Editing Soapnet (section)

==History==
===Early history (2000–02)===
When Soapnet launched on January 20, 2000, the channel aired only current [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] soap operas in the evening and early morning, so that people who were at work or school during the day could watch them at their convenience. Programming was inclusive, as the channel was owned by ABC. Soapnet eventually gained high cable carriage due to [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]]'s aggressive policy of pulling ABC-[[owned-and-operated station|owned broadcast stations]] and the popular [[ESPN]] channels from cable providers if they did not agree to carry Soapnet as well. This was the main reason for ABC [[owned-and-operated station]] [[WABC-TV]] being pulled from [[Time Warner Cable]]'s [[New York City]] system for two days in May 2000.<ref>[http://archives.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/02/time.warner.02 Entertainment ABC to return to Time Warner Cable] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070305013229/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/02/time.warner.02 |date=2007-03-05 }} CNN, May 3, 2000</ref>

When Soapnet was announced, [[Sony Pictures Entertainment]] planned to launch a competing cable channel and website called [[SoapCity]], which would air all [[CBS]] soap operas and the [[Sony Pictures Television|Sony-owned/produced]] [[NBC]] soap ''[[Days of Our Lives]]''. The plans for the SoapCity cable channel were abandoned early in 2000 after Sony failed to secure cable carriage, though the website component remained.

Soapnet's inaugural lineup aired current soaps such as ''[[All My Children]]'', ''[[One Life to Live]]'', ''[[General Hospital]]'' and ''[[Port Charles]]'', along with canceled daytime and nighttime soaps such as ''[[Falcon Crest]]'', ''[[Knots Landing]]'', ''[[The Colbys]]'', ''[[Hotel (American TV series)|Hotel]]'', ''[[Sisters (American TV series)|Sisters]]'', and ''[[Ryan's Hope]]''. As the years went on, Soapnet introduced original programming such as ''[[Soap Center]]'' and ''[[Soap Talk]]'', the latter of which was nominated for several [[Daytime Emmy Award]]s. ''Soap Center'', which debuted on Soapnet's launch day schedule, was initially hosted by former soap stars [[Brooke Alexander]] and [[David Forsyth (actor)|David Forsyth]]. They were replaced the following year by [[Peggy Bunker]]: based on the East Coast and covering New York-based soaps; and [[Tanika Ray]] discussing West Coast-based soaps. [[Peggy Bunker]] also hosted all events from Super Soap Weekend from Walt Disney World in Florida, including an exclusive interview with Susan Lucci. By 2003, the show ceased filming original material.

Other original series included ''[[1 Day With]]'', a half-hour program featuring interviews with soap actors, that was hosted by ''General Hospital'' actor [[Wally Kurth]]; ''[[I Wanna Be a Soap Star]]'', a recurring reality series in which twelve young actors compete for a contract role on a daytime soap; and ''[[Soapography]]'', a 30-minute show profiling the lives and current shows of two different soap opera actors.

===Programming expansion (2002–10)===
In 2002, Soapnet began airing reruns of ''[[Dynasty (1981 TV series)|Dynasty]]'', and by 2003, the channel added highly requested programming such as reruns of ''[[Another World (TV series)|Another World]]'' and ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]''; replacing ''Falcon Crest'', ''The Colbys'', ''Hotel'', and ''Sisters''. In 2004, Soapnet acquired the rights to broadcast ''[[Days of Our Lives]]'' episodes on a same-day basis. The channel also aired the 1975 to 1981 episodes of ''[[Ryan's Hope]]'', which had not been seen on television since its 1989 cancellation by ABC. At that time, many viewers who did not have Soapnet at its inception petitioned to have the channel broadcast the show from the very beginning. In 2003, the channel aired the first episodes starting on [[St. Patrick's Day]].

In 2004, Soapnet acquired reruns of the short-lived 1980s soap ''[[Paper Dolls]]''. In January 2005, the channel began airing reruns of the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] dramas ''[[Beverly Hills, 90210]]'' and ''[[Melrose Place]]''; this was followed that spring with the addition of repeats of short-lived nighttime soaps ''[[The Monroes (1995 TV series)|The Monroes]]'' and ''[[Skin (American TV series)|Skin]]''. In July 2005, it picked up the Fox primetime soap ''[[Pasadena (TV series)|Pasadena]]'', including nine episodes that were not aired during the show's initial run. On March 16, 2006, Soapnet announced that it had acquired the rights to broadcast same-day episodes of ''[[The Young and the Restless]]'', which began airing on Soapnet on April 24, 2006 – making it the first CBS network soap to air on the channel.

Since the channel was a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, it also broadcast events from the annual ABC [[Super Soap Weekend]], which was held every November at [[Walt Disney World]], and each summer at [[Disney California Adventure|Disney's California Adventure]] until the event was retired in 2010. ''[[Soap Talk]]'' hosts [[Lisa Rinna]] and [[Ty Treadway]] served as hosts for question and answer sessions at the events, allowing fans to ask questions to their favorite soap stars.

Some viewers complained about what they viewed as an overabundance of prime-time programming on the channel, some of which (''90210'' and ''Melrose Place'') had ended their original broadcast runs only a few years prior and had been repeated in syndication on other networks. These fans also objected to the large number of new episodes of the ABC lineup and ''Days of our Lives'', and repeatedly requested rebroadcasts of old daytime soaps such as ''[[Loving (TV series)|Loving]]'', ''[[The Edge of Night]]'', ''[[Santa Barbara (TV series)|Santa Barbara]]'', and ''[[Search for Tomorrow]]''.

On February 7, 2007, Soapnet acquired the rights to air reruns of ''[[The O.C.]]'' and ''[[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]''. The syndication deal also gave Soapnet an option to order a fifth season of ''One Tree Hill'' to air on the channel in the event that [[The CW]] chose not to renew the show<ref>[https://variety.com/2007/scene/markets-festivals/oc-tree-head-to-soapnet-1117958932/ "O.C", "Tree" Head to Soapnet], ''Variety.com'', February 7, 2007</ref> (this option was never exercised as first-run episodes of ''One Tree Hill'' remained on The CW until the series ended in 2012).

In November 2007, [[Deborah Blackwell]] stepped down as general manager of the channel with then-[[ABC Daytime]] president [[Brian Frons]] assuming her duties. In August 2008, it was revealed that Soapnet had lost the broadcast rights for both ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]'' and ''[[Melrose Place]]''; both shows left the schedule that September.

In 2009, the channel started to further expand its acquired programming; and began airing ''[[Greg Behrendt's Wake Up Call]]'', a program that was originally set to air on ABC during the 2006–07 season. After airing the [[CBC Television]] series ''[[MVP (TV series)|MVP]]'' (which was canceled by the CBC due to low ratings) in 2008, Soapnet also acquired the rights for the American broadcast of the Canadian dramedy ''[[Being Erica]]'' (which began in January of that year on the CBC) beginning in February 2009. According to [[Nielsen Media Research]], Soapnet was available to 75,259,000 cable and satellite subscribers in December 2010, an increase of 4 million subscribers from May 2009.

===Decline and transition to Disney Junior (2010–13)===
Due to declining viewership in the genre, the Big Three networks had begun to cancel selected soaps and replace them with less-expensive [[talk show]] and [[game show]] programming, including ABC's ''All My Children'' and ''One Life to Live'' (an attempt to license the two soaps to [[Prospect Park (production company)|Prospect Park]] to continue them as [[internet television]] series in 2013 was cancelled after a few months due to production and licensing conflicts), which were replaced with the cooking show ''[[The Chew]]'' (which aired until June 2018) and the lifestyle talk show ''[[The Revolution (TV series)|The Revolution]]'' (which was canceled in April 2012 due to low ratings; its timeslot was assumed by ''General Hospital'' and the remaining hour given back to ABC's affiliates). The decreasing number of active soaps, as well as the growing adoption of [[digital video recorder]]s (which made it more convenient to record multiple soaps), along with cable and Internet [[video on demand]] options caching episodes online within a matter of hours, negated the further need for a linear channel devoted to the genre.<ref name="soapnetdrain"/>

Disney–ABC Television Group head [[Anne Sweeney]] solicited concepts for a new network to replace Soapnet. The ABC Daytime division pitched two concepts for a women-focused network, including "Carrie" (named after [[Carrie Bradshaw]] of ''[[Sex and the City]]'')—a "hip and cool" channel, and "Disney Moms"—which focused on "[programs] moms would want to watch and their families would watch with them". They competed with a proposal by [[Disney Channels Worldwide]] for a network devoted to preschool programming. Much to the dismay of the ABC Daytime staff, Sweeney would choose Disney Channel's proposal.<ref name="deadline-rejectedideas">{{cite news|last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|title='Carrie' & 'Disney Moms' Among Rejected Ideas For SOAPNet: An Insider's Perspective On Net's Evolution & ABC Soaps' Demise|url=https://deadline.com/2011/04/carrie-disney-moms-among-rejected-ideas-for-soapnet-an-insiders-perspective-on-nets-evolution-abc-soaps-demise-123577/|access-date=January 13, 2016|work=Deadline Hollywood|archive-date=January 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115214425/http://deadline.com/2011/04/carrie-disney-moms-among-rejected-ideas-for-soapnet-an-insiders-perspective-on-nets-evolution-abc-soaps-demise-123577/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On May 26, 2010, [[Disney Junior]] was officially announced as Disney Channels Worldwide's new preschool television brand. Replacing [[Playhouse Disney]],  Disney Junior would launch as a block on Disney Channel on February 14, 2011, and was to launch a 24-hour cable channel in January 2012, replacing Soapnet.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Barnes|first=Brooks|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/business/media/27disney.html|title=Preschool Programs Replace SOAPnet|date=2010-05-26|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-02-15|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=2022-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807150136/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/business/media/27disney.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/05/26/soapnet-will-go-dark-to-make-way-for-disney-junior Soapnet will go dark to make way for Disney Junior] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527032646/http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/05/26/soapnet-will-go-dark-to-make-way-for-disney-junior/ |date=2010-05-27 }}, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', May 26, 2010.</ref> On July 28, 2011, due to issues in reaching carriage deals for the new network, the launch of the Disney Junior channel was delayed to an unspecified date in early 2012.<ref name="deadline-rejectedideas"/> Disney Junior's launch date was later set to March 23, 2012. Disney also stated that on some providers, Disney Junior would be carried in parallel with Soapnet until the network is eventually phased out.<ref name=tvguide-replace>{{cite web|title=Disney Junior to Replace SoapNet in March|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/disney-junior-soapnet-march-1041380/|website=TVGuide.com|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=16 January 2016|archive-date=16 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216155432/http://www.tvguide.com/news/disney-junior-soapnet-march-1041380.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' reported that some television providers had been hesitant to immediately drop Soapnet, as they "didn't want to risk legions of vocal soap opera fans getting into a lather, or worse, moving to a rival service."<ref name="soapnetdrain"/>

On March 1, 2012, Soapnet's operations were taken over by [[Freeform (TV channel)|ABC Family]] following the dismantling of the ABC Daytime corporate structure under Brian Frons, who had resigned in December 2011.

Some television providers, including certain [[Xfinity]] systems, immediately replaced Soapnet with Disney Junior in its channel space on launch.<ref name="Time Warner">Gerds, Warren. "Warren Gerds column: [http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20120403/GPG04/204030473/Warren-Gerds-column-Network-specials-take-Titanic-anniversary Network specials take on Titanic for anniversary]." ''[[Green Bay Press Gazette]]'' 02 April 2012. Web. 19 April 2012.</ref><ref name=March>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/News/Disney-Junior-SoapNet-March-1041380.aspx|title=Disney Junior to replace Soapnet in March|last=Schneider|first=Michael|work=TV Guide|date=January 9, 2012|access-date=January 9, 2012|archive-date=January 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112025924/http://www.tvguide.com/News/Disney-Junior-SoapNet-March-1041380.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=latimesblog>Villarreal, Yvonne. "''Show Tracker: What You're Watching'' &mdash; [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2012/03/disney-junior-247-channel-launches-friday.html Disney Junior 24/7 channel launches Friday] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616130555/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2012/03/disney-junior-247-channel-launches-friday.html |date=2018-06-16 }}." ''[[Los Angeles Times]] Blog'' 22 March 2012. Web. 19 April 2012.</ref> Soapnet continued to be carried on providers who had not yet made carriage agreements for Disney Junior (such as [[Dish Network]]), as well as for certain providers that retained Soapnet as part of their channel lineups, while also adding Disney Junior as an additional channel (such as [[Cablevision]], [[DirecTV]], [[Verizon FiOS]], [[RCN Corporation|RCN]]. and [[Time Warner Cable]]).<ref name=March/><ref name=latimesblog/><ref name="Soapnet update">{{cite magazine | url=http://abc.soapsindepth.com/2012/03/update-on-soapnet.html#more | title=Update on Soapnet | magazine=ABC Soaps In Depth | access-date=March 2, 2012 | date=March 1, 2012 | archive-date=June 20, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620161544/http://abc.soapsindepth.com/2012/03/update-on-soapnet.html#more | url-status=dead }}</ref> Same day rebroadcasts of ''General Hospital'', ''Days of our Lives'' and ''The Young and the Restless'' were retained, with repeats of ABC Family programming and reruns of ''Veronica Mars'' being added to the schedule.<ref name="Soapnet update"/> The rights to ''Veronica Mars'' were transferred to [[Pivot (TV channel)|Pivot]] when that network launched in August 2013.

A 1-hour two-week [[Live Well Network]] block was broadcast on Soapnet weeknights from 11 PM to 12 AM (ET/PT) starting on July 30, 2012 through Friday, August 10, 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=SOAPnet Presents Live Well Network Original Programming, Beg. Today, 7/30|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/SOAPnet-to-Present-Live-Well-Network-Original-Programming-Beg-730-20120729|access-date=December 5, 2014|work=Broadway World|publisher=Wisdom Digital Media|date=July 30, 2012|archive-date=May 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502124755/https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/SOAPnet-to-Present-Live-Well-Network-Original-Programming-Beg-730-20120729|url-status=live}}</ref>

On January 15, 2013, [[AT&T U-verse]] reached a new wide-ranging multi-year carriage agreement with Disney for its various broadcast and cable channels, which included the addition of Disney Junior.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/491363-Disney_Strikes_U_Verse_Carriage_Deal.php|title=Disney Strikes U-Verse Carriage Deal|last=Farrell|first=Mike|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=January 15, 2013|access-date=January 15, 2013|archive-date=May 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502124757/https://www.nexttv.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> In April 2013, Soapnet lost the rights to same-day broadcasts of ''The Young and the Restless'' to [[Pop (American TV channel)|TVGN]] (which [[CBS Corporation]], owner of the show's originating broadcaster [[CBS]], had acquired a 50% ownership stake in the previous month), effective July 1.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/young-restless-moves-soapnet-tv-432770|title='The Young and the Restless' Moves From Soapnet to TV Guide Network|last=O'Connell|first=Michael|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=April 3, 2013|access-date=June 28, 2013|archive-date=May 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527103216/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/young-restless-moves-soapnet-tv-432770|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/06/10/the-young-the-restles-moves-to-tvgn-for-exclusive-basic-cable-airings-beginning-monday-july-1/186513/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130618000710/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/06/10/the-young-the-restles-moves-to-tvgn-for-exclusive-basic-cable-airings-beginning-monday-july-1/186513/|url-status= dead|archive-date= June 18, 2013|title='The Young & the Restless' Moves to TVGN for Exclusive Basic Cable Airings Beginning Monday, July 1|last=Bibel|first=Sara|date=June 10, 2013|access-date=June 28, 2013}}</ref> TVGN eventually picked up ''[[The Bold and the Beautiful]]'' after Soapnet ended, a soap never carried by the network, and both are now carried in [[high-definition television|high definition]] on Pop's HD simulcast network, along with eventually, ''Days of Our Lives''.

In November 2013, Disney announced that Soapnet would close on December 31, 2013, after 13 years of soapy drama.<ref name="soapnetdrain"/> The network's impending closure had been previously reported by several cable providers, including [[AT&T U-verse]], [[Comcast]], [[Charter Communications|Charter]] and [[Cox Communications|Cox]], among others.<ref name="shutdown">{{cite web|url=http://xfinity.comcast.net/learn/programming|title=Upcoming Contract Renewals|access-date=October 13, 2013|archive-date=October 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003204236/http://xfinity.comcast.net/learn/programming/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myaccount.charter.com/Customers/Support.aspx?MenuItem=63|title=Channel Lineup Changes - Charter Communications|work=Charter Communications|access-date=October 27, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927154546/http://www.myaccount.charter.com/Customers/Support.aspx?MenuItem=63|archive-date=September 27, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uversechannels.com/programming|title=U-verse Programming Changes|access-date=October 16, 2013|archive-date=October 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021133953/http://www.uversechannels.com/programming|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ww2.cox.com/residential/arizona/support/tv/article.cox?articleId=241f0100-e8c1-11e2-5f64-000000000000|title=Cox Residential Services &#124; Official Site|access-date=2013-11-04|archive-date=2013-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015120520/http://ww2.cox.com/residential/arizona/support/tv/article.cox?articleId=241f0100-e8c1-11e2-5f64-000000000000|url-status=live}}</ref> Soapnet quietly went [[Dark (broadcasting)|dark]] shortly before midnight [[Eastern Time Zone|ET]] on January 1, 2014, without ceremony.