VH1 (British and Irish TV channel)

VH1 was a Brtish and Irish pay television channel that was owned by ViacomCBS]. The channel was based on the original VH1 American channel of the same name. On 24 November until 26 December 2017, VH1 was renamed temporarily as VH1 Christmas. The channel closed on Tuesday 7 January 2020.

For VH1 in United States, see VH1.
For VH1 on mainland Europe, see VH1 (European TV channel).

VH1
Launched10 October 1994 (25 years, 91 days)
Closed7 January 2020
Owned by(ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia/Sky Group)
Picture format16:9 576i SDTV
Audience share0.01% (June 2018 (2018-06), BARB)
Replaced byMTV Classic (Virgin Media UK)
Sister channel(s)
Availability
Satellite
Sky (UK)Channel 605
Cable
Virgin Media (UK)Channel 713
Virgin Media (Ireland)Channel 605

History

VH1 UK together with VH1 Germany was first launched on 10 October 1994 [1] as a complementary network to the youth-orientated MTV. Between June 1999 and 2001 it was temporarily rebranded by VH1 Export, also broadcasting on mainland Europe. In 2001 VH1 Export and VH1 Germany merged into the Pan-European VH1 channel. VH1 UK became a separate local television channel.[2] It originally took the same focus at launch as the main American network of a focus on mainly adult contemporary artists for an audience between 21-44, with a broad playlist involving music videos from the 70s to the present day along with weekly countdowns, a format maintained until around 2008.

Besides the American network's features and programming (including programme marathons such as Pop-Up Video), a unique feature of the network was Ten of the Best, in which an artist's video is played, then the artist's personal top ten list being played with explanations from the artists for their choices. The same concept was also carried by VH2, but with their alternative artists.

Final format

On 1 May 2018, VH1 moved to Sky channel 174 and as a result, the channel took on a general entertainment focus, matching the American network, though due to the American VH1's programmes being licensed to other networks or broadcasters, it carried content from Channel 5 or MTV. VH1 completed its transition to a general entertainment format in October 2018 with VH1 US programs, including Love & Hip Hop: Miami and Ru Paul's Drag Race, though music programmes continued in non-prime timeslots. VH1 Christmas moved to MTV Rocks.[3]

In March 2019, VH1, along with sister channel BET moved EPG numbers on Sky. VH1 moved to 160 and BET moved to 173.

In December 2019, BT TV announced that VH1 would be leaving the UK market along with Universal TV and that the channel would close on 7 January 2020, the same day as sister channel 5Spike.[4]. The EPG channel slot was deprecated on all platforms except Virgin Media UK, where MTV Classic replaced it after a ten-year absence.

Final programming

Former sister channels

VH1 inspired two spin-off channels, both of which have since switched to MTV spin-offs:

  • VH1 Classic (launched 1 July 1999; closed 1 March 2010) played all-time greats from the 1960s to the 1990s. The channel was rebranded as MTV Classic.
  • VH2 (launched 16 December 2003; closed 1 August 2006) showed mainly music videos and live concerts. It focused on rock, indie and punk music and branded itself as "the alternative to manufactured pop". The channel was replaced by MTV Flux, which itself was replaced by MTV +1.

See also

References
  1. https://presentationarchive.com/uk/vh1/
  2. Chalaby, Jean K. (2009). Transnational Television in Europe: Reconfiguring Global Communications Networks. I.B.Tauris. p. 129. ISBN 9780857717474.
  3. Szalai, Georg. "Viacom's VH1 U.K. to Focus on Unscripted Shows in Repositioning miscellaneous". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  4. RXTV-log, 2019-12-22
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