 | |
| Programming | |
|---|---|
| Picture format | 576i (4:3 SDTV) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Disney–ABC Television Group |
| History | |
| Launched | 27 September 2004; 19 years ago (2004-09-27) |
| Closed | 26 September 2007; 16 years ago (2007-09-26) |
| Replaced by | Playhouse Disney + (Sky) |
| Links | |
| Website | www.abc1tv.co.uk (archive) |
| Availability (at time of closure) | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Freeview | Channel 15 (except Wales) (06:00 - 18:00) |
ABC1 was a television channel owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company, available to the viewers in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. ABC1 used the branding of the Disney-owned American network, ABC.
The channel had general entertainment programming with programming from the US parent channel, apart from the weekend morning programming block Playhouse Disney, which was aimed at children and also aired on Disney Channel in the United States of America.[1][2]
ABC1 channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004 but it only broadcast daily from 6am to 6pm[2] with the expectations to eventually broadcast 24/7 by 2010. The channel was not available on Freeview in Wales as the space on multiplex A was taken by S4C. The channel was ad-free for the first few months to build up viewers.[3][4] In December 2004, it was expanded on Telewest's digital cable service,[5] and on 14 December on the NTL digital cable service.[6]
In March 2005, ABC1 took its first advertisement from Procter and Gamble.[7] Also in 2005, Sky started carrying the channel.[8] In Summer 2006, a Playhouse Disney block was added to the schedule in the morning.[1]
It was announced on 7 September 2007, that ABC1 would close down, due to Disney deciding to concentrate on their other channels and lack of primetime availability on Freeview UK.[9] Despite being scheduled to close down on 1 October 2007, ABC1 stopped broadcasting early on all UK and Republic of Ireland TV platforms at noon on 26 September 2007, a day before its third anniversary. The channel was removed from the EPGs immediately afterwards.
On 30 October 2007, the channel's former Sky EPG slot was replaced with Playhouse Disney +, a 25-minute timeshift service of Playhouse Disney.
