Families Betrayed by Disney Have Alternatives

A cascade of headlines in recent weeks is painting a bleak picture of how far Disney has strayed from founder Walt Disney’s vision for company.

Walt Disney famously said, “The important thing is the family. If you can keep the family together – that’s the backbone of our business, catering to families – that’s what we hope to do.” But with the recently leaked video footage of Disney executives admitting to adding controversial content into programs designed for children, coupled with the announcement that they soon will be adding mature-rated content to the Disney+ streaming platform (even developing an original series based on the film “The Full Monty” about a group of male strippers who bare it all!), it is clear the current Disney management has a different goal in view.

Disney+ was supposed to be a safe streaming alternative for families fleeing the sex, violence and profanity-riddled offerings on Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max and others. Instead, it looks like Disney+ is following their lead.

What are families to do?

Fortunately, there are still a few reliably safe alternatives for wholesome, family-friendly entertainment.

Up Faith & Family

UPtv and Aspire are traditional cable networks offered on cable, satellite and other tv providers. If you prefer to stream, they also offer a family-focused streaming service, UP Faith & Family, that is offered through a low monthly subscription through their proprietary app as well as through Amazon Prime, Verizon, Xfinity and many other streaming services.

UPtv’s programming is designed to uplift viewers every single day, and while many of their programs are for adults, you don’t have to reach for the remote when the kids enter the room. Because of this, UPtv is a top 10 network that families watch together.

Up also features faith-affirming movies and entertainment.

To find out more and where to see UP visit www.uptv.com and UPtv’s social media site

GAC

Viewers may already be familiar with Great American Country (GAC), a network dedicated to quality, family-friendly entertainment. This past fall, GAC launched two new networks: GAC FAMILY and GAC LIVING.

GAC Family is designed to focus on scripted content, including movies; while GAC LIVING’s focus is on unscripted and reality “lifestyle” content.

There’s so much need for family content in the market and in this space… It’s pretty scary, quite frankly, the amount of content that’s out there, the vast majority of it is salacious and is not appropriate for any member of the family, really. From my point of view, it’s pretty easy, open space, and something I really am passionate about,” says Bill Abbott Founder and CEO of GAC Family.

“We want to be relentlessly family-friendly, we want to be consistent, and we want to be high quality,” he added. “If we do those three things, I think that we’ll deliver on the promise and will be the leader in the space.”

For more information and listings, visit www.gacfamily.com

INSP

INSP is a general entertainment television network providing a trusted viewing experience with a lineup of exclusive and original series, timeless Westerns, action-filled dramas, and films focused on adventure and heroic characters.

Research has confirmed the hunger in the market for a television experience that is entertaining but without the gratuitous graphic violence, offensive language, and nudity that seems so prevalent today. INSP seeks to fill the gap with a unique lineup of programs featuring quality adventure, suspense, great stories, and heroic characters. Good comedy doesn’t need swearing to be funny, and good stories can be told without being excessively off-color.

INSP programming consistently spotlights iconic characters who stand for a sense of fairness and justice. INSP honors the pioneers who bravely settled the West and lawmen willing to defend freedom and stand for principles no matter the cost. Through a growing library of original and exclusive series and films, INSP features modern day men and women who take risks and live on the edge, all with the spirit of trying to do the right thing.

As a result, at a time when audiences are declining for most networks, INSP continues to experience increases. With a program schedule that resonates with people across the country, INSP has become one of the fastest-growing networks in the U.S.

Watched in more than 50 million households a year, INSP attracts an intensely loyal audience, with viewers among the leaders in time a network’s viewers watch that network (Comscore) and consecutive minutes viewers watch without changing channels (Nielsen).

For more information and listings, go to www.insp.com

Angel Studios

Angel Studios’ mission is to “build a home for stories that amplify light” – their North Star. A principle rooted in Philippians 4:8: “Whatever is true, honest, noble, just, authentic, lovely, admirable, excellent or worthy of praise.”

“Just as a compass, the stars and magnetic North guided sailors through dark waters centuries ago, our North Star for filmmaking helps us navigate dark times and focus on light in our day.”

Their goal is to counteract the divisive, cynical, and dark messages so prevalent in much modern entertainment. To that end, they offer clean comedy, wholesome kids’ programming, and faith-affirming content.

Angel Studios programming is available onlione and through the Angel app.

For more information, go to www.angel.com

Dove

Dove has been a trusted brand for family audiences for years, and now they’ve brought that same fierce commitment to wholesome storytelling and family-friendly content to the streaming universe, boasting a diverse library of wholesome and inspiring TV shows and movies that respect your family's values and lift your spirits.

The Dove Channel exists to give families a safe place to enjoy wholesome entertainment that specifically meets the needs of your family's values.

The Dove Channel’s streaming app makes some content available for free, with access to the full library, ad-free, for a small monthly fee (less than the current Disney+ subscription cost!) Premium members can also access their family filtering tool, which enables you to customize your family’s viewing experience according to the needs and sensitivities of your family. In addition to a proprietary app, Dove TV is also available through Apple TV and Amazon Prime.

For more information, visit www.dovechannel.com

Daily Wire

Just last month, Daily Wire announced that it was investing $100 million in kids’ entertainment with plans to launch a streaming media site to compete with Disney+ and other popular streamers. They’ve already brought-in some big names in kids’ entertainment, including Eric Branscum and Ethan Nicolle of “VeggieTales in the House.”