Fiktiv USA - Radio Disney

Radio Disney is an American radio network operated by the Disney Radio Networks unit of Disney Branded Television within the Disney General Entertainment Content, headquartered in Burbank, California.

The network broadcasts music programming oriented towards children, pre-teens, and young teenagers, focusing mainly on current hit music and a heavy emphasis on teen idols (especially that signed with Disney-owned record labels, such as Hollywood and Walt Disney); compared to most CHR stations, Radio Disney is far more aggressive in playing only current hits and eschews recurrent rotation.

For many years Radio Disney affiliated with stations in markets of varying size, mainly large and mid-sized markets; however, by the early 2010s, Disney had begun to phase out the network's affiliations with terrestrial radio stations, and sold its owned-and-operated Radio Disney stations (with the exception of WQEW in New York and KDIS in Los Angeles) to third-parties, in order to focus more on its programming, marketing, creating revenue producing events and distribution of Radio Disney as an internet radio outlet on digital platforms.

In 2015, Radio Disney partnered with iBiquity to distribute the network terrestrially via its HD Radio platform, and with iHeartRadio for further digital distribution. In 2017, Radio Disney launched a spin-off service, Radio Disney Country, which carries a country music format catered towards a similar audience. The network also lends its name to the Radio Disney Music Awards, an annual music awards presentation broadcast on television since 2014 by Disney Channel.

Disney had for a long time been involved in the music business, building off its success in movies and TV shows, which later became Disney Music Group. However, with radio, Disney was not committed to the medium only doing a few shows. Radio Disney is Disney's third foray into radio. In late 1955, Walt Disney started The Magic Kingdom radio show—running Monday through Fridays and which was heard on ABC Radio. Even before the 1996 Disney-CC/ABC merger, Disney and ABC Radio considered as early as 1992 planned for a children's radio network but dropped the idea. Starting on July 31, 1994, Disney started a weekend radio show, Live From Walt Disney World, that originated from both Disney World and Disneyland on Radio AAHS.

In November 1995, ABC Radio Networks and Children's Broadcast Corp. reached an agreement for ABC Radio to provide marketing and sales to Radio AAHS. After Disney's acquisition of CC/ABC, Disney had ABC Radio cancel the agreement in August 1996 plus announced the start of its own children's network and ended AAHS's Disney World broadcasting rights.

Radio Disney was test launched in November 1996 in four markets, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Salt Lake City and Birmingham, Ala., by ABC Radio Networks. On August 26, 1997, Radio Disney was launched in Los Angeles on KTZN/710.

A nationwide roll out occurred in 1998 with 28 stations affiliating by August 1998 with an expected 63 stations by the end of 1999. Radio Disney purchased KAAM (AM) (Plano, Texas) for $12 million and switched the station to the network in July. In 1998, the network was based out of its Dallas station.

Other than music, the network in 1998 had "Mickey & Minnie's Tune Time," a two-hour weekday toddler program and two 60-second features per hour which included contests, "ABC News for Kids", "Gross Me Out," a "gross" facts. The network ran its Radio Disney Project Family Initiative from July 1 to September 15, 2003 with family-themed programming and events to get family to sign on to the Radio Disney Family Pledge.

Radio Disney began being carried by SiriusXM in 2002. Disney entered a joint venture to launch Capital Disney digital radio channel in Britain and operated from 2002 until June 29, 2007. In 2004, Disney paid the former Children's Broadcasting Corporation (which operated children's radio network Radio Aahs) $12.4 million in a lawsuit settlement.

2006 marked the network's 10th anniversary; Radio Disney rebroadcast its first hour of programming from November 18, 1996, on June 6, 2006, at around 4:58 pm. ET on stations in select markets, such as WQEW. Also, as part of the 10th anniversary, Radio Disney held the "Totally 10 Birthday Concert" on July 22, 2006, at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. It also included a simultaneous live webcast on the Radio Disney website. A second concert was held in Dallas, Texas, on November 18, 2006, at the Dallas Convention Center.

On June 12, 2007, operational duties of Radio Disney were transferred to the company's Disney–ABC Cable Networks Group (currently d.b.a. Disney Channels Worldwide), which otherwise operates Disney's cable television properties, except for ESPN.

In March 2008, Radio Disney and Gracenotes signed a licensing agreement starting immediately that allow the lyrics be seen along with the song online on Radio Disney Internet Radio Player. The channel began streaming live on iTunes Radio Tuner in August 2008. In November 2008, Radio Disney relocated its main operations from Dallas to Los Angeles. The former radio studio that housed Radio Disney in Dallas began to be used by The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show in 2008.

The network launched on October 8, 2008 the Next Big Thing feature which allows listeners vote on young unsigned artists' songs to be played. In 2013, the Radio Disney Music Awards began airing on the Disney Channel.

On February 14, 2011, a Radio Disney Junior block launched in tandem with Disney Junior on Disney block. The hour long block focus on music for the preschool age plus fun "audio theater" with Disney Junior characters.

Radio Disney started to reduce its station footprint to the larger markets to make the network more profitable. In January 2010, Radio Disney requested permission from the FCC to "silence" five of its owned-and-operated stations (along with a sixth station operating under a local marketing agreement with another company) while the stations were being sold. Disney sold six AM stations and one FM station that year. In June 2013, Disney announced the sale of seven owned-and-operated stations in medium-sized markets, in order to refocus Radio Disney's broadcast distribution on the top-25 radio markets.

On April 10, 2014, it was announced that Radio Disney's Top 30 Countdown would become a syndicated radio show, distributed by ABC Radio.

On August 13, 2014, Radio Disney's general manager Phil Guerini announced plans to sell all but two of its remaining owned-and-operated stations on or before September 26, 2014, in order to focus more on the network's programming, co-branded events, and digital outlets. Listenership reports indicated that the majority of Radio Disney's audience listened to the network via satellite radio and other digital platforms, and only 18% via terrestrial AM/FM radio.

On April 13, 2015, Disney announced that the Radio Disney network would move to HD Radio subchannels; the network will be distributed by iBiquity, with ad sales handled by its HD Radio Digital Network unit. A network representative that the move was intended to target families as in-car listeners. On August 6, 2015, Radio Disney was made available for listening on iHeartRadio.

It was announced that on November 25, 2019, Disney has secured a deal with Entercom to bring Radio Disney and Radio Disney Country to the company's Radio.com platform.

Radio Disney plays a large selection of songs from stars and programs on Disney Channel, along with popular songs from mainstream pop and R&B artists that are found on conventional radio stations. The network airs edited versions of some Top 40 songs (which remove profanity and any other suggestive content) to make them appropriate for younger listeners. The specialized radio format favors music which often takes on a sound reminiscent of "bubblegum pop" of the 1960s and '70s.

In July 2010, Radio Disney debuted its first scripted serial called My Dream, a contemporary story utilizing a format reminiscent of serials from the 1940s. Unlike Depression-era radio serials that typically featured episodes lasting 15 to 30 minutes, episodes of My Dream runs for only 90 seconds and play multiple times throughout the day. My Dream stars Daphne Blunt as a 14-year-old girl trying to make a name for herself in the music industry while dealing with the usual struggles, responsibilities and emotional ups and downs of an everyday teen.

Current programs:
Fearless Everyday – hosted by blogger and entrepreneur Alexa Curtis, is Radio Disney's first show to introduce topics like social media and mental health to listeners.
#ICYMI – In Case You Missed It
1 Hour of Nonstop Music – A One Hour Program that plays commercial free music.
Morning Update
Radio Disney Country Spotlight
Radio Disney Insider Show
Really Good Time – Hosted by DJ Lela B, the program features dance music including remixes of popular songs. In addition, Lela B also hosts the Weekend Warm-Up show which similar features remixes of songs.
The Radio Disney Top 3 – The Radio Disney Top 3, hosted by Morgan Tompkins, features the three most requested songs of the day, and after, a caller who is able to name all three songs will win a prize or super entry.
TBT Top 3
Radio Disney's Top 10 (originally Top 30 Countdown and Radio Disney's Top 30) – The longest-running program, originally hosted only by Susan Huber, soon by Jake Whetter, later by Ernie D., and now by Richardo Ordieres. Songs that receive the most requests during the week are included on the countdown, played in descending order. In 2016, the Radio Disney Top 30, after being the longest-running program in the station, was shortened to only 10 songs. Around New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, a special version of the countdown featuring the 50 most requested songs of the year is broadcast. As of February 2018, it is hosted by various artists or other guest hosts.

Current features:
ABC News for Kids – News updates from ABC News Radio which feature child-appropriate news updates and features segments.
Music Mailbag – The hour-long Saturday program. After a new song selected for entry into Radio Disney's regular playlist was played, listeners were urged to call into the network's hotline or vote on its website to "Pick It" (make the song part of the network's playlist rotation) or "Kick It" (reject it as an entry into the playlist).
60 Seconds With (actor/actress/artist name) – A segment featuring minute-long excerpts from interviews and celebrity "takeovers".
Grand Prize Drawing – Grand prize drawings often occur over the course of one to four weeks, depending on the contest. Contestants can win entries in a regular contest that contestant wins; contestants also periodically have the opportunity to win a "super entry", in which 100 entries for the drawing are entered into the contest. The winner of the grand prize will usually win a vacation, or a chance to meet a popular artist heard on Radio Disney or the opportunity to meet another celebrity. Drawings usually occur on a Friday.
Planet Premiere – A music artist sits down with Ernest "Ernie D." Martinez or Candice Huckeba as their newest album or song is played on Radio Disney. Before each song plays, the artist tells the listeners how the song was conceived, and what its meaning was.
Power Prize – The "Power Prize" occurs at least six times a day. A winner of a contest will not only win a super entry, but also a "power" prize. This started when Radio Disney stopped giving out prizes to every contest winner.
Radio Rewind – A segment of a song was played backward and callers would try to guess the name of that song. The song would usually be played forward after someone wins.
Sound File – The news on new music and artists (new entries appear weekly during the Top 10 Countdown).
Super Entry – Winners of a contest receive 100 entries into the grand prize drawing. When the "super entry" first started, the winner would get 40 entries.
TBT Top 3 – Throwback Thursday Top 3, A long time segment That Plays Throwback Songs, But not that far back. and after that, a caller would try to guess 3 songs, and a caller will win.
Title Text – A segment that a DJ says the first letter for each word of a song, and callers would try to guess the full words of the song, and will play after someone wins. (For Example: C, S, T, F,: Can't Stop the Feeling.)