Posted on: Wednesday, September 18, 2002
Disney Channel replaces classics with youth-oriented programs
By Richard Verrier
Los Angeles Times
For Disney Channel executives, the decision seemed a no-brainer: replace vintage Disney television shows that run in the dead of night with newer, hipper fare targeted to a younger, more lucrative audience.
But the seemingly mundane programming change to replace so-called "Vault Disney" classics with teen and preteen comedies such as "Lizzie McGuire" and "Kim Possible" created an uproar among older die-hard Disney fans, who see the move as the latest affront to the company's heritage. Internet chat rooms devoted to Disney were all abuzz with the pending demise of "Vault Disney." Some fans penned protest letters to management relating their connection to childhood heroes such as "Zorro." One fan started a petition in hopes of reversing the decision.
"I'm dumbfounded," said schoolteacher Sue Schuck, 54, of Glendale, Calif., who vowed to sell her Disney stock in protest. "We baby boomers pay for the cable, the admission to Disneyland and the Disney products. We watched these shows. They are part of our childhood."
The decision is simply economics, Disney said. Older shows such as "Spin and Marty" and "Davy Crockett" just don't resonate with the younger audiences that have spurred the Disney Channel's growth over the past decade, as it moved from a mostly premium, subscriber-fee cable service to a much more widely distributed cable network.
The dispute underscores the dilemma the entertainment giant faces as it tries to shore up its sagging bottom line: How to keep its brand relevant to younger kids without offending the baby boomers who cling to a very different, often nostalgic vision of the Disney of their childhood.
The channel launched "Vault Disney" four years ago as an umbrella for Disney classic television shows from the 1950s and '60s. To make room for the newer entertainment, "Vault Disney" programs were pushed farther into the evening and early morning hours. Ratings dwindled, and Disney focused its energies on developing programs.
On Sept. 9, the four-hour block was replaced with reruns of the channel's prime-time shows. Disney ran "Davy Crockett" and "Zorro" marathons so fans could watch the final episodes.
Disney Channel executives say they canceled "Vault Disney" to create consistent programming on a 24-hour basis for kids, whether they're in a time zone for Hawai'i or the East Coast.
"The Disney Channel is a service for kids and their families; it's not a general entertainment service for everybody," said Richard Ross, president of entertainment for the Disney Channel. "We can't be all things for all people."
