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Disney Channel content hits YouTube

YouTube and Disney originally signed a deal back in November that would see the two working together, with Disney creating original short videos for the streaming website. That hasn’t come to pass yet, but part of the agreement looks to have included Disney offering up some of its existing content to watch for free. Over the past couple of days, Disney owned shows such as The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Lizzie McGuire have started appearing on YouTube under the channel name Disney Shows. Currently there are 67 videos available to watch, with episodes from a variety of different shows. Neither company have made waves about the content being made available, and it’s unclear at this point if more is to follow.

It’s not the first time that free, full-length content has been available to view on YouTube, but typically the range of material was lacking. Although children’s shows clearly won’t appeal to everyone, it’s an important move for Google to seize as much content as it can. The copyright dispute between YouTube and Viacom has led to a sour relationship, meaning YouTube is locked out of similar children’s programming from Nickelodeon.

Disney are set to create a short web series of YouTube based on the popular mobile game Where’s My Water?, reportedly spending between $10 and $15 million on that project among others. The series was originally due for February, although it has yet to come to fruition.

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( Disney closes controversial fat-fighting exhibit )

In some Disney circles last spring, there was talk of filming a Hannah Monana spin-off to be broadcast on Disney Channel. This was shortly after the ending of Hannah Montana Forever, which pulled in 6.2 million viewers for its final episode. However, plans for that sequel were recently scrapped by Disney, and attentions have now turned back to Madison High, which the network is planning on making a pick-up decision on this spring.

Madison High is a Disney Channel series that's been in production for more than a year now; it's actually the first potential Disney Channel series EVER to be a spin-off of a Disney Channel Original Movie: High School Musical!

In the spin-off, Devin Daniels (Luke Benward, Minutemen), a motocross biker looking for a new hobby, Wednesday Malone (G. Hannelius, Sonny With a Chance), a future star in the making and Peyton Hall (Leah Lewis, friends with Bella Thorne), a formerly-homeschooled tennis champ, will work together with High School Musical's original Mrs. Darbus (Alyson Reed) to build a new musical theater program at Madison High. And of course, just like the original High School Musicals, there will be lots of original song and dance to help move the plot along.

Are you guys hoping Madison High will be picked up? Are you glad that Disney's Channel's probably going this route instead of the HM-spinoff route?

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Billy Ray Cyrus is the latest celebrity to sign up with Amazon.com

The singer of "Achy Breaky Heart" and father and former co-star of Miley Cyrus has a memoir, "Hillbilly Heart," coming in spring 2013.

Amazon.com, which has been aggressively expanding its publishing operation, announced Thursday that Cyrus would discuss with "great candor" everything from his early years to life as the parent of a teen superstar. Cyrus and his daughter starred together in the hit TV series "Hannah Montana."

Others with Amazon deals include actress-director Penny Marshall and actor James Franco. Those books, however, will not be available everywhere. Barnes & Noble Inc. announced earlier this week that it would not stock releases from its rival retailer.
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Billy Ray Cyrus stopped by Socialite Life’s studios last Friday (January 13th) to answer questions submitted by fans via SOCIALITE LIFE, Twitter and Facebook.

Cyrus talked about shooting Disney’s Hannah Montana with daughter Miley Cyrus, what may have happened to those Reeboks from his “Achy Breakey Heart” music video, and why 2012 is such an important year for this country.

With the 2012 election coming up in November, Cyrus urges Americans to exercise their right to vote. Cyrus’ “We The People” features the late great Waylon Jennings, John Anderson, Montgomery Gentry, Danni Leigh, and Yankee Grey about the importance of participating in the voting process. “We the People” can be found on Cyrus’ album Southern Rain.

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Disney star Mitchell Musso is leaving the show "Pair of Kings" to move on to adult Disney projects -- and we've learned his recent DUI accelerated the decision.

TMZ broke the story … the 20-year-old was arrested in October for allegedly driving drunk. Just yesterday, he plead not guilty.

Sources connected with the production of "Pair of Kings" tell TMZ ... Musso and Disney have been in talks for months about moving the actor out of the kids show and into young adult projects. We're told Disney wanted him to complete one more season of the "Kings" before he moved on -- and although Musso was reluctant, he agreed.

Sources tells us ... after the DUI arrest, both Disney and Musso agreed it would be better to make the move immediately, rather than waiting another season.

We're told Musso will have an active role at Disney and it's a reflection of the new Disney reality that young actors and actresses get in trouble just like everybody else.

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