The channel will see Disney beat BSkyB to launching an entertainment channel on the platform, which is operated jointly by the BBC, BSkyB and Crown Castle.
The channel will mark the US media giant's first real foray into mainstream UK broadcasting -- it does also own 25% of GMTV -- and will be its first advertising-only funded channel. Its other services operating in the UK, including the Disney Channel, depend on subscription revenues.
The channel, which will be a Disney-branded service, will carry programming from Disney's US television network ABC including 'All My Children' and 'General Hospital', according to reports.
In a statement, Disney said: "We have reached agreement to launch an entertainment channel on Freeview that will leverage the vast Disney library, including product never before aired on UK television. We will launch the advertising-supported service this winter and will announce more details closer to our launch."
BSkyB is expected to launch a general entertainment channel on Freeview. However, it is not expected in the near future. It is believed that when it does roll its offering out, it will be similar to its Sky One station.
Last month, Sky chief operating officer Richard Freudenstein said the broadcaster planned to morph its free-to-air channel Sky Travel into an entertainment channel for Freeview, but not until Freeview had 8m viewers.
This puts the launch of the channel a long way off, as Freudenstein believes that achieving this figure would depend on the government switching off the analogue signal and converting all viewers to digital.
The government has set a target of 2010 for the switch-off, but it is widely believed that this target will not be met.
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