Disney Block to Debut in Vietnam

HONG KONG, February 1: Buena
Vista International Television-Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP) has reached a deal to
launch a daily Disney-branded block in Vietnam on the terrestrial broadcaster
Ho Chi Minh Television (HTV7) this month.

The deal for Toon Disney was inked between BVITV-AP and Vietnamese
distribution agent Q.net Co Ltd. The animated programming block will air daily
on HTV7 Monday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. and will feature a wide
range of top animated series from Disney including Disney’s Mickey
Mouseworks, Adventures of Mickey & Donald, Disney/Pixar’s Buzz Lightyear of
Star Command and Disney’s Timon
& Pumbaa.

BVITV-AP inked a fair amount of
business in Vietnam last year, licensing Desperate Housewives, Lost, Alias,
Criminal Minds and Ghost
Whisperer into the country. 2006 also saw
the first live broadcast of the 78th
Annual Academy Awards on HTV7. And in November 2005, one of the first
Jetix-branded animation blocks in the Asia Pacific launched on Vietnam
Television (VTV).

HTV’s director general, Huynh
Van Nam commented: “Ho Chi Minh Television was honored to be the very first
Vietnamese broadcaster to run the two channels, Disney Channel and Playhouse
Disney, on our pay-TV package HTVC. And now, once again, we are proud to be the
first broadcaster to launch Disney’s top animated series on our free TV channel
HTV7. We look forward to having Mickey Mouse and Donald join our local children
in a new and comfortable playground.”