By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
August 4, 2000
The song doesn’t always remain the same on Radio Disney.
For instance, Lou Bega’s sexually charged “Mambo No. 5” was re-worked–with the artist’s cooperation–so that it is no longer about a string of one-night-stands, and now includes popular Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and his girlfriend Minnie.
“We have an obligation to our listeners and their parents to play music that we find lyrically sound,” says Jean-Paul Colaco, general manager and vice president of Radio Disney, which claims an audience of 1.65 million children age 6 to 11 (and over 600,000 moms) per week. “We re-cut the entire song with Disney lyrics. The kids loved the song ’cause the melody is so fun and upbeat, and they enjoyed hearing about Goofy and their favorite Disney characters.
“We don’t advocate sexual innuendos or violence. Parents have expectations of the Disney brand name and we’re not going to disappoint them.”
This means that while kids will get their fill of Britney Spears, ‘N Sync and Christina Aguilera, they won’t be hearing any controversial cuts by Eminem.
The station, which is aimed at children under the age of 12, may be heard locally at WRDZ-AM (1300).
This weekend, Radio Disney brings its radio act to the Chicago area for four free shows Saturday and Sunday at the Rosemont Theatre. Fans will get the opportunity to meet disc jockeys Don and Susan, who host the “Wakey Wakey Eggs and Bakey” morning show, participate in games and hear a concert by the boy band Youngstown.
“We wanted to take what we do on-air and bring it to people so they could see what we were all about,” Colaco says. “Since radio is free to the audience, we wanted to keep our shows free, too.”
Since Arbitron doesn’t chart ratings for stations whose listeners are under the age of 12, there are no exact figures to validate exactly how popular Radio Disney is. However, the three-year-old network airs in 46 U.S. markets, as well as Japan. And WRDZ alone receives more than 40,000 calls each week in response to on-air contests.
Part of the station’s appeal is that kids get the opportunity to voice their opinions on-air every 10 minutes. Some children will call to request a song. Sometimes they’ll ask to have their birthdays acknowleged. Calls are toll-free at (888) EARS018 or (888) MAIL018.
Music accounts for 90 percent of Radio Disney’s programming, but some of the more popular segments include the Laugh Shack, where kids may contribute their best jokes, and a segment with the Aptitude Dude–“the smartest guy in the world.”
