March 16 - 22, 2008
 

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Thursday March 20, 2008

Disney to buy back part of Disney Store chain
Children's Place to Exit Disney Stores
Save Small World, ride creator's family begs Disneyland
Highlights of Disney Cruise Line's deal with Port Canaveral
Jonas Brothers to star in reality show
Mouse overhauls Euro distribution team
Disney Destinations chief Robertson quits
2008 Disney Channel Games concert tickets
Disney film crew could show up in financial district building soon
Television's History Channel Is History

Disney to buy back part of Disney Store chain

Pasadena Star-News - The Walt Disney Co. said today it is talking with The Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. about buying back a North America-based portion of the Disney Store chain that it sold off in 2004.

"The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) today confirmed that it is in advanced discussions with The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc., to explore terms under which Disney might acquire ownership of a portion of the Disney Store chain in North America," a company statement said.

"The Company believes the Disney Stores can be an important extension of the "Disney" brand and, with the improved economics provided by a smaller store footprint, could add value to the Company in the promotion and monetization of its growing number of robust franchises."

In 2004, Disney sold the Disney Stores to Children's Place, which is based in Secaucus N.J., after finding retailing challenging, even though the stores are popular with children.

An international entertainment conglomerate, Disney reported annual revenues of more than $35 billion in its most recent fiscal year and, as of yesterday, a market capitalization of nearly $59 billion.

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Children's Place to Exit Disney Stores

The Wall Street Journal - Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. announced plans to exit the Disney Store chain in North America and cut 130 jobs as it swung to a fiscal fourth-quarter loss on write-downs and other costs related to the exit.

In getting out of its relationship with Walt Disney Co., for with talks are ongoing, Children's Place interim Chief Executive Chuck Crovitz said the company's namesake brand "is well-positioned in this environment."

Disney and Children's Place, which launched a strategic review in October -- a month after founder Ezra Dabah resigned as chief executive -- haven't had a smooth relationship since Disney turned over operations of the Disney Store chain in 2004.

In a separate statement, Disney confirmed the discussions and said the stores "can be an important extension of the 'Disney' brand and, with the improved economics provided by a smaller store footprint, could add value to the company." The chain suffered earlier this decade after going on an expansion binge during the 1990s.

The 130 job cuts in Children's Place's shared-services business are a combination of layoffs and not filling open positions. Savings of $12 million a year are projected from the reduction.

In addition, the company is slashing its capital-spending target for the year by at least 50% to between $65 million and $75 million. Such spending in the prior fiscal year was $200 million. The cuts reflect exiting the Disney business and not building a new headquarters.

"Given the challenging macroeconomic environment," said Mr. Crovitz, "we believe the steps we are taking today, while difficult, will put The Children's Place in position to realize its full potential."

For the quarter ended Feb. 2, the children's clothing retailer reported a net loss of $58.5 million, or $2.01 a share, compared with prior-year net income of $44.7 million, or $1.48 a share. The latest results include a pretax write-down of $80.3 million related to the Disney exit.

Gross margin slumped to 37.3% from 43.7%.

Children's Place reported last month that fourth-quarter sales climbed 4% to $670.9 million as same-store sales rose 3%, rising 7% at Children's Place stores and falling 4% at Disney stores.

Mr. Dabah, the company's largest shareholder with a 17% stake, resigned from his post in September after an internal investigation found violations of company policy. He announced in October he was considering buying Children's Place and looking into alternatives to finance a bid.

Mr. Dabah said in late February he was confident he will be in a position to make a formal proposal to acquire Children's Place for $24 a share. The bid values the firm at about $700 million.

Looking ahead, Mr, Crovitz projected sales will grow in the mid-single digits in the fiscal year. Analysts were expecting sales to grow 8% to $2.34 billion.

Shares of Children's Place closed Wednesday at $19.60 and rose to $20 in premarket activity.

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Save Small World, ride creator's family begs Disneyland

LA Times - An "idiotic plan" to add Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters as well as an American tribute scene to Disneyland's It's a Small World represents a "gross desecration" that would "bastardize" the stylized artwork and "marginalize" the original theme of the boat ride, wrote the family of the classic attraction's creator in an open letter to Disney executives.

Disney Imagineers are considering changes to Small World that include adding Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Peter Pan, Belle, Simba, Nemo, Lilo and Stitch to locations throughout the ride while replacing the Papua, New Guinea, rain forest scene with an American tribute, reported MiceAge's Al Lutz.

"Ripping out a rain forest (imaginary or otherwise) and replacing it with misplaced patriotism is a public relations blunder so big you could run a Monorail through it," wrote Kevin Blair, son of Small World creator Mary Blair, on behalf of the family.

Disney officials said some additions — known as "plussing" in Imagineering parlance — will be made to Small World but that no decision had been made on specific creative changes to the 14-minute ride despite the speculation.

"No one approaches our classic attractions with more reverence than Disney Imagineers who take great care when refreshing beloved attractions," said Marilyn Waters, a Disney Imagineering spokeswoman. "As with all our classics, any enhancements made to It's a Small World will be in the original spirit of celebrating the children of the world."

ReImagineering, an unofficial online forum for past and present Disney Imagineers to catalog missteps and debate solutions, called the "egregious and downright disgusting" proposed Small World changes a "brutal dismissal" of Mary Blair's "profound and enduring influence on the Disney aesthetic."

"This is not a change at Disneyland to take lightly," the ReImagineering editorial stated. "Letters should go out to all corners of the company pleading for a halt to the desecration of Small World once and for all."

MiceAge's Dateline Disneyland columnist Andy Castro has championed an online campaign to "Save the Rainforest," urging Small World fans to call, write or e-mail Disneyland, Walt Disney Imagineering or Disney's corporate headquarters to put a halt to the proposed changes.

Kevin Blair sent snail-mail versions of his protest letter to Disneyland President Ed Grier, Disney Imagineering's Marty Sklar and Tony Baxter and Pixar chief John Lasseter.

Small World went down for a 10-month rehab in January to replace the original flume and fleet of boats used at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair, where the ride debuted.

The Mouse still insists the Small World overhaul has absolutely nothing to do with the ever-increasing waistlines of Americans.

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Highlights of Disney Cruise Line's deal with Port Canaveral

Orlando Sentinel - In return for a promise from Disney Cruise Line to continue making at least 150 calls a year, Port Canaveral must spend as much as $10 million building a 1,000-space parking garage for Disney.

The port will also borrow an additional $22 million to finance further upgrades to Disney's custom-built terminal, work that will include extending docks, expanding check-in space and installing environmentally sensitive technology. The debt ultimately will be paid off by a new, $7-per-round-trip charge on Disney Cruise Line tickets. A Disney spokeswoman said the charge would begin in 2010.

After more than a year of negotiations, Disney Cruise Line and Port Canaveral struck a deal Wednesday that will keep Disney ships sailing out of Brevard County for the next 15 years.

Under the agreement, Disney will station the two new cruise ships it is having built in Germany at Port Canaveral for at least three years after they begin sailing in 2011 and 2012. Each of the ships will carry 4,000 passengers, or 1,300 more than the existing Disney Magic and Disney Wonder liners.

The agreement also ensures that some combination of Disney's four ships will remain based at Canaveral until at least 2023, making a combined 150 calls every year.

For its part, Canaveral will spend as much as $10 million to build Disney a 1,000-space parking garage. The port will borrow an additional $22 million to finance further upgrades to Disney's custom-built terminal, work that will include extending docks, expanding check-in space and installing environmentally sensitive technology.

The construction work must be complete by Oct. 1, 2010.

The debt ultimately will be paid off by a new, $7-per-round-trip charge on Disney Cruise Line tickets. A Disney spokeswoman said the charge would begin in 2010.

Stan Payne, Canaveral's chief executive officer, said the deal gives the port the assurance it needs to embark on the multimillion-dollar upgrades required to accommodate the next generation of ultra-sized ocean liners.

Disney's new ships, for instance, will each be three decks taller, 150 feet longer and 15 feet wider than its existing ships.

"Our key objectives during the negotiations were balancing Disney's needs for flexibility . . . with our need for a commitment," he said.

He projected that the agreement would generate at least $200 million in revenue for the port in the next 15 years.

Disney Cruise Line President Tom McAlpin called the promise to keep the new ships in Brevard until at least Dec. 31, 2014, "a pretty big commitment on our part."

But he also said it was vital that Disney have the freedom to begin deploying some of its ships full-time to new locations all over the world.

The company is increasingly experimenting with far-flung itineraries, sending the Magic to the U.S. West Coast during the summer of 2005 and to Europe last summer. The ship will return to the West Coast this summer.

"When you invest hundreds of millions of dollars in an asset, you'd like to maintain flexibility," McAlpin said. "The benefit of our industry is that our assets our mobile."

Disney is expected to send ships even further afield in the coming years.

The company views the cruise line as a way to introduce consumers in new markets to the Disney name and spark demand for its other parks and products.

Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger has called the cruise line "an important brand-builder."

McAlpin would not discuss where Disney might station the Magic and another ship, the Wonder, once the new ships arrive.

"We're still studying that," he said.

Disney's inaugural 10-year deal with Port Canaveral was set to expire this summer, and the negotiations on an extension haven't always been easy. Disney executives suggested, publicly and privately, that they were considering moving ships to rival ports in Miami or Fort Lauderdale. They toured the Port of Tampa last year.

The talks "reached a pinnacle on Christmas Eve when my wife wanted to know what I was doing standing in my front yard without shoes on, talking on my Blackberry to Tom McAlpin," Payne said.

Port officials were still scrambling to finalize the deal as late as Wednesday morning, just hours before Canaveral Port Authority members voted to approve it.

Payne said the port faced an extra hurdle because the nation's credit turmoil made finding a way to finance the construction improvements difficult.

"This is a complicated deal," McAlpin said.

Port officials also announced Wednesday that they have reached a tentative agreement with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in which the Miami-based cruise operator will station its Freedom of the Seas liner at Canaveral beginning in May 2009.

The Freedom-class vessel, which will have room for more than 3,600 passengers, will become the largest ship home-ported at Canaveral when it arrives.

It will replace the roughly 3,100-passenger Mariner of the Seas, which Royal Caribbean plans to send to Los Angeles in early 2009, and ensure that the company continues to have two ships stationed in Canaveral.

Payne said he expects to sign a five-year contract with Royal Caribbean for the ship soon.

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Jonas Brothers to star in reality show

Digital Spy - The Disney Channel has announced that it is to make a reality show about US pop-rock band the Jonas Brothers.

The series, currently titled Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream, will follow Kevin, 20, Joe, 18, and Nick, 15, on their 'Look Me in the Eyes' tour, which kicked off in January.

The new series is the latest in a number of projects Disney has spearheaded for the platinum-selling group. They released second album Jonas Brothers through the company's Hollywood Records last August and recently opened for Disney star Miley Cyrus on her Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds concert tour.

They will embark on their own 'Burning Up' tour in July to promote their third album and original Disney TV movie Camp Rock.

They will also appear in scripted spy comedy series J.O.N.A.S. for the channel.

Gary Marsh, president of entertainment at Disney Channel Worldwide, said: "The Jonas Brothers are an unstoppable force that has exploded onto the music scene."

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Mouse overhauls Euro distribution team

C21Media - Disney Media Networks has made several new appointments in its program distribution and new media divisions, following the recent restructure of its European TV operations.

Catherine Powell has been appointed senior VP of program distribution, EMEA (North) at Disney-ABC International Television. She will drive content sales in the UK and Ireland, Germany, France, Nordic, Israel and Benelux, working with program sales heads and their teams in local markets.

Powell was previously VP of sales, UK/Ireland, Nordic, Israel and Benelux, and joined the company in June 2004. She will continue to be based in London.

Francesca Tauriello has been appointed senior VP of programme distribution, EMEA (South). She will lead program sales activities in Italy, Spain, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and the Middle East, working with program sales heads and their teams.

Tauriello will remain based in Rome. She was previously Disney-ABC International Television’s VP of sales, Northern Mediterranean and Middle East, and joined the company in May 2001.

Maria Kyriacou has been appointed senior VP of new media distribution, EMEA and Canada. She will focus on leading new media sales and strategy within the integrated business, across both channel and program distribution, with a focus on developing activity with new platforms such as PC, IPTV, mobile and other consumer devices.

Kyriacou be working closely with Powell, Tauriello and Simon Amselem, senior VP of channel distribution, EMEA, and will be based in London.

Other appointments include Adam Tow, who has been appointed VP of business and legal affairs, EMEA and Canada. He swaps with Simon Taylor who takes Tow's role as VP of business and legal affairs, Disney Channels EMEA.

The appointments follow Disney's move in February to integrate channel, new media, program distribution and business and legal affairs teams in EMEA. All will report to Tom Toumazis, executive VP and MD of the integrated business.

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Disney Destinations chief Robertson quits

PrecisionMarketing - Disney Destinations International (DDI) head of marketing UK and Ireland Adrian Roberston has left the company without a job to go to.
Robertson joined Walt Disney, Theme Park Operator, in 2004 as head of direct marketing and new media before moving through the company.

With 20 years in marketing, Robertson started his career at the Royal Heritage Life Assurance as marketing executive, before moving to NatWest as an account executive on its direct marketing team.

He later joined Empire Stores, before moving to BT, where he was communications manager of direct marketing.

In 1999, Robertson switched to the travel market as online and direct marketing manager at Thomas Cook Tour Operators. He was tasked with launching JMC Holidays’ website, as well as relaunching and rebranding the company’s key brands. He later joined competitors First Choice – before the TUI buyout – as group CRM manager.

While at Disney, Robertson was instrumental in developing Walt Disney World’s online activity, targeting many of its customers via the Internet and shifting a major portion of its TV ad spend online.

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2008 Disney Channel Games concert tickets

Theme Park Rangers - As of late last night, Walt Disney World passholders could begin requesting free tickets for the 2008 Disney Channel Games concert, which will feature The Cheetah Girls, The Jonas Brothers and others on Saturday, May 3, at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

Here's what to do:

Email dcgamesconcert08@gmail.com with your name, e-mail address, phone number, number of tickets you'd like (maximum of 6) and passholder ID number.

Requests are honored on a first-come, first-served basis, and you will be notified by email. There are no guarantees that you will receive tickets.

Keep reading the jump for what to do if you're not a passholder.

Sentinel TV critic Hal Boedeker points readers of his blog to the Disney web site, which posted information yesterday for tickets for the general public. It indicates those without annual or seasonal passes should check here on Tuesday, March 25, for details on how they can request tickets.

Remember, this is a television production, so there will be down time during the taping. But how can you beat a free concert with at least two of the hottest teen acts whose tour tickets are almost impossible to snag?

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Disney film crew could show up in financial district building soon

bizjournals - A movie crew from The Walt Disney Co. was spotted at 160 Federal St in Boston's financial district on Thursday, scouting the location for an upcoming film.

Building management did not return calls seeking comment. But spectators early that morning said Disney wanted to scenes in a few weeks for a film starring "Speed" actress Sandra Bullock.

Bullock's film "The Proposal," co-starring Ryan Reynolds, is to start shooting in Massachusetts on March 31 through Disney's Touchtone Pictures imprint, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The Beverly Citizen, citing unnamed sources, reported recently that the film's producers are scouting locations in Gloucester, Manchester and Beverly airport.

Boston Casting is reportedly handling casting of extras for the movie.

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Television's History Channel Is History

AP - The History Channel is now history.

Make that History. The cable network quietly dropped "the" and "channel" from its name recently, claiming History for itself.

"Our brand is, in the media landscape, synonymous with the genre of history so I don't think it's presumptuous of us to call ourselves History," said Nancy Dubuc, the network's executive vice president.

That's how many viewers already refer to it, she said. "Channel" is a drag on efforts to establish the brand in other media, like on the Internet. There were no licensing issues involved in the switch, she said.

The network has even changed its "H" logo to make it look bolder, less ancient.

Once dubbed "The Hitler Channel" for all of its World War II documentaries, History has switched to a more "immersive" style that tries to show rather than tell, she said. Adventure-seeking is in. Sitting in an armchair telling war stories is out.

History is following the model of Discovery, whose popular "Deadliest Catch" series about Alaskan crab fishermen is one of the most influential shows on cable. History, owned by the A&E Television Networks, has its own "Ice Road Truckers" about drivers on frozen lakes in Canada and just started "Ax Men" about loggers.

The series "MonsterQuest" may sound like a video game; it's about searches for mythic creatures.

"It's not exactly history, is it?" said Sean Wilentz, award-winning history professor at Princeton University.

"Anybody who thinks that there's only one place to go for history is badly mistaken," Wilentz said. "Why are they doing that? I don't know. Especially at a time they are moving away from history? I don't get it."

Although the attention-getting "Life After People" special dramatized a world after the human race had been wiped out -- prehistory, in other words -- Dubuc said she's concentrating on building signature series that people will return to each week.

Despite his bewilderment at the change, Wilentz and another prominent historian said they appreciated any efforts to get more people interested in the topic.

"Truth is that I love history so much and if the changed name brings more people to watch more history it's all to the good," said Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Gordon Wood, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian at Brown University, doesn't watch the network much.

"I must confess, I'm still back in the reading-of-books stage," he said.

A&E is a joint venture of Hearst, Disney ABC Cable and NBC Universal Cable.

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Wednesday March 19, 2008

Spring in Bloom, Disney Style
Disney To Bring Megaships To Port Canaveral
Disney Says Narnia Not Over
Broken Bridge
Famous Five go high-tech in new books and film for Disney Channel
Van Dyke Sings 'Supercali ... ' Etc.
Disney Helps Open Boys & Girls Club
Disney Interactive Studios Original Franchise Continues with Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals for Nintendo DS
Shanghai to Welcome Disneyland
Alaska extends 'kids fly free' Disney promotion
Cyrus' Child Is No Destiny
Disney announces shoot of DCOM in Rajasthan
ABC to Air Prostitution News Special
Dancing with the Stars Round One - Ladies' Night

Disney Garden begins shipping to Mexico
Q&A: ABC Family's Paul Lee

Spring in Bloom, Disney Style

Disney Insider - Have you ever wondered what it's like to enter a lush garden aflutter with hundreds of butterfly wings? Or how about escaping into a serene water garden? These are just some of the adventures awaiting Guests at the Epcot International Annual Flower and Garden Festival.

Celebrating its fifteenth year, the flourish-filled fest has extended its run to 75 days, from March 19 to June 1, offering a magical journey into the world of gardening. Guests are greeted by a 14-foot topiary of Goofy riding the waves at the Epcot's front gate while Mickey and Minnie relax beachside in a nod to this year's theme, "Fun in the Sun." More Disney Characters will be blooming than ever before, along with specialty gardens geared toward food lovers, English tea aficionados, and even those with not-so-green thumbs.

The festival's most popular event is Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden, where Guests can surround themselves with 500 American butterflies in a 1,400-square-foot enclosed house. With a little patience, you can observe an amazing metamorphosis as the chrysalis opens and a butterfly emerges, gently pumping newborn wings for its first attempt at flight. But there's more to observe here than just the obvious beauty. Eric Darden, Horticulture Manager for Epcot and the Food and Garden Festival, explains that, "Telling the story of our native butterflies informs our Guests while promoting butterfly-friendly gardening."

In addition, the festival features numerous activities that focus on green issues. Xeriscapes, a brand-new exhibit, provides an eco-conscious choice for the horticultural challenged. Taking the country's recent droughts into account, Eric states, "we are asking Guests to consider the environmental impact when they go home." This easy-to-care-for garden is packed with plants requiring minimal water aside from natural precipitation, illustrating a worry-free option for the water conscious.

Advanced gardeners looking to unearth some new tips and tricks will enjoy the ongoing lecture series featuring the man in red suspenders himself, Roger Swain, longtime host of PBS's "The Victory Garden," along with many of the country's top horticulturalists. Although Disney might be the "House of Mouse," 2008's Year of the Rat is the perfect time to explore the Chinese zodiac at the festival's Topiary Chinese Zodiac Garden.

There's plenty to do with little ones in tow. Every year the festival adds more activities the entire family can enjoy. For boys who don't want to grow up, Peter Pan's Never Land Garden is a great place to explore, with Captain Hook and Peter Pan topiaries whisking them away to a make-believe world.

Proving fun is for kids of all ages, the Flower Power Concert Series, features stars like Davy Jones, the Nelsons, and other memorable acts from decades past. Annual Passholders can unwind from the afternoon grind and get grooving to some of their favorite artists.

Whether your thumb's ever-green or you're a gardening washout, Epcot's International Flower and Garden Festival offers blooms, tunes, and something truly spectacular for every member of the family.

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Disney To Bring Megaships To Port Canaveral

Local6 - Disney Cruise Line has agreed to make Port Canaveral home for both of the newest super liner cruise ships in its fleet beginning in 2011, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.

In addition, Royal Caribbean International has signed a letter of intent to bring its Freedom of the Seas to be home-ported at Port Canaveral in 2009.

The deals are the culmination of a year of negotiations.

In 2011 and 2012, Disney will put both of its mega-size 4,000-passenger ships at Port Canaveral in a deal in which the cruise line will pick up the $22 million cost for improvements to its land-side terminal at the port and construction of a new parking garage.

Under terms of the 15-year deal, the ships will remain at Port Canaveral at least until 2014, at which time Disney has the option to move the ships. At least two of the four Disney ships will remain at Port Canaveral for the duration of the contract.

"This is the most exciting development," said Stan Payne, chief executive officer of Canaveral Port Authority. "The trend in the cruise industry is to put the bigger ships at the strongest ports in the country, and for Disney to put both of its newest ships here is a big statement."

With Royal Caribbean, the deal to bring Freedom of the Seas to Port Canaveral in 2009 was critical to replace the Mariner of the Seas, which leaves for Los Angeles that year.

The five-year deal, which includes two one-year contract extensions, is the longest term of any contract the port has had with Royal Caribbean. It took a year to work out the Disney deal because of issues related to the overall deal, particularly financing the terminal construction, which needs to be completed by October 2010.

In February 2007, Disney announced the deal with Germany's Meyer Werft Shipyards to build the two 122,000-ton ships.

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Disney Says Narnia Not Over

411mania - Reports broke earlier this week that Disney may pull the plug on their Chronicles of Narnia franchise after the third film, but Disney is denying those reports today. It appears that Disney still plans to bring all seven Narnia books to the big screen.

Meanwhile, John Carter of Mars is still on track and should take off in the not too distant future.

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Broken Bridge

Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square Bridge is indeed in trouble. As reported here a few weeks ago, the Bridge that carry's thousands of people a day and makes way for all of Magic Kingdom's Parades is in need of repair or complete replacement. Disney World has already filed the appropriate paperwork for the job and only time will tell how this will affect the day to day workings at the Magic Kingdom. To view the paperwork click this LINK

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Famous Five go high-tech in new books and film for Disney Channel

Times Online - They solve mysteries with a laptop while tomboy George has become Jyoti - the Famous Five have been rebooted by Disney in a “relevant” form for today's children.

Enid Blyton's celebrated characters are being revived in a new series of books, accompanied by an animated television series, screened on the Disney Channel.

The amateur sleuths still stop for ginger beer and are accompanied by their faithul dog, Timmy. But much has changed since the quintet first investigated Treasure Island in 1942.

Famous Five: On the Case introduces the children of Blyton's original adventurers, and rumours that George nurtured sapphic tendencies have proved wide of the mark. Her anglo-Indian daughter Jo, short for Jyoti, is the new team leader.

Wimpish Anne became a successful California art dealer and produced Allie, a shopping-obsessed Malibu girl who shares her mother's disdain for dangerous antics.

The five are again packed off to the Devon moorlands and are soon on the trail of smugglers. But they encounter a more sinister threat on their first adventure: a phoney “environmentalist” is running a DVD bootlegging operation on Shelter Island, just the kind of activity that is threatening Disney's profits.

Our heroes discover that the DVDs are embedded with subliminal messages that brainwash children into craving Fudge Fries candy. The villain is brought to book.

The new five are “sassier” than their upper-middle-class parents. Describing a monster, the laptop-wielding Dylan (son of Dick) exclaims: “It's been around for centuries — longer than Prince Philip.”

When Anne uses the light from her mobile phone to plot their escape from a pitch-dark tunnel, she reminds viewers: “Cell phones are the greatest invention ever — you can order pizza with them.”

The original Blyton titles sell one million copies a year and Hodder is publishing 12 new books. They are top-sellers in India, inspiring Jo's ethnic background.

Jeff Norton, director of Brand Development of Chorion, which owns the rights to all the Blyton books, said: “The new Five is a fresh, modern concept which relates to audiences in a multimedia age.

“They are smart, cool and hip kids, but like their parents they use their resourcefulness and survival skills to bring down the bad guys.”

Like The Dangerous Book For Boys, the new Famous Five is intended as a riposte to a society in which children are told it is too dangerous to play outdoors. Although the children are notionally under the sway of Aunt George, they are encouraged to sleep rough on the moors, go kayaking and explore deserted mines and Kirrin Island.

Hodder is also encouraging children to read the original books, which have sold one million copies, and write their own Famous Five story. The best entry will be turned into a podcast. Famous Five: On the Case begins on the Disney Channel in May with the first new book following in July.

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Van Dyke Sings 'Supercali ... ' Etc.

AP - Dick Van Dyke may be 82, but he can still get 14 syllables into a single word. Van Dyke sang "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" on Monday night at the Geffen Playhouse during a tribute to actress Annette Bening and studio chief Robert A. Iger. The ceremony honored their efforts to support the arts — live theater in particular.

Van Dyke even recreated a bit of the choreography from "Mary Poppins" with the current Broadway stars of "Poppins" and "Mermaid," Ashley Brown and Sierra Boggess.

"The secret to keeping moving," Van Dyke said, "is keeping moving."

Not coincidentally, Julie Andrews served as co-chair of the tribute with Van Dyke, marking a "Poppins"-movie reunion on the arrivals line.

"It's one of those friendships where we do see each other, occasionally," said Andrews, 72. "Not as much as I like, but it's as if we never said goodbye, and we never did say goodbye."

While the spotlight was on three-time Oscar nominee Bening and Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, the stage loomed larger than both of them — and it's clear that's just as the two preferred.

The star of such movies as "American Beauty" and the upcoming "The Women," Bening, 49, told AP Television, "The non-profit theater is where I started. It's where I saw my first play. I don't know how many people out there were taken to the theater for the first time by their English teacher or their drama teacher, but that's where I went, which is The Old Globe in San Diego. ... So, for me, it's where I started, and I feel so grateful."

The Tony-nominated Bening won wide acclaim for her lead in "Hedda Gabler" at the Geffen in spring 1999. "I'd rather watch her on stage than anyone else," noted Bening's husband, actor Warren Beatty, 70. "And I'd rather watch her at home than on stage."

Bening has been a longtime supporter of the Geffen, as well as a member of the California Arts Council. When Iger, 57, took over for Michael Eisner as Disney chief in 2005, he quickly made it clear that he shared his predecessor's passion for theater. Disney now has five shows on Broadway, including the just-opened "The Little Mermaid" and the West End smash, "Mary Poppins."

Other celeb attendees included Oscar-winner Anjelica Houston, who presented to her "The Grifters" costar Bening; Tony-winning director Julie Taymor ("The Lion King"), who presented to Iger, as well as producer Gil Cates, writer Bruce Vilanch, and actors Sharon Lawrence, Dana Delany, James Cromwell and Jane Lynch.

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Disney Helps Open Boys & Girls Club

WESH - A grand opening in Pine Hills on Wednesday is being called a dream come true.

Disney is helping the Boys and Girls Club to open a new center there today in an area known for crime and violence.

The new building sits at 5211 Hernandes Drive.
Mickey himself is expected to attend for the grand opening.

Disney offered the same support to another Boys and Girls Club last month in Osceola County.

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Disney Interactive Studios Original Franchise Continues with Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals for Nintendo DS

Business Wire - Details of the next game in the highly popular anime-inspired, sci-fi action/role playing game series Spectrobes have been uncovered. Disney Interactive Studios today announced the name of Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals, the sequel to Spectrobes, which shipped more than 1 million units worldwide and was the best-selling third-party Nintendo DS game of 2007 in North America.

Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals for Nintendo DS continues the story of Rallen and Jeena, interplanetary patrol officers who discover, excavate, awaken and train mysterious fossilized creatures known as Spectrobes and then use them to battle enemies. The story surrounds the origins of mysterious portals that lead to distant dimensions.

Developed by Kyoto, Japan-based Jupiter Corp., the studio behind Spectrobes, Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals has a wealth of new features, including an entirely new story; a new three-dimensional perspective; a map to assist with exploration; new excavation and battle features; more creatures; and the debut of an online battle system utilizing the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals also includes DGamer, Disney Interactive Studios innovative new technology that provides a fun, connected online game community for Disney video game fans. Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals is currently planned for a Fall 2008 release.

Spectrobes has become an international sensation, said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. By continuing to build on its enthralling story, unique gameplay features and memorable characters, Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals will continue to thrill fans. This second game is part of our plan to expand the series in the coming years.

The game is being overseen by Disney Interactive Studios Tokyo office.

With Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals, were working with Jupiter Corp. again and ensuring the series adheres to its defining features while capturing new elements of anime style and storytelling, said Kentaro Hisai, producer, Disney Interactive Studios, based in Tokyo. Spectrobes was a major success last year and we look forward to continuing the series.

In Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals, players can take on the role of either Rallen or, for the first time, Jeena. Jeena uses her research and technological skills so the duo can solve puzzles and complete their missions.

With the games inclusion of DGamer, players can customize a unique 3D avatar, earn exclusive Disney content, interact and chat with their friends via their Nintendo DS using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection or on a computer through the Disney.com website. DGamer is the first online community developed exclusively for Disney Gamers and will be offered in North America in Nintendo DS games from Disney Interactive Studios with a future launch scheduled in other global regions.

For more information about Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals, log on to www.spectrobes.com/beyondtheportals.

About Disney Interactive Studios

Disney Interactive Studios is the interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS). Disney Interactive Studios self publishes and distributes a broad portfolio of multi-platform video games and interactive entertainment worldwide. The company also licenses properties and works directly with other interactive game publishers to bring products for all ages to market. Disney Interactive Studios is based in Glendale, California and has five internal game development studios around the world including Avalanche Software, Fall Line Studio, Propaganda Games, Black Rock Studio and Junction Point Studios.

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Shanghai to Welcome Disneyland

Trading Markets - US-based Walt Disney Company has decided to build a Disneyland at Chuansha town, Pudong, Shanghai, expected to be announced around the period for the opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, according to reliable news.

Shanghai mayor Han Zheng once said that the city, having the ability to build a Disneyland, was preparing for the construction and waiting for approval from the State Council, China's cabinet.

Shanghai Current Economics Research Institute head Wang Liang said that the location of Disney had started to influence the city's every aspect, such as stock market, real estate, tourism and retail business.

For instance, Disney concept stocks, Shanghai Lujiazui Finance & Trade Zone Development Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600663), Shanghai Jielong Industry Group Corporation Limited (SHSE: 600836), Shanghai Pudong Road & Bridge Construction Company Limited (SHSE: 600284) and Shanghai Construction Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600170) kept rising from middle February when the whole stock market was down.

Meanwhile, Pudong concept stocks, Shanghai Shimao Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600823), Shanghai Jielong Industry Group Corporation Limited (SHSE: 600836), Shanghai Xinmei Real Estate Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600732) and Shanghai Wanye Enterprises Co., Ltd. (SHSE: 600641) aslo gained strong performance.

Moreover, all houses at a building under construction, which nears Disney Shanghai theme park, have been sold out.

An insider pointed out that the to-be-built Disneyland, a large tourism project able to accept customers to stay for two nights, would double the Shanghai tourism industry's current revenue, which was good for China's domestic tourism in spite of a certain impact on Hong Kong Disneyland.

As early as five years ago, rumors reported that the Walt Disney Company was to build a Disneyland in Shanghai, the nation's financial hub, with acreage three times that of Disneyland Hong Kong.

Until March 9, 2008, an insider told journalists that the Chinese watchdog had in principle agreed the foreign giant to locate the Disneyland in Shanghai. In addition, subways and light rails to the Chuansha town will be available in 2009 and so did the related supporting facilities around.

As a matter of fact, China's other large cities, like Beijing, Chengdu and Tianjin have also gotten into a fierce struggle in hopes of locating the Disneyland there, which is expected to boost a city's economy and industry to a new high, said Zhu Lianqing, director at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences research center.

(USD 1 = CNY 7.08)

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Alaska extends 'kids fly free' Disney promotion

Cheapflights - Alaska Airlines Vacations has extended its Kids Fly Free to Disneyland Resort promotion through September 30. Bookings must be made by May 31.
Children aged between 2 and 11 can qualify for free airfare when travelling with an adult on one of Alaska Airlines' Southern California Vacations package.

Four-night packages to Disneyland, including round-trip airfare, accommodations and admission to the theme parks start at $699 for one adult and one "free" child travelling from Seattle to Long Beach.

Prices do not include taxes and are based on off-peak travel for one child and one adult from selected cities only.

Blackout dates for the promotion apply between March 20-23 and 28-31, April 4-7 and 11-15, May 23 and 26, June 28-29, July 5-6 and September 5-9.

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Cyrus' Child Is No Destiny

ABC - Hannah Montana is leaving destiny behind.
Miley Cyrus, whose given name is Destiny Hope Cyrus, has filed papers in Los Angeles Superior Court to change her full legal name to Miley Ray Cyrus.

The 15-year-old singer and TV star is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, who filed the papers last Friday with wife Leticia. Her father writes in the filing that the request was "to make her commonly used name the same as her legal name."

The name-change request was first reported by the celebrity Web site TMZ.com.

Miley Cyrus has said her father gave her the nickname "Smiley Miley" as a baby because of her sunny disposition. On the Disney Channel tween hit "Hannah Montana," she plays a teen who hides her singing stardom.

Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus are hosting the Country Music Television ceremony together at Nashville's Belmont University on April 14.

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Disney announces shoot of DCOM in Rajasthan

India Infoline - Disney Channel announced the shoot of Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) ‘The Cheetah Girls One World’, a musical sequel to its hugely successful movie in Udaipur, Rajasthan. To be shot completely in the Indian setting, the sequel continues the story of best friends Chanel, Aqua and Dorinda as they embark on their biggest adventure yet – a role in a Bollywood movie.

Filmed in historic Udaipur, Rajasthan (India), and alive with music, dance, color and Indian culture, the movie celebrates friendship, cultural diversity and encourages tweens to pursue their goals and dreams.

Antoine Villeneuve, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Walt Disney Television International (India), said, “the first Disney Channel Original Movie to be ever shot in India, The Cheetah Girls One World is part of the hugely successful tween-driven, family inclusive franchise. Localizing international franchises has been a Disney Channel benchmark across the world. The movie uses local settings, talent and creativity to further strengthen our brand affinity while providing the environment that Indian kids relate to.”

Based on the book series for kids and tweens by award-winning journalist-turned-author Deborah Gregory (Jump at the Sun/ Hyperion Books for Children), the movie stars Sabrina Bryan ( from the ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ fame) as Dorinda Thomas; and platinum-selling recording artists Adrienne Bailon and Kiely Williams of the R&B/ pop music group 3LW, as Chanel and Aqua, respectively.

The movie also stars Roshan Seth as Uncle Kamal, Kunal Sharma as Amar, Rupak Ginn as Rahim, Michael Steger as Vikram "Vik" Bhatia and Deepti Daryanani as Gita. Debra Martin Chase is the Executive Producer and Paul Hoen is the Director of this movie. The production includes 1500 local extras for the movie, 450 local dancers and 45 principal core dancers from Mumbai.

The feel-good story of "The Cheetah Girls One World" begins when Galleria heads off to Cambridge and her fierce, fabulous and 'Cheetahlicious' friends, Chanel, Dorinda and Aqua, are readying for college prep courses and dance camp. Soon, the trio takes a break, journeying to Mumbai when an aspiring Bollywood movie director, Vikram "Vik" Bhatia, offers them roles in his movie, "Namaste Bombay," a love story starring renowned Bollywood star Rahim.

Upon their arrival in the bustling city, their dreams of international stardom are in jeopardy when Kamal, the movie's producer (and Vik's uncle), announces that there's just one role available. Now, The Cheetah Girls must compete with each other for the lead in the movie and prove to the talented young choreographer, Gita that they can dance. Before long, the three girls begin to question their commitment to The Cheetah Girls' dream and each must weigh her own aspirations against the group's future.

With change in the air and their world expanding, the Cheetahs experience many cultural traditions including Holi Festival, the joyous, colorful spring ceremony and are personally affected by the Indian culture. This music and dance adventure will premiere in October 2008 on Disney Channel India and, on Disney Channels around the world.

‘The Cheetah Girls’ first premiered on Disney Channel in US in August 2003 and was followed by "The Cheetah Girls 2" in November 2006. The movie was the highest rated for a Disney Channel Original Movie at the time of its release. In India, the movies premiered on Disney Channel in 2007 and engaged over 4.7 million audiences.

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ABC to Air Prostitution News Special

AP - Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's call girl scandal prompted ABC News to give the go-ahead to a two-hour prime-time special on prostitution that includes Diane Sawyer's visit to a legal brothel in Nevada.
The "20/20" special, which airs 9 p.m. EDT Friday, has been in the works for two years. It was expected to be on sometime in May or June, but ABC moved it up because Spitzer's resignation last week put the topic in the headlines, said David Sloan, executive producer of ABC's newsmagazines.

"It has taken a lot of time and I think it's going to be very provocative," Sloan said.

The special's lengthy gestation did not indicate any cold feet on the part of ABC about airing it, he said. It will be on during the same week that the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would hear a major case about broadcast indecency. ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.

On "Prostitution in America: Working Girls Speak," Sawyer interviews sex workers in poor neighborhoods outside Philadelphia and in one of Nevada's legal brothels. ABC hurriedly set up interviews with some highly paid prostitutes who work the luxury penthouses in a nod to the Spitzer scandal.

The New York Democrat is accused of spending thousands of dollars on expensive prostitutes, most recently paying for a woman to travel from New York to Washington where he was spending the night.

"Much of the coverage on prostitution is as a cultural phenomenon, when it's really about human beings that are in crisis," Sawyer said. "There is a lot of denial about the suffering these women experience."

Sloan said the special is structured so much of the racier material is confined to the second hour.

ABC speaks to experts on the issue, including columnist Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times, particularly during the first hour.

"Behind every prostitute is a story of sex abuse, drug dependency or mental illness," Sloan said. "No one chooses this."

He said it was a serious look at the issue, not an attempt to be salacious.

"We're very proud of it," he said.

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Dancing with the Stars Round One - Ladies' Night

Disney Blog - So now it's the ladies' turn to take the stage and show us what they've got.  The more I've thought about it, the more I was disappointed with the men last night.  So we'll see if the ladies can impress me more.  Of course, we are more then overdue for a woman to win again, so it wouldn't be a bad thing if they are better then the men.

Shannon Elizabeth & Derek Hough - Cha Cha - The women get things off to a hot start.  That was a wonderful Cha Cha with plenty of technique.  If the rest of the women are at this level, the men have plenty to worry about.  The judges picked on her legs and techniques, but they were mostly positive.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 7 Len - 7 Bruno - 7 Total - 21  A little lower then I would have scored it, but I'm not too surprised after the judge's comments.

Monica Seles & Jonathan Roberts - Foxtrot - After all the talk about her being stiff and nervous, this was actually fairly good.  Yes, there have been better Foxtrots, and she could have flowed better.  But it was better then I thought it might be after the background segment.  The judges were rather hard on her for not being smooth enough.  And they seemed surprised to see that she didn't do better considering her athletic background.  I'll agree I expected a little more from her because of that.  But there is definitely promise there.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 5 Len - 5 Bruno - 5 Total - 15  Okay, I think that's low.  I think it belongs in the 18-20 range, so it's not that low.  But still, I thought she did a better job then that.

Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani - Cha Cha - Well, I hope Marissa is happy because she got to start off with the shaking she wanted to do.  In fact, she seemed to do more of that then the actual Cha Cha.  I picked her to be an early favorite based on her musical theater experience, but I'm rethinking that.  I mean, this was an okay first week performance.  But it wasn't anywhere near the level I thought it would be.  The judges certainly agreed with me.  Lots of flash but very little real content.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 6 Len - 6 Bruno - 6 Total - 18  See, now I would have scored this less then Monica's dance.  I'm not quite sure what the judges saw here they didn't see in Monica's, but there you do.

Priscilla Presley & Louis van Amstel - Foxtrot - For all her talks about nerves, she looked great.  It had content, it looked on, and it was rather smooth.  Even the death spiral she was concerned about look great.  The judges' only comments were on posture.  They absolutely loved it and gave it the best praise of the night by far.  I'll be interested to see how she does at the Latin dances, but she could easily be someone to watch.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 8 Len - 8 Bruno - 8 Total - 24  The scores definitely reflect the comments.  There was room to improve, but it was a very strong first week dance.

Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas - Foxtrot - As she worried, the bar is high.  At least my expectations for her are high.  I think she'll do well at the Ballroom dances, but I'm not too sure about the Latin dances.  And it sure looks to me like I was right.  I know I just said this, but that was the dance of the night so far.  She was so in tune with the music.  It was smooth.  It looked absolutely great.  Bruno said it was one of the best first round dances he's ever seen, and I certainly agree.  Len said he noticed little nit picks he wouldn't even consider looking at during the first round.  While there are lots of differences, I'd say her background in skating has certainly given her an early lead.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 9 Len - 9 Bruno - 9 Total - 27  Absolutely great.  A well deserved high score.  Hopefully, she continues to be strong because I'd love to see her go far.

Marlee Matlin & Fabian Sanchez - Cha Cha - Okay, so here's the performance I've been waiting all week to see.  While she can still feel the beat, I'm looking forward to seeing what she can do.  I do think, however, it is a huge disadvantage for her to be paired with the only new pro of the season.  It seems fairer to pair her with someone who knows the ropes already so they can guide her through the process better.
I could see Fabian using a few hand signals to help guide her.  Or at least what looked like hand signals to me.  But if I didn't know any better, I'd say she could hear.  That was incredible.  She did better then some of the stars who could hear.  It looked smooth with plenty of hip action and tighter choreography then I expected.  The judges were floored as well.  Once again, they have promised to judge her like everyone else, which is what they should do.  But if this is any indication of what she can do, she has absolutely nothing to fear going forward.
Scores: Carrie Ann - 7 Len - 7 Bruno - 8 Total - 22  I expected more 8's and maybe a 9, but this was a strong debut.  I could see the frequency of the dances becoming too much for her, but I think she could go far.

So, after both nights, here are the standings of all 12 couples.

1. Kristi - 27
2. Priscilla - 24
2. Mario - 24
4. Marlee - 22
4. Jason - 22
6. Shannon - 21
6. Cristian - 21
8. Marissa - 18
8. Steve - 18
10. Penn - 16
11. Monica - 15
11. Adam - 15

There are so many ties up there.  And it is rather amazing that every tie has one guy and one lady at the same level.

Obviously with another week of dancing plus the voting to go, there is no way to come close to predicting anything right now.  But I will say that Adam, Monica, and Penn had better step up their game next week if they want to stay in the competition very long.  And Steve and Marissa need to watch their backs as well.

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Disney Garden begins shipping to Mexico

The Packer - Disney Garden is going bilingual and international.

Imagination Farms LLC, the Indianapolis-based company that licenses the Disney brand for produce, reports the company’s supplier partners are shipping product to Mexico.

Chief executive officer Matthew Caito said in a news release that Mexico was a natural extension of the brand because many of the company’s suppliers already have retail customers or growing operations there.

“Our team has been working for nearly a year to build a program that will speak directly to Mexican consumers with branding and marketing programs tailored to Mexican consumers,” he said.

The Mexican program will feature products and packaging similar to what consumers see in U.S. stores, but text will be in Spanish. Like the U.S. products, the Mexican program will include fresh-cut items as well as whole fruits and vegetables.

Imagination Farms said in its release that the company is working with growers and suppliers to make sure that products meet standards for Mexico’s Calidad Suprema good agricultural practices program.

The brand made its Mexico debut in January with apples and pears from Chelan Fresh Marketing, Chelan, Wash., and Raleigh, N.C.-based L&M Cos. Inc.

Fruit Patch Sales Co., Dinuba, Calif., plans to introduce Disney Garden-branded peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots to the market in May.

Progreso Produce Ltd., Boerne, Texas, will offer watermelons and mangoes in the spring.

Imagination Farms introduced products and growers at its ANTAD booth during the Mexican trade show March 4-7 in Guadalajara. The company plans to add cherries, berries, bananas, pineapples, papayas, tomatoes and vegetables in the Mexican program, but grower-shippers have not yet been announced.

Sources have said that Imagination Farms also plans to expand the program into Canada.

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Q&A: ABC Family's Paul Lee

Forbes -
When former Walt Disney chief Michael Eisner spent $5 billion to buy what is now ABC Family in 2001, much of the industry scratched its head. Some seven years later, the proclaimed failure is proving anything but.

Paul Lee, ABC Family president, deserves much of the credit. Since taking the reigns in 2004, the London-born executive has transformed the channel from a home for bland family fare and reruns to a destination for original series television. Powered by both original programming like Geek and Kyle XY as well as reruns like Gilmore Girls and 7th Heaven, the young-skewing cable network is coming off its highest-rated year to date.

Lee spoke to Forbes.com about courting a fickle demographic, why the Hannah Montana tween audience isn't of interest and what's driving his cable channel's success.

Forbes.com: ABC Family is coming off its best year to date. What's working?

Paul Lee: It does feel like ABC Family is really starting to fire on all cylinders. The reality is we picked a key demo and we've gotten to know them very well. We call them the millennials: 14-to-28-year-olds. Not only did we acquire shows that they love like Gilmore Girls, but we started to make shows and series that really resonate with them. First it was Wildfire, then Kyle XY and then Greek last year, and each one of them grew in that core audience both in buzz and in ratings. And then our creative guys wrapped it in this really optimistic, great story-telling brand.

There's been a tremendous amount of buzz surrounding the tween demographic (aged 7 to 13) thanks to the success of Hannah Montana and High School Musical, and yet you're going after the generation above them. How come?

First, the Walt Disney Company already has the best channel in America to go after the tween demo. And second, from an advertiser's perspective--unlike the Disney channel, we are advertiser supported--the time in your life when you're making the most brand decisions that you'll hold on to for a very long time is when you get into your late teens and early 20s. We're really dealing with people as they leave high school, go to college and maybe get their first job--and it's an audience that commands a very high CPM [cost per thousand, from advertisers]. You only have to look at Viacom to see that big companies have been built on that audience--and they're big because advertisers are willing to pay more to get access to and brand loyalty from them.

For a network that is duel revenue streamed--we get revenue from our cable affiliates and advertisers--it has proved a very smart model. And in terms of moving audiences around, we're able to say to our audiences on Thursday nights at 7:59 p.m., "Switch over now to Ugly Betty on ABC." Or ABC is able to say, "Watch Greek on ABC Family." So we really do benefit from being able to move audiences around the portfolio.

You use the term optimistic to describe your programming at a time when so much of cable fare is increasingly dark and edgy. What gives?

I have kind of fallen in love with this generation, and only part of that is that I have two kids in it. But this is not a generation that feels everything is good--they certainly know that it will fall to them to solve a lot of the problems that we have created. But they have this innate and profound optimistic feeling about being able to solve these problems. What we've found out is that they're in many ways the most loved generation, a generation that is used to getting a lot of trophies on the soccer field. They feel good about themselves and their lives, and that has really played to the strength of this brand.

ABC Family seems to be striking a nice balance between saccharine sweet (think Disney's Hannah Montana) and edgier fare (think ABC' Desperate Housewives), how do you do it and is that where you're looking to stay?

Absolutely--and it's a very sweet place to be. Within Disney's portfolio, we are older than the Disney channel and younger than ABC. But let's not forget that this is an audience that's not just defining television, but defining all of the brands that are out there. And there's some evidence that the boomer brands like Starbucks are having more trouble than the millennial brands like Apple. The key for us is to be real and really relatable, and at the same time escapist in terms of our storytelling.

This is the group that is largely responsible for today's shifting landscape--they're the ones watching TV shows on video iPods and Google's YouTube. How have you adapted?

Our audience loves entertainment on all platforms, and they really don't care which box or platform that storytelling comes out on. So that's why we so strongly embraced iTunes when it first came out. That's why we built the first sort of social network to support a television launch. And that's why we've put so many of our shows online. I think the best example would be Kyle XY, which we launched about 18 months ago. We put it out first on iTunes, then it went on ABC Family, then it was repurposed on ABC and then we put it on our ABCFamily.com player. At each point, it was No. 1 in its time period. That shows you that an audience will not only follow it, but that you can actually get a positive effect of putting your story on all platforms.

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Tuesday March 18, 2008

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Starts March 19th
Lead found in popular Hannah Montana items
Taylor Morrison to build dream home in Disneyland
Final Disneyland Condo Plan Pulled
Animated Repatriation: Disney Art Returns
Disney offers sneak peek at Toy Story Mania ride
Contemporary Resort Concourse Steakhouse closing date
Enchanted on DVD and Blu-ray
Johnny and the Sprites: Meet the Sprites on DVD
Greek: Season One Chapter One on DVD
Springs to make Wamsutta for Disney Resort line
Disney bus bursts into flames in Cerritos
Antin to write, direct Disney project
Disney's Soda Fountain and Studios Store Hosts Signing for "The Return of the Gremlins" Comic Book
Arbitron to Measure Radio Disney's Youth Audience
Dancing with the Stars - Round 1 - Men's Night

Lincoln Center to Honor Disney's Iger at Spring Gala
Doubletree hotel at Disney goes green

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Starts March 19th
 
The Fifteenth Annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Blossoms to 75 Days!

Celebrating "Fun in the Sun," the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is packed with new experiences for the entire family. See millions of blooms and the largest collection of Disney Topiary anywhere! Interact with top horticulturists at Garden Town, a new festival addition, where you can get gardening tips, participate in demonstrations, plan your day, and more! Have a fun evening "under the stars" at the America Gardens Theatre and enjoy the music you grew up with during the Flower Power Concert Series. Try our new "Easter Brunch" on March 23rd. And mom will love our scrumptious "Mother's Day Brunch" on May 11th so make your reservations early.

Event Dates: March 19 – June 1, 2008

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Lead found in popular Hannah Montana items
 
High levels of lead were found in various items branded with Disney's popular Hannah Montana character, the Center for Environmental Health said Tuesday.

Vinyl backpacks, a vinyl purse and other Hannah Montana items purchased from Wal-Mart, Target and Toys "R" Us stores contained the toxic metal, some of them in excess of the federal standard for lead paint, the CEH said.

According to the organization, it purchased 28 Hannah Montana products in stores and online. Five of them tested between three and fourteen times the federal standard, which is between 1,800 and 8,300 parts per million.

"Lead can impact girls' learning and development throughout their youth and later can reduce their ability to have healthy children. It's the worst of both worlds," said CEH director Michael Green in a statement.

The CEH called on parents to avoid exposing their children to vinyl items, calling it a "poison plastic."

Representatives from Wal-Mart, Target and Toys "R" Us stores were not immediately available for comment.

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Taylor Morrison to build dream home in Disneyland

Herald Tribune - Bradenton-based home builder Taylor Morrison has agreed to build Disneyland 's "Innovations Dream Home" at the California theme park. The 5,000-square-foot house, to be built in Tomorrowland, will showcase current and future technological advances in home building, featuring actors playing the fictional Elias family as they move from room to room preparing for a trip to China. It is scheduled to open in late May.

"We're excited to partner in this venture with Disneyland," said Sheryl Palmer, Taylor Morrison's president and CEO. "I'm sure many of us remember the wonder and excitement of visiting Tomorrowland for the first time as children."

Taylor Morrison will work with Microsoft Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and software maker LifeWare on the attraction. The home will replace the park's "House of the Future" attraction, originally built in 1957 and demolished 10 years later.

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Final Disneyland Condo Plan Pulled

AP - A developer has withdrawn its proposal for a condo-hotel complex close to Disneyland, effectively ending a long-running political battle over whether homes should be built in the theme park area, an Anaheim city official said Monday.
Newport Beach-based Renaissance Pacific Properties LLC last week pulled its plan to build 191 condominiums and a 102-room hotel on a 4.8-acre site by a road leading to the theme park complex, planning director Sheri Vander Dussen said.

"We believe the project would have been a positive addition to the Anaheim resort, but timing issues do not allow us to move forward at this time," Steve Sheldon, a consultant for the developer, told the Orange County Register.

The company might consider another plan for the property, Sheldon said.

A message left Monday for Renaissance principal Michael Capaldi by the Associated Press was not immediately returned.

Renaissance was the last of three developers that had planned to build residential units within the city's 2.2-square mile resort district. Walt Disney Co. officials opposed the move, arguing that housing would interfere with the area's lucrative focus on tourism.

Earlier this month, developer Urban West Strategies dropped its plans to build a mixed-use project with 449 condos earlier this month, De Vander Dussen said.

Another developer, SunCal Cos., abandoned its plans to build about 1,500 homes in the area last year, citing a conflict with the family that owned the land, she said.

Starting in June, voters will have to approve all housing proposals in the resort area thanks to an initiative championed by Disney and adopted by the city council.

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Animated Repatriation: Disney Art Returns

New York Times - Disney said that the art — cels, backgrounds, preliminary paintings and storyboard sketches — was part of a collection that was handpicked by Walt Disney himself. It was sent to Japan in 1960 for a touring exhibition timed to the opening of the film “Sleeping Beauty.” The exhibition opened at Mitsukoshi Department Store in Tokyo in May of that year and traveled to 16 other stores throughout Japan.

“Walt wanted to explain every element of the animation process, so he chose artwork from all phases of production and a number of films,” said Lella Smith, creative director of the Disney Animation Research Library in Burbank, Calif., which preserves the studio’s artwork. “But the primary focus was ‘Sleeping Beauty.’ ”

Although most of the art is from that film, the collection also includes rare set-ups (cel and background combinations) from two Oscar-winning Silly Symphony cartoons: “Flowers and Trees” (1932), the first Technicolor cartoon and the first film to win the Academy Award for animated short film, and the landmark short “Three Little Pigs” (1933).

“The ‘Flowers and Trees’ set-up is an extremely important piece,” Ms. Smith said in an interview at her office in the library. She said other highlights included two backgrounds from the “Nutcracker Suite” and “Rite of Spring” sequences in the 1940 film “Fantasia.”

Among other striking works is a sequence of images by the designer Eyvind Earle that show how he created the stylized forest backgrounds for “Sleeping Beauty.” The delicate clusters of leaves and intricately textured bark on the trees reflect Mr. Earle’s interest in 15th-century French manuscripts and the painting of Van Eyck, and foreshadow his later serigraphs.

After the department store tour, Disney donated the artwork to the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. But the material was not considered a good fit for its permanent collection, so the museum gave the pieces to Chiba University to enhance the study of the visual arts.

Chiba’s academic focus was on science, engineering and medicine, however, and the Disney art was consigned to a janitor’s closet and forgotten until it was found by chance four years ago. Although the artwork suffered some damage because of dampness, the rarest pieces were sealed in frames, which protected them somewhat.

After a year of restoration work by technicians at Disney’s Animation Research Library, some 200 works went on tour in Japan, along with 350 additional pieces lent by the studio in an exhibition titled “The Art of Disney.” The show toured seven museums around the country in 2006 and 2007, including the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art. At the end of its run, Chiba University offered to return the artwork to Disney.

In a statement Chiba University’s president, Toyoki Kozai, said, “The response to the exhibit gave us a new appreciation for the historical and artistic value of these works.”

Because the university was concerned about keeping them in good condition for the next generation, he said, it “concluded that entrusting them to Disney would be the best route to take.”

In return, Disney is giving Chiba University high-resolution digital copies of the artworks and $1 million for scholarships. But both sides said the deal should not be viewed as a sale.

In 1960 little value was placed on artwork from animated films, and cels were sold at Disneyland for a few dollars apiece. Today animation art is prized by collectors, and a top-quality Earle background from “Sleeping Beauty” might sell for $20,000 to $30,000. Given the rarity of some of the pieces, it is hard to assign a dollar value to the collection over all, because nothing comparable has been offered for sale.

“There is no way to put a price on these works — they represent our artistic heritage,” Ms. Smith, of Disney, said. “That said, their value as archival materials for study and research is very high.” She added that when the works were discovered, they did not have much commercial value because of years of accumulated damage from mold.

Mr. Kozai said that Chiba University would channel the donated money into its overall educational programs and into research on art and animation and what he called “the sound growth of children.”

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Disney offers sneak peek at Toy Story Mania ride

LA Times - Disney Imagineers allowed me to “play test” the new Toy Story Mania dark ride coming to California Adventure in June. From the preview I got, it’s clear the theme park giant has raised the bar again with this latest interactive attraction.

Inside an unmarked, low-slung brick warehouse in Glendale dubbed the Walt Disney Imagineering Concept Lab, I climbed aboard a plywood and 2-by-4 mock-up of the Toy Story Mania ride vehicle quite literally held together in some places by electrical tape.

The stripped-down surroundings and slap-dash ride vehicle belied the technological wonders I was about to behold.

While Disney struggles to call Toy Story Mania more than a ride-through 3-D video game, it is just that and then some.

Poised behind a spring-action shooter, I fired virtual ammunition at virtual targets in an immersive environment unlike any other I’ve experienced — including Disneyland’s Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, which the new ride is often compared to.

Capable of firing up to six rounds per second, the spring-action shooter is nothing more than a rope with a bob tied on the end that works like a slack pinball machine plunger.

The ride starts with a practice round hosted by “Toy Story” characters Woody and Jessie before moving through five scenes that become increasingly difficult. The two-stage lightning round finale, the easiest of all the games, is where players rack up a majority of their points.

To call me competitive is to call Napoleon short.

My initial strategy of focusing only on high-point targets proved only partially correct. Another key to success in the target-rich environment was continuous firing. I discovered with my unlimited ammo supply that I could rack up plenty of unintended points while moving from one bull’s-eye to the next.

I found most of the high-value targets at the top and bottom of the 10-foot-square video screen in front of me. The most difficult prizes requiring the greatest accuracy resided in the top corners. In several instances, hitting one target triggered another of higher value. In other cases, taking out a group of identical targets generated substantial bonus points. Low-value, special effects-laden spoilers served only to distract me from my mission.

On my first attempt, I finished with 102,000 points to 112,000 points by new friend (and mortal enemy) Arthur Levine.

In my utter humiliation, I turned to Toy Story Mania chief Imagineer Chrissie Allen for assistance in finding the much-rumored “Easter Egg” targets within the game. She refused to budge (though I am determined to break her and reveal said secrets in future posts).

Kind and wise Imagineer Estefania Pickens, holder of the current in-house high score (210,000) among Disney staffers, offered to mentor me and guide my training. Her patient tutelage soon paid off.

On my second and final attempt at the game, I scored 125,000 points, besting my Disney host (who will remain nameless to avoid bringing shame on him, his family and his future generations).

The only downside to my new favorite ride is the repetitive stress injury I’m sure to suffer from repeatedly playing the game.

Toy Story Mania seems to be just the E-ticket that Disney’s California Adventure needs to draw bigger crowds. Expect a long line.

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Contemporary Resort Concourse Steakhouse closing date

Disney News - The Concourse Steakho