Short answers, pulled from the story.
Isao Takahata directed Heidi, Girl of the Alps. Hayao Miyazaki contributed scene design, layout, and screenplay. Yoshiyuki Tomino contributed storyboards and screenplay, and Yōichi Kotabe served as character designer and animation director.
Heidi, Girl of the Alps first aired in Japan in 1974, produced by Zuiyo Eizo. It was the sixth and final entry in Calpis Comic Theater, a programming block that preceded the World Masterpiece Theater franchise.
No confirmed reason has been established. A spokesperson for the German-language branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation suggested a possible scheduling conflict with a live-action Heidi co-production that aired in Switzerland in 1978. A second theory holds that animation was considered vulgar in Switzerland at the time.
Takeo Watanabe composed the music for Heidi, Girl of the Alps, with lyrics by Eriko Kishida and arrangements by Yuji Matsuyama. Nippon Columbia published the album in Japan in May 1974, with catalog number KKS-4098.
Heidi, Girl of the Alps became one of the most popular anime ever broadcast in Spain, debuting on TVE on the 2nd of May 1975. The opening theme "Abuelito, dime tú" became one of the best-known children's songs in the country. Ediciones Recreativas published a comic book adaptation that ran for more than a hundred issues between 1975 and 1981.
The only verified complete English dub of Heidi, Girl of the Alps is believed to have been produced in the Philippines and was broadcast on Cartoon Network India in 2001. In the United States and United Kingdom, the only commercially released version was a feature-length film edit, not available in those markets until the 7th of May 1980, brought to home video in 1985 by Pacific Arts Corporation under the title The Story of Heidi.