Disney Launches New Healthy Eating Interstitials

BURBANK, October 22:
Disney Channel is tonight launching Pass the Plate, a series of short-form segments intended to
promote healthy eating habits.

Premiering during Hannah
Montana tonight, segments of the series
aim to inspire kids and tweens by focusing on the preparation and nutritional
benefits of a food item and taking viewers on a tour of how these foods are
enjoyed by kids and families in different countries. Rotating on-air each day,
the segments will be presented in multiple languages with subtitles.

Produced by Riverstreet
Productions in association with Disney Channels in 10 countries, the international
series is hosted by actress Brenda Song, of the Disney Channel series The
Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The
series also features young stars in Argentina, Australia, China, France, India,
Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, the U.K. and the U.S., with each telling a
story about interesting ways to eat healthy foods in their culture and their
families.

Each of the six segments
focuses on the exposition, preparation and health benefits of one food item—mangoes,
rice, fish, tomatoes, bananas and spinach—and takes viewers across the
globe on a tour of how these foods are enjoyed by kids and families in each
country.

As each recipe is
showcased, it will be available at the Disney Channel website, at www.DisneyChannel.com/passtheplate,
where kids and families can access information to adopt healthier lifestyles
through good nutrition and physical activity. Included on the site will be a
look at how different cultures prepare the same nutritious foods plus
interesting facts, pictures, videos and games that further the healthy
lifestyle theme.

Rich Ross, the president
of Disney Channel Worldwide, commented: "We want our programming to
reflect and recognize that everyone shares a responsibility to encourage kids
and families to adopt healthy lifestyles; Our ongoing healthy kids initiatives,
led by Kelly Pena, and especially Pass the Plate, led by Jill Hotchkiss, represent our global
team's effort to both inform and empower our viewers, showing them how kids
just like them around the world enjoy and benefit from healthy foods."

In addition, Disney
Consumer Products (DCP) in the U.K. has signed a deal with Tesco to launch a
line of healthy Tesco/Disney-branded food products featuring Disney and
Disney/Pixar characters. In addition to meeting Disney’s nutritional
guidelines, the products will not feature any artificial flavors, artificial
colors or added trans fats. The first Tesco/Disney kids’ products will launch
in November 2007 and will expand throughout 2008.

Last week, DCP in the U.S.
launched new products in its Disney Garden line, a line of character-themed
fruit and vegetable snacks and sides that are kid-tested and conveniently
packaged. Additionally, the Disney Magic Selections line available at Kroger
stores in the U.S. has grown to more than 200 products since its July 2006
launch.

Pass the Plate and the agreement with Tesco are launching one
year after Disney unveiled new guidelines to associate its brands and
characters with a more nutritionally balanced range of foods. Similar
guidelines have been in place in Europe since the beginning of 2007 and will be
introduced in Japan and China next month.

—By Mansha Daswani