young children when it first started, but in the time since, as shifted to being more for pre-teens and teens.
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All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.
-Walt Disney
All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.
-Walt Disney
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Sotiris
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Re: Radio Disney
It's the end of an era.
Radio Disney, Radio Disney Country to End Operations in Early 2021
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/radio- ... 234845630/
Radio Disney, Radio Disney Country to End Operations in Early 2021
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/radio- ... 234845630/
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blackcauldron85
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Re: Radio Disney
I used to listen to Radio Disney all the time when I lived in Orlando, but that's the only place I've lived where it came in (AM radio!). I also went to some Radio Disney events when I lived there. I know in-person events aren't happening now, but it's a shame kids won't have those to go to anymore.
I wonder if Radio Disney Country, being online-only, wasn't doing as well as expected, for them to not try Radio Disney as a digital-only station before just shuttering it.
I was going to ask if you think the employees will be shifted to other parts of Disney, but with so many jobs lost at the Company, I doubt it.
I wonder if Radio Disney Country, being online-only, wasn't doing as well as expected, for them to not try Radio Disney as a digital-only station before just shuttering it.
I was going to ask if you think the employees will be shifted to other parts of Disney, but with so many jobs lost at the Company, I doubt it.
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Sotiris
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Re: Radio Disney
At least Radio Disney in Latin America is staying put.
Sources: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-a ... wo-decadesRadio Disney in Latin America is a separate operation and will not be affected by the decision, Disney said.