ABC Family Worldwide
ABC Family Worldwide is an American entertainment company that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The company was originally established as International Family Entertainment Inc. (IFE) in 1990 by Pat Robertson and his son Tim Robertson. It was later acquired by News Corporation in 1997 and subsequently sold to The Walt Disney Company in 2001.
History[edit | edit source]
Formation and Early Years[edit | edit source]
ABC Family Worldwide was initially founded as International Family Entertainment Inc. (IFE) in 1990. The company was created to operate the Family Channel, a cable television network that was originally launched in 1977 as the CBN Satellite Service by the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). The network was rebranded as the Family Channel in 1988.
Acquisition by News Corporation[edit | edit source]
In 1997, IFE was acquired by News Corporation, the parent company of Fox Broadcasting Company. Following the acquisition, the Family Channel was rebranded as Fox Family Channel in 1998. The rebranding aimed to attract a broader audience by incorporating more general entertainment programming alongside its family-oriented content.
Acquisition by The Walt Disney Company[edit | edit source]
In 2001, News Corporation sold Fox Family Worldwide to The Walt Disney Company. The acquisition included the Fox Family Channel, which was subsequently rebranded as ABC Family in 2001. The rebranding aligned the channel with Disney's ABC network and its family-friendly programming.
Rebranding to Freeform[edit | edit source]
In 2016, ABC Family was rebranded as Freeform. The rebranding was part of an effort to target a younger audience, specifically millennials and Generation Z. Freeform continues to offer a mix of original series, movies, and acquired programming.
Operations[edit | edit source]
ABC Family Worldwide operates as a subsidiary of Disney General Entertainment Content, a division of The Walt Disney Company. The company is responsible for the programming and operations of the Freeform channel, as well as other related media ventures.
Programming[edit | edit source]
ABC Family Worldwide has been known for its diverse programming, which includes original series, movies, and acquired content. Some of the notable original series that have aired on the network include:
The network also airs a variety of holiday-themed programming, particularly during its annual 25 Days of Christmas event.
See Also[edit | edit source]
- The Walt Disney Company
- Freeform (TV channel)
- Disney General Entertainment Content
- American Broadcasting Company
- Christian Broadcasting Network
- News Corporation
References[edit | edit source]
External Links[edit | edit source]
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