The big scary isn't the troll under the bridge: MultiChoice's DStv and The Walt Disney Company is ready to start targeting very young children specifically and little young viewers by adding TV commercials to Disney Junior (DStv 309) and Disney Channel (DStv 303) in a crass commercialisation of kids TV channels parents used to trust for not selling to kids.
It's not immediately clear why MultiChoice, DStv Media Sales and Disney are damaging the DStv and Disney brands - names which DStv subscribers and Disney-loving parents have come to trust to be better kids channels - by starting targeted commercials aimed at small children.
Disney Channel and Disney Junior had a safer reputation, making parents feel safe and good to allow their tots and teens to watch, knowing that their children are not specifically targeted by advertisers through crass commercials and sponsors.
Well, not any more.
From November Disney's Disneymedia+ will be shamelessly selling to kids as young as 4 watching television with the permission of MultiChoice's DStv when what the TV and ad industry calls "spot advertising" is added for the first time to Disney Channel and Disney Junior which has the youngest viewers.
The Disney Channel which is 8 years old on MultiChoice's DStv this month, reaches 287 000 kids between the ages of 4 and 14.
Now DStv, Disney and Disneymedia+ are swinging open the doors to commercial advertisers to target these very young viewers with commercial considerations while the little eyes are watching their kiddie shows in front of the telly.
Disney Junior which reaches 1.3 million little ones from the age of 4 and up and which launched in 2011, will now bombard some of the youngest viewers on television with commercials and advertising in a disgusting change from November.
It's not clear why the monthly subscription fee parents pay to have these Disney channels as part of their DStv package, and which was fine until now without commercials, seems to no longer be enough money and why Disney and DStv want to make even more money from commercials on these kids channels which didn't have it before.
Disney XD which has been boy focused with older somewhat older viewers and more action-oriented shows launched in 2011 and has been carrying advertising.
MultiChoice South Africa and Disney didn't immediately respond to media enquiries regarding why advertising needs to be introduced on kids channels which were fine without it, whether there is advertising that Disney won't run, and why Disney and DStv is doing and allowing advertising to very small children when it didn't do so before.
UPDATE: Disney is responding, and is explaining why Disney is set to start showing TV commercials on The Disney Channel and Disney Junior to young viewers on DStv.
