Radio Disney

Radio Disney was launched on November 18, 1996 (coinciding with Mickey Mouse's birthday) at 4:58 A.M. EST with the song "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)."

When Radio Disney first launched, kids 12 and under were the only ones able to win a prize. In late 2000, the maximum age was increased to 14. In 2002, the first Radio Disney Music Awards premiered. It is a music awards ceremony that has been held every year since.

In 2004, Disney paid the former Children's Broadcasting Corporation (which operated Aahs) $12.4 million. Disney had collaborated with Radio Aahs for a time prior to the launch of Radio Disney as a direct competitor to Minneapolis-based company which reached about 30 stations at its height and former Aahs owners sued for damages because of a breached agreement.

2006 marked the 10th year that the station was on the air, the rebroadcast of its first hour of broadcasting was aired on June 6, 2006 at around 4:58pm EDT on select markets such as WQEW. Also, as part of the 10-year anniversary, the concert "Totally 10 Birthday Concert" was held on July 22, 2006 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California. It also included a simultaneous live broadcast on the Radio Disney website. A second one was held in Dallas, Texas on November 18, 2006 at the Dallas Convention Center.

In February 2006, the Walt Disney Company announced that it will be keeping Radio Disney and its owned-and-operated stations while divesting much of its radio holdings to Citadel Broadcasting. Radio Disney will be reporting to the Cable Networks Group. This unit takes care of Disney's cable holdings, except for ESPN.

In April 2007, Radio Disney completely dropped the word "Ears" (from their first slogan, "We're all ears!") from their phone number, ear mail, and from Playhouse Disney programming. The call-in number was originally spoken aloud as 1-8-8-8, E-A-R-S, 0-1-8; now, all DJs read it as 1-888-327-7018.

Markets airing on HD Radio may have an 8 second delay in its AM broadcast, which makes that station fall behind other Radio Disney stations on AM. A winner of a contest may be chosen before or while the contest details are announced. (In order to keep the analog/digital signals in sync, it is standard practice for Hybrid Digital Radio to delay all content by a few seconds.)

These slogans have been said to still be used, however no proof has been produced yet.

• "We're All Ears" (1996-2000)
• "Music And Prizes That Rock!" (2000-2001)
• "Your Music, Your Way!" (2001-Present)