SB-05: Disney Channel 1.0 | Step One: "The" Channel Reborn

Originally Posted by Jeff Harris

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Now that TV Disney is the new name of Disney Channel, what would I do with the brand name? The Disney Channel brand name still has a lot of prestige and reverence to a lot of people. But for some reason, the current target audience tends to have more reverence towards the shows than the actual network, as I pointed out earlier.

That's another reason why I think the channel currently named Disney Channel should be renamed TV Disney. That doesn't mean the name should be retired. The Disney Channel brand can be salvaged in a newer, yet familiar format, and that's that of a premium commercial-and-break-free channel. It would recognize the brand that is Disney and celebrate its extended legacy, including its animated legacy the current Disney Channel and Disney XD has abandoned over the years. It would be The Disney Channel.

Yes, The Disney Channel. When they took "The" from the name of the channel currently known as Disney Channel, it took away a sense of honor and distinction. As The Disney Channel, it would be a new network unhindered and not obsessed with ratings like TV Disney would be and it would be the home of all the eras of The Walt Disney Company, from the shorts and early television offerings to the Eisner/Katzenberg/Wells revival in film and television to the present as well as the legacies of Jim Henson's Muppets, ABC Television, Fox Kids, and Pixar.

The Disney brand still has relevance, and any operator would be interested in what they'll offer. Heck, Disney just launched a premium Video-on-Demand network, Disney Movie Magic, that has the kind of programming that could fit on a premium Disney Channel.

It'd be a 24-hour subscription-based network just like what The Disney Channel used to be. Considering it IS subscription-based, expect no breaks within the programming, no commercials, and nothing but family-friendly programming from the Disney library. Mornings would be aimed towards younger kids and the kids-at-heart with classic Disney shorts, Muppets, and age-appropriate Disney-owned properties (not just preschool shows, that's what Playhouse Disney on TV Disney does daily), early afternoons will have a movie every day. Late afternoons will be aimed towards older kids with comical and light-action-themed fare. Early primetime will have sitcoms and dramas followed by a feature aimed towards the entire family. Late primetime is for parents to unwind and settle in for the night with sitcoms and dramas more suitable for them as well as classic Disney fare from yesteryear.

That would be something proud to have the Disney brand attached to it. It would be The Disney Channel.

Of course, there are still people that feel that TV Disney and The Disney Channel couldn't co-exist. As they say in America, "Are you kiddin'?"