Source: AWN News

Home to the month’s No. 1 TV telecast with HANNAH MONTANA and the No. 1 TV movie with the debut of 75th original movie, HATCHING PETE, Disney Channel ranked as TV’s No. 1 network in Total Day in Tweens 9-14 (478,000/2.0 rating), a position held each week throughout the month in the key demo.

In addition, Disney Channel generated its largest audience in the daypart in 8 months (since August 08) in Total Viewers (1.5 million), Kids 6-11 (564,000) and Tweens 9-14 (478,000), making this month the network’s most-watched April ever in the key targets. Year to year, the net improved by hefty double-digit percentages: +15% in Total Viewers (vs. 1.3 million), +21% in Kids 6-11 (vs. 465,000) and +25% in Tweens 9-14 (vs. 381,000).

Disney Channel delivered the month’s No. 1 TV telecast in Tweens 9-14 with HANNAH MONTANA, as its original outing on Sunday, April 19 (2.1 million/8.4 rating) overshadowed both first run airings of Nickelodeon’s ICARLY for the month (4/11/09 – 1.9 million/7.9 rating; 4/22/09 – 1.7 million/6.9 rating) and all 8 AMERICAN IDOL telecasts on Fox. In Kids 6-11, HANNAH MONTANA was the month’s No. 2 live-action telecast on all of TV (2.0 million/8.0 rating), also surpassing every telecast of American Idol during the month.

In Prime, April 09 wrapped as Disney Channel’s most-watched month in target kid demos in 6 months (since October 08), ranking No. 1 for the 50th consecutive month in Kids 6-11 (953,000/3.9 rating) and for the 49th in Tweens 9-14 (804,000/3.3 rating).

Also impressive, driven by hit series MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE and newest entry SPECIAL AGENT OSO, the net’s preschool targeted Playhouse Disney block recorded the largest Total Viewer (1.3 million) and Kid 2-5 (504,000) audiences for an April ever in the daypart, climbing by a considerable 24% over year-ago levels in both categories.

Program Highlights

– The premiere of the net’s 75th original movie, HATCHING PETE (4/24/09, 8:00-9:40 p.m.) stood as the month’s No. 1 TV movie in Kids 6-11 (1.7 million/7.0 rating) and Tweens 9-14 (1.6 million/6.4 rating), and cable’s most-watched movie in Total Viewers (4.1 million).

– In Tweens 9-14, on an all-play basis, Disney Channel was home to the months’ Top 2 scripted TV shows with SONNY WITH A CHANCE (1.2 million/4.8 rating) and Wizards of Waverly Place (898,000/3.7 rating), and 4 of the Top 5 with HANNAH MONTANA (No. 4 — 822,000/3.4 rating) and THE SUITE LIFE ON DECK (No. 5 – 810,000/3.3 rating) added to the mix.

– In Kids 6-11, among all regularly scheduled series, Disney Channel delivered TV’s No. 1 scripted TV series for the month with SONNY WITH A CHANCE (1.2 million/5.0 rating), 3 of the Top 4 when including WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE (No. 3 — 982,000/4.0 rating) and HANNAH MONTANA (No. 4 — 968,000/4.0 rating).

– A consistent Top 10 player each week, in April 09 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE ranked among TV’s Top 10 programs in core Kids 2-5 demo (No. 8 — 711,000/4.4 rating).

– Launched at the top of the month, SPECIAL AGENT OSO ranked No. 1 versus all TV in its time slot in Kids 2-5 (619,000/3.8 rating, M-Su, 8:00-8:30 a.m.), towering over runner-up Nickelodeon by 31% (454,000/2.8 rating — PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, SPONGEBOB and FAIRLY ODDPARENTS).

Source: Nielsen Media Research, April 09: 3/30/09-4/26/09 — Live+7 blended with Live+SD unless otherwise noted. Telecast rankings based on Live + Same Day. Ratings based on national rating unless otherwise noted. All rankings sorted on 000s, then rating.

Source: News 3

Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that Savannah will be the filming location for the upcoming Disney film, The Last Song. The movie is expected to bring approximately 250 jobs to the state.

“I signed the 2008 Entertainment Industry Investment Act in support of our efforts to recruit film, music and digital entertainment projects to Georgia,” said Governor Perdue. “These industries are thriving and growing, boosting the state’s economy and employing thousands of Georgians.”

The script was written by noted author Nicholas Sparks. The production of the film will take place in Savannah and other nearby coastal locales. Julie Anne Robinson will direct The Last Song which is expected to start production in Georgia in mid-June and be completed by mid-August, 2009. Producer Dara Weintraub also produced another film in Savannah called The Clearing, which starred Robert Redford, Willem Dafoe and Helen Mirren.

Georgia’s new, more competitive incentives offer a 20 percent tax credit for qualified productions, which are then eligible for an additional 10 percent tax credit if they include an animated Georgia promotional logo within the finished product. The incentive covers more than just the film and television industries. The program also offers credits for commercials and music videos, as well as the first incentive in the nation to cover other areas of development including animation, interactive entertainment and video game development.

Nine feature films, two television series and one television pilot were produced in Georgia in the first quarter of 2009. A Sony Pictures produced television series began production in Georgia in April and three feature films are currently in production. Seven more feature films are slated for the state in the coming months.

The Film, Music and Digital Entertainment office, a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, assists local, national and international entertainment industries with expertise and resources. The staff points movie production companies to Georgia’s highly-trained crews, state-of-the-art facilities, and diverse locations. Georgia’s temperate climate and easy access afforded by Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, are also factors that attract the industry’s interest.

Since the inception of the office in 1973, more than 600 major motion pictures, independent films, television series and pilots, and TV movies have filmed on location in the state. As a result, over $5 billion dollars has been generated for the state’s economy.

Well, I think I’ll see how Miley’s HM movie does first, then I’ll coment on the new project.

Source: World Screen

Production has begun on the new sci-fi adventure feature Skyrunners, the first original movie for the newly branded platform Disney XD.

Skyrunners features Kelly Blatz, who can also be seen in the title role of the network’s flagship series Aaron Stone. The film follows as teenage brothers Tyler (Joey Pollari) and Nick Burns (Blatz) commandeer a small UFO that crashes near their town. They soon realize that the spacecraft is “alive” and Tyler begins to develop superhuman abilities. When the brothers uncover an ominous alien plot to take over Earth, Tyler is captured by the extraterrestrials, and it’s up to Nick to rescue his brother.

“Through a variety of storytelling genres, including original movies, our goal is to become the top destination for boys on television, online and everywhere they interact with media,” said Gary Marsh, the president of entertainment for Disney Channels Worldwide. “Girls are certainly welcome at Disney XD, but what we’re trying to do is super-serve the 6- to 14-year-old boy audience in a way that nobody else has with stories that are decidedly Disney, with themes of adventure, accomplishment, gaming, music and sports.”

This sounds kinda cool, actually. But we’ll see how it turns out.