Disney Channel (Indian TV channel) facts for kids
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| Country | India |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | |
| Picture format | SDTV 576i HDTV 1080i |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company India |
| Parent | Disney Star |
| Sister channels | Disney Star Channels |
| History | |
| Launched | 16 December 2004 (SD) 15 March 2023 (HD) |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Tata Play | LCN 657 HD |
| Airtel digital TV | LCN 458 SD |
Disney Channel is a popular TV channel in India. It is owned by The Walt Disney Company India. This company is part of the larger The Walt Disney Company.
The channel is like the Indian version of the original Disney Channel in America. It started broadcasting on December 16, 2004. You can watch Disney Channel on most TV services that require a subscription. In October 2020, it was one of the top five most-watched kids' channels.
Contents
Channel History
On December 16, 2004, Disney Channel India began. Its sister channel, Toon Disney, also launched at the same time. Both channels showed programs in English and Hindi. At first, Disney Channel mostly showed popular American Disney shows. These included Lizzie McGuire, That's So Raven, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Hannah Montana. Other favorites were Wizards of Waverly Place and Phineas and Ferb.
Disney India then started making local versions of international live-action shows. The first one was Best of Luck Nikki, which started on April 3, 2011. A special movie, Phineas and Ferb Across the 2nd Dimension, also premiered on the channel in September 2011.
In 2012, another local show, The Suite Life of Karan and Kabir, began. This was an Indian version of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The channel also released its first Indian Disney Channel Original Movie, Luck Luck Ki Baat.
June 2014 saw the launch of Disney Channel India's first local animated series. It was called Arjun Prince of Bali.
On December 17, 2014, the channel changed its look. It started using the same new logo as other Disney Channels around the world. However, its logo color was purple instead of blue. The channel also started showing family-friendly programs on weekends. This special weekend block was called "Shanivaar, Ravivaar only for Parivaar." These family shows began airing on January 31, 2015. By early 2016, the channel stopped making local live-action shows. It decided to focus more on Japanese anime and local animation. These types of shows were getting better viewership numbers.
On May 1, 2018, the channel's logo color changed to blue. This matched the international Disney Channel logo. In the same month, the channel launched Simple Samosa and Big Hero 6 The Series. On October 1, 2018, the new DuckTales reboot also premiered in India.
In 2019, the channel continued to create new local animated shows. It also brought in more international shows from the Disney library. Some of these included Oye Golu, Amphibia, Big City Greens, and Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. The Descendants movie series also premiered on Disney Channel in December 2019.
In summer 2020, Disney Channel launched new shows like Mira, Royal Detective, Bapu, and Guddu. They also aired new episodes of popular shows like Chacha Chaudhary and Doraemon. On September 6, 2020, the channel launched a do-it-yourself (DIY) show called Imagine That. The second season of Imagine That and 101 Dalmatian Street aired on April 18, 2021.
Where You Can Watch It
Disney Channel India broadcasts in India and some nearby countries. It used to be available in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Bhutan. However, it was removed from these countries for different reasons.
In February 2013, the government of Bangladesh stopped Disney Channel and Disney XD from broadcasting. The reason was that the shows, especially Doraemon, were only in Hindi. They wanted shows to have local language versions. Pogo was also banned for the same reason. Later, a different version of Disney Channel became available in Bangladesh.
Similar concerns about language were raised in Pakistan. People wanted shows like Doraemon to be in languages other than just Hindi. In 2016, after some disagreements between India and Pakistan, all Indian TV channels were banned from broadcasting there. This ban was confirmed again in 2018.
In Bhutan, the channel was also removed in 2017. Most of its shows were in Hindi instead of English. This change was part of a plan to make TV channels more consistent.
Other Disney Channels
Disney Channel HD
On March 15, 2023, Disney Channel HD was launched. This is a high-definition version of the channel. It was planned earlier but got delayed.
Disney Junior
The Playhouse Disney brand started in India in 2006 as a special block of shows on Disney Channel. On July 4, 2011, it changed to Disney Junior. Eventually, Disney Junior became its own 24-hour channel.
Disney International HD
On October 5, 2017, The Walt Disney Company India announced a new channel called Disney International HD. It launched on October 29, 2017. This channel shows international live-action content from the Disney Channel library. You can watch shows like Austin & Ally, K.C. Undercover, and Liv and Maddie. It also airs popular Disney Channel Original Movies like Teen Beach, Descendants, and Zombies.
Hungama TV
Hungama TV started on September 26, 2004. It was first owned by UTV Software Communications. But The Walt Disney Company India bought it in 2006. This channel mainly shows Japanese and Indian animated programs.
Super Hungama
This channel has changed its name a few times. It first launched as Toon Disney on December 17, 2004. Then, on November 14, 2009, it became Disney XD. On January 6, 2019, it rebranded as Marvel HQ. Finally, on March 1, 2022, it became Super Hungama. When it launched as Super Hungama, it added new shows like Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and Big City Greens.
What's On The Channel
Unlike many other Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel India shows very few programs from the American networks. It mostly focuses on local Indian shows and some Japanese content. These types of shows are more popular with Indian viewers. For example, Doraemon is a Japanese show that has been on the channel a lot since 2011. This is because it is very popular and helps keep many viewers watching. Today, shows like Selfie with Bajrangi and Doraemon are often shown throughout the day.
See also
In Spanish: Disney Channel (India) para niños
- Disney Channel (United States)
- Hungama TV
- Super Hungama
- Pogo (TV channel)
- Cartoon Network (India)
- Nickelodeon (Pakistani TV channel)
- Disney Junior (Indian TV channel)
- Sony YAY!
- Discovery Kids
