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Neither UPN nor Buena Vista TV would comment on the chain of events that led to the recent revival of talks on the subject, although one source said UPN’s negotiations with Nickelodeon are also still ongoing.

It’s no secret that UPN CEO Dean Valentine, who helped develop Disney’s animated series when he was president of network TV and TV animation there, would like to have Disney’s kids product on his network.

Mort Marcus, head of Disney’s syndication division Buena Vista TV, is also anxious to find a home for the Disney-Kellogg Alliance, formerly known as the Disney Afternoon. Timeslots for the syndie kids block have been gobbled up as emerging networks UPN and the WB expand.

When talks broke down, sources said the unresolved issues were branding and the amount of FCC-friendly programming, but others speculated that corporate synergy was the true deal-breaking culprit.

Disney may have been concerned about launching a branded Disney kids block on a network that competes with ABC, although a weekday UPN lineup could actually help promote and feed interest in ABC’s Saturday-morning lineup.