VH1 Classic (European TV channel)

Last updated

VH1 Classic Europe
VH1 Classic UK.svg
Broadcast area Europe
Network MTV
Programming
Language(s) English
Picture format 576i (4:3 SDTV)
Ownership
Owner Paramount Networks EMEAA
Sister channels MTV
Club MTV
MTV Hits
MTV Live
MTV Music
MTV Rocks
VH1
History
Launched30 November 2004;19 years ago (2004-11-30)
Closed5 October 2020;3 years ago (2020-10-05) (Europe)
1 March 2010;14 years ago (2010-03-01) (United Kingdom and Ireland)
Replaced by MTV Classic (United Kingdom and Ireland)
MTV 80s

VH1 Classic Europe was a European music television channel from ViacomCBS Networks EMEAA. The channel primarily featured music videos from the 1970s through to the 2000s (decade), although rare live performances from the 1950s and 1960s could be seen as well.

Contents

History

VH1 Classic was first launched in the United Kingdom on 1 July 1999 and made available from the beginning to the whole of Europe. [1] However, the pan-European service was launched on 30 November 2004, when it became a separate feed from VH1 Classic UK. [2] Like VH1 European, it broadcast from MTV Networks Europe's premises in Camden Town (London, UK). It was officially available to viewers all over Europe (except the UK & Ireland and Italy). Unlike VH1 Classic UK, the pan-European version of the channel was entirely devoid of advertisements, with round-the-clock music videos played out from MTV Networks Europe's comprehensive library in London.

Attempts to transition VH1 Classic to widescreen

Like the now-defunct Italian feed of MTV Classic, VH1 Classic aired in 4:3 standard definition aspect ratio. There were a few attempts to transition this channel to widescreen, but they failed due to several technical issues.

The first widescreen transition attempt happened on 19 August 2015 at 6:00 CET, which caused VH1 Classic to have severe technical issues for a minute, then it went widescreen temporarily until 6:45 CET, which the music video was abruptly changed to "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani and reverted to 4:3. [3] The last widescreen transition attempt happened on 9 February 2016 at 7:00 CET, when a fragment of the music video of the song "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith played, but it abruptly shifted to the on-air ident instead, which also failed. [4]

Closure

On 1 June 2020, VH1 Classic Europe cancelled Non-Stop Classics, Welcome To The Weekend, and (on Sunday morning) Keep It Classic, Instead, We Are The 80's showtimes significantly expanded. The program begun at midnight, and it ended at midday on every day of the week. On 30 June 2020 the channel cancelled We Are The 80s, and started MTV 80s Takeover. It was later announced that the channel along with the European version of MTV Rocks, would close in October 2020, and would be replaced by MTV 80s. [5]

On 19 September 2020, VH1 Classic Europe broadcast the final episodes of Smells Like The 90s and Nothing But The 00s, and on September 18 of this year, Keep It Classic (the last music video (from not the 80's) on the channel on 19 September 2020 at 23:57 CET was the 'Thunder In My Heart' by Meck and Leo Sayer). On the night of 19–20 September 2020, VH1 Classic Europe stopped broadcasting these programs, and the showtime of MTV 80s Takeover became 24 hours in every single day (except on 5 October 2020 between midnight and 6:00 CET, whenever the channel broadcast Non-Stop 80s Hits). [6]

The channel closed on 5 October 2020, with Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen being the last video played on the channel before being replaced with MTV 80s. [6]

Programmes

Golden collection of clips from the 20th century and the 2000s

Music videos from the 1980s

Music videos from the 1990s

Music videos from the 2000s

Other

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VH1</span> American cable television network

VH1 is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the BET Media Group subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group based in New York City. The network was originally owned by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment; a division of Warner Communications, and the original owner of then-sister channel MTV at the time. It was launched in the channel space of Turner Broadcasting System short-lived Cable Music Channel.

VH1 MegaHits was a Latin American pay television music channel. It was owned by ViacomCBS Networks Brazil, subsidiary of ViacomCBS Networks Americas and aired music videos throughout its entire day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTV Rocks (British and Irish TV channel)</span> 24-hour alternative music MTV network channel

MTV Rocks was a British pay television music channel that was operated by ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia. Its programming consisted of 24-hour non-stop rock/alternative music.

Paramount Networks Americas (PNA) is a subsidiary of Paramount Global. PNA's operational headquarters is located in Miami, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trace Vault</span> Television channel

Trace Vault was a British free-to-air music and entertainment television channel owned by Trace Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VH1 (Brazilian TV channel)</span> Television channel

VH1 Brasil was a music channel from Viacom-owned Viacom International Media Networks The Americas. The network was launched in November 2005 on some cable systems, but it was not until May 2006 that it was launched on DirecTV Brazil, replacing MTV Latin America.

Stingray Music is a multilingual digital music pay radio service based in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, owned by the Stingray Group, and is currently available in 17 countries across Europe and the Middle East. Stingray Music consists of several multilingual commercial-free audio-only linear radio channels devoted to a particular genre or related-grouping of music. Stingray Music also operates an ad-supported video-on-demand service that offers music videos and also broadcasts live on the Internet and mobile app.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VH1 (European TV channel)</span> Television channel

VH1 was a European music television channel owned by ViacomCBS Networks EMEAA. It played a wide variety of music programs on a daily or weekly basis, and various VH1 original series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flava (TV channel)</span> Television channel

Flava was a British hip-hop music television channel owned by Sony Pictures Television. Launched in June 2004 as B4 TV by CSC Media Group, Flava broadcast hip-hop, urban, and R&B music from the late 1970s to the 2010s. It also occasionally aired films and original programming. The channel promoted itself as "100% Old Skool Hip-Hop/R&B 24/7."

Viacom International Inc. is the international division of the Paramount Media Networks subsidiary of Paramount Global that oversees the production, broadcasting and promotion of its brands outside of the United States. These brands include Paramount Network, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and BET, as well as CBS-branded channels co-owned with AMC Networks International. PIN also owned a 30% stake in the Rainbow S.p.A. animation studio in Italy from 2011 to 2023 and a stake in Viacom18, an Indian joint venture with domestic partner TV18, from 2007 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTV Classic (Australian TV channel)</span> Australian television network

MTV Classic was an Australian and New Zealand subscription television music channel. The channel focused on music from the 1980s to 2000s. The channel first launched in Australia on 14 March 2004 and in New Zealand on 1 June 2011. On 1 July 2011 MTV International channels launched new logos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTV Classic (British and Irish TV channel)</span> Television channel

MTV Classic was a British pay television music channel from Paramount Networks UK & Australia. The channel was launched in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 1 July 1999 as VH1 Classic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTV (British and Irish TV channel)</span> MTV channel in the UK and Ireland

MTV is a British pay television channel focusing on reality TV and music programming operated by Paramount Networks UK & Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTV Music (British and Irish TV channel)</span> British television channel

MTV Music is a British pay television channel operated by Paramount Networks UK & Australia. The brand was first launched in the UK and Ireland before launching in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. Unlike other MTV Music channels, this channel offers subtitles on selected programmes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTV Rocks (European TV channel)</span> European television channel

MTV Rocks Europe was a European pay television music channel from Viacom International Media Networks Europe that was launched on 27 May 2014, replacing the British version of MTV Rocks in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTV 80s</span> Worldwide music channel from MTV Germany

MTV 80s is a music channel from Paramount Global featuring music videos from the 1980s. It has a commercial-free schedule. It is available across Europe, Africa, Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTV 00s</span> 2000s-specific music video channel

MTV 00s is a pay-TV channel which carries mainly music videos from the 2000s. It was launched on 2 August 2021, replacing VH1 Europe. The network carries no advertising.

References

  1. ↑ Iain Chapman (1 July 1999). "New MTV Channels start today". Digital Spy.
  2. ↑ "MTV Networks Europe Fact Sheet" (PDF). MTV Networks Europe. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  3. ↑ Brand Graffismo (10 October 2015), VH1 Classic | Technical problems, goes to 16:9 (2015). , retrieved 24 June 2017
  4. ↑ Luis (11 February 2016), VH1 Classic Europe 16:9 Test (09.02.2016) [07:00 CET], archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 23 June 2017
  5. ↑ "MTV Rocks and Club MTV close in UK and Coming Soon Rebranding MTV 90s and 80s changes in Europe…". Greek Digital TV. 18 July 2020.
  6. 1 2 twizz (5 October 2020). VH1 Classic Europe - Sendeschluss / MTV 80s Europe - Sendestart (05.10.2020 - 06:00 Uhr) . Retrieved 12 June 2024– via YouTube.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.