(CelebrityAccess) — Radio Disney, a radio network focused on music programming oriented towards children, pre-teens, and young teenagers, which primarily featured hit music, will be going off the air in early 2021.
The change will also affect Radio Disney Country, an outlet that followed a similar format to Radio Disney with a focus on country music.
Launched in 1996 in four markets — Minneapolis, Atlanta, Salt Lake City and Birmingham, Ala.– Radio Disney rolled out on a national level 2 years later with 28 affiliated stations around the country.
In 2002, Disney partnered with SiriusXM in a deal that brought Disney programming to the satellite broadcaster, and in 2007, combined the radio platform with ABC Cable Networks Group, which operated most of Disney’s cable television properties.
By 2010, Disney began to increasingly focus on digital delivery and began selling off or shutting down affiliated stations in some markets, narrowing their broadcast focus to the top 25 radio markets in the U.S.
At its height, Disney Radio reached more than 95% of U.S. households and played a significant role in the careers of Disney-signed artists such as The Jonas Brothers, Miley “Hannah Montana” Cyrus, and Selena Gomez.
Other artists such as Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber also received a major boost when they were featured on the teen-friendly format, the Hollywood Reporter noted.
