Disney Channel to Launch on DTT in Italy

Leading Kids’ TV Brand Will Be Included in Mediaset Premium Gallery

Milan, 29th May 2008 -- Disney Channel Italy today announced that from July 1st it will increase its reach by launching on pay digital terrestrial television (DTT), as part of the new Mediaset Premium Gallery offer.

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This new step perfectly reflects the Company’s global strategy to make its programming available as widely as possible and to continually explore opportunities to take its programming to viewers via new platforms.

Giorgio Stock, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Disney Channels Italia commented: “This deal is consistent with Disney's strategy of embracing emerging digital technology to become increasingly accessible to our audience and play a key role in introducing the Disney brand to new consumers.”

Disney Channel’s programming will continue to include hugely popular live action series such as “Hannah Montana” and “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” contemporary animated series including “Phineas and Ferb,” the soon to be premiered “Famous Five: On The Case,” Disney Channel Original Movies including the global phenomena “High School Musical” and “High School Musical 2,” and entertaining, learning-focused series for preschoolers including “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Disney’s Little Einsteins” and “My Friends Tigger & Pooh.”

The channel also features local productions such as “Quelli dell’intervallo,” its spin-off “Fiore e Tinelli,” and “Life Bites” -- which are among the most popular programs targeting tweens. This autumn sees the launch of “Camp Rock,” the new celebratory, music-and-dance filled Disney Channel Original Movie starring Jonas Brother and Demi Lovato, and expected to be the next big worldwide hit for the channel.

Disney Channel is presently part of MondoSKY on satellite (SKY) and Iptv (Alice and Fastweb) and Vodafone-SKY’s Dvbh + UMTS offering.

The Mediaset announcement follows this week’s news that, for the first time ever, Disney Channel will be free and accessible to all in Spain when it launches on DTT in July.

Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies. There are 27 Disney Channels around the world. Disney Channel is part of the Disney-ABC Television Group.

Source: Disney Channel