TV Bulletin Board (April 9)
04/09/08 17:34
By ED BARK
The Disney Channel touted its next new would-be big star, Dallas-born Devi Lovato, at its NYC presentation to advertisers Wednesday.
It knows something about this after previously springboarding Zac Efron, Raven-Symone, Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus and others.
Lovato, a 15-year-old singer/songwriter, will be showcased next season in the Disney Channel movie Princess Protection Program, co-starring fellow Dallas native Selena Gomez. The latter's Disney series, Wizards of Waverly Place, has been picked up for a second season, advertisers were told. Also renewed were Phineas and Ferb and, to no one's surprise, Hannah Montana.
Two other new movies, Dadnapped and Hatching Pete, likewise will feature stars from the Disney Channel stable.
A previously announced film, Camp Rock, with Lovato also starring, will have an "unprecedented" roll-out in June on Disney Channel, the big daddy ABC network, ABC Family, Radio Disney and Disney.com.
Lovato, who also performed a little song for the Madison Ave. types, is the daughter of ex-Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Dianna Lovato.