Disney Channel (Russian TV channel)


Disney Channel 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.

History

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. Disney Channel is available as a cable and satellite channel, and is made available via the regular operators. A registration request was filed in 2010 with the Russian media authority Roscomnadzor. On March 9, 2010 the Russian TV authority granted Walt Disney Company CIS a cable television broadcasting license. Later it was announced that the change would happen on August 10, 2010.
Disney Channel Russia replaced Jetix Russia, making it the last Jetix-branded channel in the world to close. The change occurred on August 10 as planned at 12 local time. 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. Unlike many other Disney Channels in Europe, which broadcast a single video feed with several language tracks, this version is custom-made for Russia. is known on screen by its Russian title. Other titles and logos are translated and adapted as well.
In October 2011, Disney reached a joint venture agreement with UTH Russia for UTH to turn its broadcasting network Seven TV into a Disney Channel starting in early 2012.

Programming