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Broadcast Digital Channel Awards Names Disney Channel Best Children's Channel

Disney Channel won the award for the Best Children's Channel at the Broadcast Digital Channel Awards held June 6, 2007, in London, as it beat off competition from CBeebies, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr and CITV, which were also short listed for the award.

Rob Gilby, md of Disney Channel UK, Scandinavia and emerging markets, said, "We are delighted to have won such a prestigious industry award. I would like to congratulate the entire Disney Channel team who helped make this possible. We were up against some major competitors, but the judges recognised how well we understand our audience and create and deliver exactly what our audience needs."

The Broadcast Digital Channel Awards judges were particularly impressed with the phenomenal hit Disney Channel Original Movie, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. The panel said the creative marketing behind the movie was effective in positioning it as "proper family entertainment... (which was) to be applauded."

More than a million people watched the Disney Channel Original Movie on its first weekend on Disney Channel and 9.4 million viewed the film over the year. Nearly 250 theatrical performance packs were licensed for the local productions across the U.K. -- and the movie soundtrack, released on iTunes pre-launch, went double platinum, making it the biggest-selling soundtrack of 2006.

Disney Channel sent 12,000 CD-ROMs to U.K. schools and created an online dance game that kids could play then forward to their friends.

Disney Channel airs a unique mix of live action, animation and TV movies. The Disney Channel web traffic has also doubled to more than a million visits. Playhouse Disney is the home of fun, learning-based entertainment that engages the minds and imaginations of pre-schoolers with shows like DISNEY'S LITTLE EINSTEINS and HIGGLYTOWN HEROES. Disney Cinemagic is a new premium channel brand, offering family programming featuring classic Disney animated movies.