Defunct television preschool channel
Television channel
Disney Junior
Broadcast area
|
- Singapore
(until 31 May 2020)
- Malaysia
(until 31 December 2020)
- South Korea
(until 30 June 2011)
- Rest of Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and parts of
Oceania
(until 30 September 2021)
- Taiwan
(block; until 31 December 2021)
|
---|
Headquarters
| 1
Fusionopolis
View, #06-01 Sandcrawler Building, Singapore 138577
|
---|
|
Language(s)
| |
---|
Picture format
| -
- HDTV 1080i
- (downscaled to 480i/576i for the SDTV feed)
|
---|
|
Owner
| The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) Pte. Ltd.
|
---|
Sister channels
| |
---|
|
Founded
| 2000 (as a programming block on Disney Channel)
|
---|
Launched
|
- 2 April 2004
; 20 years ago
(
2004-04-02
)
(first broadcast in Hong Kong and Indonesia)
- 11 July 2011
; 12 years ago
(
2011-07-11
)
(as Disney Junior)
|
---|
Closed
|
- 1 June 2020
; 3 years ago
(
2020-06-01
)
(Singapore)
- 1 January 2021
; 3 years ago
(
2021-01-01
)
(Malaysia)
- 1 October 2021
; 2 years ago
(
2021-10-01
)
(Pan-Asian feed and Hong Kong)
- 31 December 2021
; 2 years ago
(
2021-12-31
)
(Taiwan)
|
---|
Replaced by
|
- Disney+
(Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan; de facto)
- Disney+ Hotstar
(Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand; de facto)
|
---|
Former names
| Playhouse Disney (2000?2011)
|
---|
Disney Junior
was a Southeast Asian
pay television
preschool channel owned by The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia. Aimed mainly at children between ages 2 to 7 years old.
[1]
[2]
its
programming
consisted of original first-run
television series
and theatrically released and made-for-DVD movies, as well as other select third-party programming, some of which originally having aired on
PBS Kids
in the United States.
Launched in 2004 as
Playhouse Disney
, Disney Junior also lent its name to an early morning
program block
seen on sister network
Disney Channel
, branded as Disney Junior on Disney Channel until 31 July 2018. The preschool channel ceased operations at the end of 2021.
History
[
edit
]
Launch
[
edit
]
Negotiations for an Asian version of Playhouse Disney started in 2000 as a block on Disney Channel.
[3]
It later launched as a channel for Hong Kong and Indonesia on 2 April 2004.
[4]
[5]
From 2004 to 2005, it expanded in several Southeast Asian countries.
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]
In the Philippines, the channel was broadcast in English instead of
Filipino
.
On 11 July 2011, Playhouse Disney later rebranded as Disney Junior.
[12]
Due to increasing localization of the Indian feeds of Disney Channel and Disney XD, they were banned from broadcasting in Bangladesh in 2013. Later, in 2016, the Southeast Asian feeds of the Disney channels, including Disney Junior Asia, became available on certain cable operators in Bangladesh.
Closure
[
edit
]
On 1 June 2020,
Disney Channel
,
Disney XD
and Disney Junior ceased transmission in
Singapore
on both
Singtel
and
StarHub
after failing the contract renewal with both service providers in the country.
[13]
Select programs from these 3 channels were moved to, replaced by and made it available via
Disney+
on 23 February 2021.
On 5 August 2020, Disney Junior upgraded to
HD
on
Astro
alongside
Disney Channel
. On 1 January 2021, the channels ceased operations across
Astro
and Astro-owned TV providers (including NJOI and Kristal-Astro) in
Malaysia
due to the launch of Astro's Refreshed Kids Pack that announced back on 14 December 2020. While its shows moved to
Disney+ Hotstar
in the said country on 1 June 2021.
After 17 years of broadcasting, Disney Junior, along with Disney Channel, and most of its
Fox channels
in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong ceased on 1 October 2021,
[14]
[15]
at exactly 1:00 am (
UTC+08:00
)/12:00 am (
UTC+07:00
), concluding with
Mira, Royal Detective
,
[16]
thus the channel space originally created by Playhouse Disney Channel in 2004 folded and ceased to exist.
Most Disney Junior shows will be shown instead on
Disney+ Hotstar
and
Disney+
on selected territories. Nevertheless, the Disney Junior Taiwan block on Disney Channel will continue to operate after this date. But the block ended on
New Year's Eve
(31 December 2021).
Final Feeds
[
edit
]
Throughout the expansion, it was owned and operated by the former Walt Disney Television International.
Broadcast feed
|
Availiability
|
Launched
|
Type
|
Broadcast language(s)
|
Closed/replaced
|
Replaced by
|
Pan-Asian
|
Indonesia
|
2 April 2004
(Playhouse Disney);
11 July 2011
(Disney Junior)
|
Television channel
|
English,
Indonesian
,
Malay
(former),
Thai
,
Vietnamese
(voice over),
|
1 October 2021
|
Disney+ Hotstar
|
Singapore
|
15 May 2004
(Playhouse Disney);
11 July 2011
(Disney Junior)
|
1 June 2020
|
Disney+
|
Malaysia
|
3 July 2004
(Playhouse Disney);
11 July 2011
(Disney Junior)
|
1 January 2021
|
Disney+ Hotstar
|
Brunei
|
August 2004
(Playhouse Disney);
11 July 2011
(Disney Junior)
|
?
|
Thailand
|
January 2005
(Playhouse Disney);
11 July 2011
(Disney Junior)
|
1 October 2021
|
Disney+ Hotstar
|
VIetnam
|
May 2005
(Playhouse Disney);
11 July 2011
(Disney Junior)
|
?
|
Cambodia
|
20 June 2005
(Playhouse Disney);
11 July 2011
(Disney Junior)
|
?
|
Philippines
|
December 2005
(Playhouse Disney);
11 July 2011
(Disney Junior)
|
Disney+
|
Papua New Guinea
|
11 July 2011
|
?
|
Myanmar
|
?
|
Bangladesh
|
2016
|
?
|
muliple Asian markets
|
January 2000
(Playhouse Disney);
11 July 2011
(Disney Junior)
|
Programming block on
Disney Channel
|
multiple
|
31 July 2018
|
?
|
Hong Kong
|
2 April 2004
(Playhouse Disney);
11 July 2011
(Disney Junior)
|
Television channel
|
Cantonese
, English
|
1 October 2021
|
Disney+
|
Taiwan
|
2004
(Playhouse Disney);
1 September 2011
(Disney Junior)
|
Programming block on
Disney Channel (Taiwan)
|
Taiwanese Mandarin
, English
|
31 December 2021
|
Disney Junior Magazine Philippines
[
edit
]
Disney Junior Magazine Philippines
(known as
Disney Junior Magazine
and formerly known as
Playhouse Disney Magazine Philippines
) was an educational magazine published in the
Philippines
by
Summit Media
in collaboration with
The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia
.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Disney Channels ? About Us"
. Archived from
the original
on 7 November 2019
. Retrieved
26 April
2020
.
- ^
Toh, Christopher (24 September 2014).
"Don't dumb down children's shows"
.
Today Online
. Retrieved
26 December
2023
.
- ^
Osborne, Magz (5 April 2004).
"Mouse net gets Asia bows"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
8 December
2022
.
Playhouse Disney was initially launched in Asia back in 2000 as a program block on the flagship Disney Channel
- ^
"Disney, Playhouse hit Hong Kong"
.
Multichannel
. 3 March 2004
. Retrieved
3 March
2004
.
- ^
"Disney readies bow"
.
Variety
. 8 March 2004
. Retrieved
8 December
2022
.
- ^
Waller, Ed (5 May 2004).
"Disney launches Playhouse in Singapore"
.
C21Media
. Retrieved
8 December
2022
.
- ^
Davidson, Jenny (2 July 2004).
"Disney adds Malaysia to Playhouse mix"
.
C21Media
. Retrieved
8 December
2022
.
- ^
Baisley, Sarah (30 August 2004).
"Playhouse Disney Channel Launches in Brunei"
.
Animation World Network
. Retrieved
8 December
2022
.
- ^
Ball, Ryan (20 June 2005).
"Disney Channels Swim to Cambodia"
.
Animation Magazine
. Retrieved
16 December
2022
.
- ^
Whiteman, Bobbie (17 May 2005).
"Vietnam tunes in Disney TV"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
16 December
2022
.
- ^
"Playhouse gets dedicated Philippines feed"
.
C21media
. 12 December 2005
. Retrieved
8 December
2022
.
- ^
"Magical, musical stories on all new Disney Junior"
.
Philstar.com
. 30 June 2011
. Retrieved
5 November
2021
.
- ^
"Disney+ Singapore Incoming: Disney Channels dropped from StarHub & Singtel"
.
Asiaone.com
. 2 June 2020
. Retrieved
5 November
2021
.
- ^
Multiple sources:
- ^
"Disney to shut down most of its TV channels in Southeast Asia, eyes growth in streaming services"
.
CNA
. Retrieved
5 May
2021
.
- ^
Bebas, Jenis (1 October 2021).
"Disney Junior Southeast Asia Feed Closing/Shut Down"
.
YouTube
. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021
. Retrieved
1 October
2021
.
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