Country | |
---|---|
Network | See separate section |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Picture format | 16:9 576i SDTV |
Timeshift service | Pop +1 |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
Sister channels | |
History | |
Launched | 29 May 2003 |
Former names | Toons&Tunes (2003) |
Links | |
Website | Official website |
Availability | |
Terrestrial | |
See separate section | |
Streaming media | |
See separate section |
Pop (stylized as PoP or POP) is a British free-to-air children's television channel owned by Narrative Entertainment UK Limited, targeting audiences aged 6 to 10. [1] Launched on 29 May 2003 as Toons&Tunes by Chart Show Channels (CSC) Media Group, it later took on its current name and was sold to Sony Pictures Television, who in turn sold it and its local channels to Narrative Entertainment UK Limited in 2021.
Pop was originally launched on 29 May 2003 by Chart Show Channels (CSC) Media Group as Toons&Tunes. [2] Toons&Tunes was then later rebranded as its current name, Pop (formerly stylized as pop and POP!) in the following month. In September 2003, a timeshift sister network - Pop Plus, was launched. [3] Originally, the network focused on music videos with animated programming also part of the schedule, but with the numerous music video network options on British television at the time, this focus was quickly abandoned in 2004, when the animated content became much more prominent. Music videos continued to be carried on and off until 2010, before eventually being abandoned entirely.[ citation needed ] Initially, the channel broadcast animated content sourced from Granada Media's programming library under a six-month non-exclusive deal, before transitioning to content sourced mainly from DIC Entertainment and Nelvana.
In the channel's early years, links were presented by Rorry, formerly known as Tricky, an animated lime green dragon who used to host a Saturday morning show in the autumn of 1997, but was repurposed for the Pop channel. Tricky spoke with a northern English dialect, while Rorry spoke in a different voice with a Scottish accent, both versions were animated live through computer cues. He was accompanied by Purrdy, a dragon/cat hybrid who also appeared in the original Tricky programme on ITV, it was sometimes followed by a programme known as "The Cheeky Monkey Show" which features the live links of the animated coloured monkeys known as "The Cheeky Monkeys".
In July 2004, Pop Plus was rebranded as Tiny Pop with the channel's pre-school shows being moved over, alongside the Cheeky Monkeys.
On 10 August 2007, a one-hour timeshift service - Pop +1 was launched on Sky, alongside Tiny Pop +1. On 11 October, the channel was launched on Virgin Media, alongside Tiny Pop. [4]
On 19 May 2008, Pop +1 ceased broadcast and was replaced with a new sister network - Kix!.
On 1 February 2011, Pop was removed from Virgin Media to make way for the cable launch of True Entertainment. [5]
On 20 March 2014, Pop was launched on Freeview. [6] Prior to April 2016, Pop was only available in areas where there is a local TV channel. On 14 July, Pop +1 was relaunched on Sky, replacing Kix +1.
On 1 April 2016, Pop moved to a wider coverage nationwide freeview mix, becoming available to over 90% of the country. [7] The capacity vacated by Pop on the local multiplex was used to transmit Kix from 7 April 2016. Pop +1 moved to LCN channel 128, to release 127 for use by Kix, but was otherwise unaffected, continuing to broadcast locally to Manchester only until its eventual withdrawal from Freeview.
On 1 September 2020, Pop rebranded its on-air identity, with the premiere of Bakugan: Armored Alliance . [8] And on the same day, starting with Pokémon Journeys: The Series , the network became the new British home of the Pokémon anime, moving from its previous broadcasters, ITV1 and CITV, of over 20 years. [9]
On 9 November 2022, Narrative Entertainment announced the launch of a new FAST channel, Pop Kids, to stream on Samsung TV Plus, the new FAST network airs shows from Pop and Tiny Pop. [10]
Sometime in 2022, Pop began to branch into original content for the first time, as they approached Joe Tasker for a new show called Swipe It! With Joe Taker.
On 19 July 2023, Pop reverted to broadcasting on the local-TV multiplex, switching places with sibling film channel Great! Romance. [11] In September 2023, it was announced that Pop Kids would split into two FAST channels, with Tiny Pop getting its own channel, and with Pop replacing the current FAST channel. [12]
On 7 February 2024, Pop and other Narrative Entertainment channels were removed from Freesat to make way for the closure of the linear variant of Tiny Pop, [13] however it was relaunched in 21 August in the same year, but not on Freesat.
On 30 May 2024, Narrative Entertainment announced the launch of Pop Up, a binge-watching-style FAST channel that offers up programming from a single IP within a few weeks at a time. [14]
Pop's website has gone through many redesigns and a few URL changes, the original version from 2004 was a simple website called Popclub.tv, featuring promo art and flash games with Pop's various hosts. Around 2007 it relaunched as Popfun.co.uk, which originally had visuals based around Rorry's castle and the surrounding village, [15] but after Rorry's departure in 2010 it instead changed to reflect whatever the current style and visuals of the channel at the time was.
On 21 September 2023, the website URL was changed to simply Pop.co.uk.
Pop programming in addition to content from sister channels Pop Max and Tiny Pop are available to stream on demand from the free TV service and mobile app Pop Player [16] and since May 2022, available on Freeview Channel 208. [17] [18]
The channel sources its programming from multiple production and distribution studios. Programming includes original shows such as Swipe It! With Joe Tasker, [19] and acquired programming such as Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks , Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir and Pokémon . The channel also includes movies and specials such as the Barbie television films, Pokémon and Monster High . [20] [21]
A time shift feed called Pop +1 was available until 2008, when it was replaced by Kix!; in turn, that network's +1 feed was discontinued on 14 July 2014 with Pop +1's return.
A FAST channel launched on Samsung TV Plus in November 2022. It shows a list of programs from across Pop and Tiny Pop. [22] In September 2023, it was announced that the channel would split into two, with Tiny Pop getting its own channel, and with Pop replacing the current FAST channel. [12]
Pop Up is a FAST binge-watching kids television channel airing on Freeview 207 and on other FAST services in the United Kingdom such as Samsung TV Plus at 4620 and LG Channels 1859. Pop UP doesn’t air on linear television services like Sky.
On 4 May 2017, Sony Pictures Television launched an Italian version of Pop as their first Italian free-to-air offering, with a similar line-up of programming to the UK channel. The network closed alongside its sister channel Cine Sony on 11 July 2019, after Mediaset purchased both network slots from Sony. Pop's old slot would be used for Boing Plus. [23]
There is also a Nigerian Pop channel that launched on StarTimes in 2014.
The Pakistani version of Pop is operated by Edutainment (Pty.) Ltd. under the license from Sony Pictures Television. [24]
CSC Media Group, formerly known as Chart Show Channels (CSC), was a British cable television broadcasting company. It was a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television. The company dissolved on 27 November 2019.
Tiny Pop is a British free-to-air television channel, owned by Narrative Entertainment UK Limited. Broadcast on many of the major digital television platforms in the UK, Tiny Pop, which was launched on 8 September 2003 as Pop Plus, and shows, its target audience is children aged 7 and under. The station broadcasts principally animated content sourced from various distributors.
Now 70s is a British free-to-air music television channel, owned by All Around the World Productions, available through Sky UK, Freeview and Virgin Media within the UK. It focuses on music from the 1970s, being the third decade-oriented channel in the Now portfolio, along with Now 80s and Now 90s & 00s.
Trace Hits was a British free-to-air music channel owned by Trace Group.
Pop Girl was a free-to-air children's television channel in the United Kingdom, owned by CSC Media Group, a company associated with the makers of The Chart Show, a television programme that had previously been on Channel 4 and ITV. It broadcast cartoons, live action and pop music videos on Sky and Freesat. Its target audience was 7 to 12-year-old girls.
Clubland TV is a British satellite free-to-air, cable and subscription Dance/Electronica genre music channel. It is based from the Clubland compilation albums. Clubland TV airs various sub-genres of dance/EDM from the 90's to the late 2010s, such as electronica, techno, trance, Eurodance, house, garage & dance-pop. Clubland TV is channel 354 on Sky, and channel 292 on Virgin. Clubland TV is available on the Astra 2G satellite network, on the Ku band.
Pop Max is a British free-to-air children's television channel in the United Kingdom, owned by Narrative Entertainment UK Limited. As of June 2014, it broadcasts cartoons, sci-fi, action and adventure series and anime on Sky and on Freeview. Its target audience is 6 to 15-year-old boys and girls.
Great! Movies is a British free-to-air television channel owned by Narrative Entertainment UK Limited that broadcasts across the UK and Ireland showing films and related content. The channel is transmitted on most of the major broadcast platforms in the UK - terrestrial, satellite and cable. The channel is only broadcast in standard-definition.
Freeview is the name for the collection of free-to-air services on the Digital Terrestrial Television platform in the United Kingdom. The service was launched at 5 am on 30 October 2002 and is jointly operated by its five equal shareholders – BBC, ITV, Channel 4, BSkyB and transmitter operator Arqiva. This article documents the history of the Freeview service, from its inception up to the present.
True Crime Xtra is a British free-to-air television channel that centres its programming on American television shows produced by CBS. It is the sister channel of CBS Reality and is owned in partnership by AMC Networks and Paramount Networks.
Now Rock is a British free-to-air music television channel, focusing exclusively on playing rock music for 10 months of the year, with a sister channel called Now 90s featuring rock hits from the 1990s available in other territories. For the other two months, Now Christmas takes over with their Christmas service not only playing hits from the 1990s.
Great! TV is a British-English language general entertainment channel in the United Kingdom owned by Narrative Entertainment UK Limited. It originally launched as Sony Entertainment Television on 7 April 2011. However, it was closed on 6 February 2018 and replaced by Sony Crime Channel. It was brought back for a second time on 10 September 2019 when it replaced True Entertainment. The relaunched Sony Channel had different idents and programming than the former due to inheriting some programming from its predecessor True Entertainment and on 25 May 2021, following Narrative Capital's acquisition of Sony's channels, it was rebranded as Great! TV.
That's TV is a national television network in the United Kingdom, broadcasting via Sky, Freesat, Freeview, and Virgin Media, although only a small number of both local and national That's TV channels are available on Virgin Media.
Smithsonian Channel was a British free-to-air television channel that was launched as the UK version of the US documentary network Smithsonian Channel. It launched on 12 February 2019 and closed down on 6 January 2023.
Great! Action is a British free-to-air TV channel owned by Narrative Entertainment UK Limited which launched as Sony Movies Action on 10 September 2019 on Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin. Sony Movies Action replaced Movies4Men, which was dedicated to showing action, war and western movies as well as showing classic action television series. However, apart from a few 5 minute shorts Great! Action is now devoted to showing films.
This is a timeline of UK children's programming on non-BBC and ITV channels.
Pop Player is a British kids video-on-demand service aimed for preschoolers and for ages 7 and over, owned by Narrative Entertainment UK Limited.
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