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 Final logo, used from 2018 to 2024 | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United Kingdom, Ireland |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Channel Four Television Corporation |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched | 15 August 2008; 16 years ago (2008-08-15) (original) 29 June 2022; 2 years ago (2022-06-29) (relaunch as music channel) |
| Replaced | The Hits (original) Box Hits (2022) |
| Closed | 29 June 2022; 2 years ago (2022-06-29) (original) 30 June 2024; 8 months ago (2024-06-30) (relaunch as music channel) |
| Replaced by | E4 Extra (original) |
| Former names | The Hits (2002–2008; original) Smash Hits (2001–2016) Box Hits (2016–2022) |
| Channel 4 |
|---|
_2023.svg) Channel 4 Logo |
| Television channels |
| Former channels |
| Online services |
| Other |
4Music was a Britishmusic television channel owned and operated byChannel Four Television Corporation. Launched on 15 August 2008, the original incarnation, replacingThe Hits television channel, showed a mix of music and entertainment programming.
On 29 June 2022, 4Music transitioned to a full-time channel on the space formerly containingBox Hits, withE4 Extra, a new sister channel and extension ofE4, taking over its original space.[1] On 30 June 2024, the channel, along with its sister Channel 4 (formerly The Box Plus Network) music TV channels, closed for the final time.
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The channel launched in 2008 with a ten-minute, on-screen countdown. During the countdown, clips from popular music videos were faded through the screen, including clips from promotions for the channel. The channel then launched at 7 pm.
Live coverage of the 2008V Festival was shown on 16 and 17 August and highlights were shown on subsequent days.[citation needed]
The launch also saw a newDigital on-screen graphic appear on the screen, and newidents with a woman swivelling on a chair with the channel's logo in the background.
On 2 April 2013, all Box Television channels wentfree-to-air on satellite, apart from 4Music which wentfree-to-view.[2] As a result, the channels were removed from the SkyEPG in Ireland.[3] Eventually, 4Music also went free-to-air on 7 February 2017 and launched on Freesat, replacingThe Box, but reverted to being free-to-view on 12 December 2018. On 25 January 2022, a new transmission of 4Music free-to-air on satellite began,[4] with a post from a Sky employee on the official Sky customer forums subsequently confirming that the free-to-air version would replace the FTV version on the Sky guide from 1 February.[citation needed]
The move back to free-to-air permitted the readdition of 4Music back to the Freesat channel guide from 1 February 2022, following soon after the restoration of theBox Plus Network's music channels andChannel 4 HD to full Freesat listing, after a period during which they had only been available via manual tune-in.[citation needed] On 1 March 2022, 4Music was restored to Sky in Ireland.[citation needed]
On 25 September 2017, 4Music received an update to its on-screen graphics, revolving around four squares which extend to create the 4Music logo and animate to form the artist credit. In 2018, 4Music changed its logo to add the current Channel 4 logo to it, with '4' and 'Music' mashed up together. This change also happened to its other channels.[5]
From 16 April 2018, the channel now shows more entertainment programmes as well as archive Channel 4 programming to coincide with a change in the EPG numbers on Sky from 1 May 2018.[citation needed]
On 4 November 2020, 4Music moved from channel 29 to 30 as part of a move up where every channel from channel 24 to 54 on the platform moved up one place to allowBBC Four to move to channel 24 in Scotland due to newOfcom rules regarding certain PSB channels requiring greater prominence on EPGs.[citation needed] This is because theBBC Scotland channel is on channel 9 in Scotland, whilst BBC Four is on channel 9 in the rest of the UK. On 26 January 2022, a similar shuffle down of channels – to free up LCN 23 nationwide for the revivedBBC Three – saw 4Music moved again, to 31 (with E4 +1 in turn taking over 30).[citation needed]
Transmission of 4Music and other channels operated by Channel 4 was impacted by the activation of a fire suppressant system at the premises ofRed Bee Media on 25 September 2021.[6] From 27 September to 6 October 2021, 4Music simulcasted the output ofThe Box, in place of usual scheduled programming, with a note shown on EPGs about the technical problems.[7] The simulcast was changed toBox Hits on 7 October 2021,[8] while output from 4Music was restored on 15 October, though initially with music videos only. Longform programming returned to the channel on 9 November,[9] beginning at 12.07pm withCouples Come Dine with Me. The last song played before longform programming resumed was "Remember" byBecky Hill andDavid Guetta.
On 13 June 2022, Channel 4 announced that 4Music's channel slot would be replaced withE4 Extra on 29 June 2022.[10][11][12] 4Music itself would transition toBox Hits' slot.[13] With the change, the channel transitioned back to being a full-time music channel.
On 29 January 2024, Channel 4 announced that 4Music and its sister channels would be closing as part of the future plans of the company leading up to 2030.
In the press release, it is stated that Channel 4 are "Proposing to close small linear channels that no longer deliver revenues or public value at scale, including the Box channels in 2024 and others at the right time".[14] At 23:59 on 30 June 2024, 4Music closed, with its final music video being "Raise Your Glass" byPink.
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Programmes shown on the channel as of Tuesday 9 November 2021:[15] From June 29, 2022, these programmes transitioned to other Channel 4 networks, E4 and E4 Extra.
The channel is also well known for repeating some of Channel 4's shows. Most of the shows listed below can also be found on E4, as that is aChannel Four Television Corporation service with a target market range of 16–34 years-of-age. As of September 2019, 4Music showed the following Channel 4 programmes in its schedule:
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4Music has coverage at both festivals during the Summer, with highlights repeated frequently throughout the Summer. The channel also has stages at both events. AtT4 on the Beach since 2007 (renamed the "T4 and 4Music Stage" in 2010) and at theV Festival since 2005 (then known as the "Channel 4 Stage", renamed to the "4Music Stage" in 2008).[citation needed]
T4 on the Beach ended after T4 ended its final run on 29 December 2012.[citation needed]
| Television channels | |
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| Former channels | |
| Online services | |
| Other | |
