Disney Channel (Russian TV channel)

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Disney Channel

Канал Disney
Type	Television network
Country	Russia
Broadcast area	Russia & CIS nations
Headquarters	Moscow
Programming
Language(s)	Russian
Picture format	576i (16:9 SDTV)
Ownership
Owner	UTH Russia (2011-2019) Media-1 (2019-present; 80%) The Walt Disney Company CIS (20%)
Parent	Disney International Operations
Key people	Vladimir Vereshchagin (Vice President, TV and Film Production) Svetlana Lysko (Editor-in-Chief)
Sister channels	Fox National Geographic Nat Geo Wild Muz-TV
History
Launched	10 August 2010 (pay television) 31 December 2011 (free-to-air network)
Founder	The Walt Disney Company EMEA
Replaced	Jetix (10 August 2010) Seven TV (31 December 2011)
Links
Website	https://kanal.disney.ru/
Availability
Terrestrial
RTRN	Channel 32 (Moscow and Moscow region)
Cable
Rostelecom	Channel 32
MTS TV	Channel 33
Beeline	Channel 25
Satellite
Tricolor TV	Channel 312
NTV Plus	Depends on plan and settings
MTS TV	Channel 33
IPTV
Tricolor TV	Channel 312
Streaming media
YouTube	https://youtube.com/KanalDisneyRU

Disney Channel) (Russian: )Канал Disney)) is a Russian free-to-air television channel which was launched on 10 August 2010 on pay television, replacing kids channel Jetix, and was later launched as a free-to-air network, replacing Seven TV on 31 December 2011. The network is one of the few Disney Channel variations which renders the word 'Channel' in a native language (in Cyrillic) within its logo and vocally (in Russian).

According to MediaScope, the coverage of Disney Channel is 49.6 million viewers, with the average of 2.9 million people watching the channel on a daily basis.^[1]

History[]

Original launch[]

While Disney previously planned to launch Disney Channel Russia as an over-the-air service in 2009, their deal with a Russian media company was rejected by Russian authorities. A registration request was filed in 2010 with the Russian media authority Roscomnadzor.^[2]

On March 9, 2010 the Russian TV authority granted Walt Disney Company CIS a cable television broadcasting license (#15922). Later it was announced that the change would happen on August 10, 2010.^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

On August 10 at 12 local time Disney Channel Russia replaced Jetix Russia, making it the last Jetix-branded channel in the world to close. The last Jetix program was an episode of Kid vs. Kat while the first program on Disney Channel was the premiere of the movie Finding Nemo, following a 5+1⁄2-minute introduction package.^[8]

Unlike many other Disney Channels in Europe, which broadcast a single video feed with several language tracks, this version is custom-made for Russia. Almost every title and logo on the channel is translated and adapted as well.

Free-to-air launch[]

On October 27, 2011, following a meeting between Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the management of The Walt Disney Company and the UTH media group, Disney bought 49% of the shares of the Seven TV Channel.

On 31 December 2011, Disney Channel Russia turned into a free-to-air television network by replacing terrestrial channel Seven TV at noon.^[9] Right after the Free-to-air launch, the word “Channel” in the Mickey Mouse ears logo has been replaced with a Russian word “Канал” (Channel).

Initially, Disney Channel Russia used to have an outdated "Ribbon" channel branding, that disappeared from other countries before the year 2010. In a slightly refreshed form, that branding remained in active use until August 2014. Disney Channel Russia never switched to the newer boxed logo, as it was meant to represent the mobile app, which was never available for the country.^[10]

On Friday, August 1, 2014 Disney Channel Russia, along with other Disney Channels Worldwide, rebranded with the new logo and identity, during its worldwide rebranding campaign.^[11]

Post-launch[]

Since January 2016, after the amendments to the media law entered into force, according to which the participation of foreign capital in the domestic media is limited to 20%, UTH Holding became the owner of 80% of the TV channel, while The Walt Disney Company retained 20%.^[12]

In the fall of 2018, the Russian Disney Channel changed its own identity for the second time, as well as logo animation. This time they used a new identity, which is exclusive to the Russian channel.^[13] The logo has remained unchanged, although it was moved from the lower left to the lower right corner of the screen and now it uses a little lighter blue color and a different animation. Since then Disney Channel Russia never uses the same logo animation or channel identity as any other version of the channel.

During Summer 2019, a new flat version of the logo was introduced, although the older 3D version of the logo still remains in more active use as of July 2021.^[14]

On 19 July 2021 Disney Channel updated to 16:9 picture format.^[15]

Programming[]

Unlike other regional versions, Disney Channel Russia broadcasts kids-targeted content for younger audiences. Since 2014 it primarily broadcasts Disney XD and Disney Junior animated series, with some rare exceptions. Starting from August 12, 2010, Disney Channel broadcast Playhouse programming. When the block used the said brand (using the localized version of the Playhouse Disney logo) it was starting early in the morning and it was staying on air until 12:00 p.m. This also applied to the block when it used the Russian localized version of the Disney Junior logo. Every year the block was airing less time than before until it ceased using said branding on May 1, 2020.

Early programming[]

In the past it used to copy Eastern European Disney Channel feed, with the inclusion of former Jetix programming. This means there were primarily Disney Channel and Disney XD original live action series (Jessie, Austin & Ally, Good Luck Charlie, Lab Rats, Mighty Med, etc.) and rare animation from Disney Channel and Jetix (Phineas and Ferb, Kid vs. Kat, etc.).

2014-2019[]

This, however, changed with the 2014 rebranding, when the channel slowly switched to kids television animation, including Disney XD and Disney Junior animated series, like Gravity Falls, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, DuckTales, Amphibia, as live action series were faded away to the point there were no any old or new shows presented on the channel due to different family and cultural values in Russia and financial problems.^[16]

Playhouse Disney was rebranded to use Disney Junior-like logo and identity. Also, starting that year, Disney Channel Russia introduced a new evening prime time block called "Большая Анимация" ("Full-length animation", literally Great/Big Animation). It consists of Disney's theatrical movies. The block airs every day and starts in 7:30 pm daily. It was intended to be a replacement to the earlier block "Your Bright Night!" (Russian: Твой Яркий Вечер!), which broadcast Disney Channel Original Movies and was shortly removed off the air after the 2014 rebranding.

2020-2021[]

During the 2020 COVID lockdown, live-action series returned to the network's schedule, along with Gabby Duran & the Unsittables during summer 2020.^[17]

Disney Channel Russia Original Productions[]

• Bolshie semeynye igry ("The Great Family Game", Большие семейные игры)
• Eto moy rebenok?! ("Is this my child?!", Это мой ребенок?!)
• Eto moya komnata! ("This is my room!", Это моя комната!)
• Mama na 5+ ("Mama 5+", Мама на 5+)
• Pravila stilya ("Style rules", Правила стиля)
• Posle shkoly ("After School", После школы)
• Prikoly na peremenke: Novaya shkola ("As the Bell Rings: A New School", Приколы на переменке. Новая школа)
• Ustami mladentsa ("The mouth of the baby", Устами младенца)

See also[]

• Jetix
• Jetix Play
• Seven TV
• Disney Channel (Central and Eastern Europe)

References[]

External links[]

• Disney Channel Russia official website
• Official news release by Walt Disney Company CIS