MTV Classic (formerly VH1 Australia) is an Australian

subscription television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to Subscription business model, subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichan ...

music channel Music television is a type of television programming which focuses predominantly on playing music videos from recording artists, usually on dedicated television channels broadcasting on satellite, cable, or Streaming Platforms. Music television ...

. The channel focused on music from the 1980s to 2000s. The channel first launched in Australia on 14 March 2004 (as ''VH1'') and in New Zealand on 1 June 2011. On 1 July 2011 MTV International channels launched new logos On 1 April 2016 the channel closed, but was ultimately revived on 27 February 2017 on the Fetch TV platform. It was later revived on

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...

in December that year, and was relaunched on 1 July 2020 on Foxtel, replacing MAX.

History

As VH1

The channel first aired on Sunday 14 March 2004 when Foxtel launched its digital product and then on

Austar Austar was an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity was subscription television but it has also been involved with internet access and mobile phones. It was founded in 1995 under the name Community Entertainment Tele ...

and

Optus Singtel Optus Pty Limited (commonly referred to as Optus) is an Australian telecommunications company headquartered in Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singaporean telecommunications company Singte ...

shortly after. In April 2006, Australian pay TV newcomer, SelecTV also began to carry VH1. In 2008 it began carriage on

TransACT TransACT is the trading name of TransACT Capital Communications, an Australian telecommunications company based in Canberra which provides broadband internet access, fixed telephony, cable television services, and mobile phone services in Can ...

and

Neighbourhood Cable A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...

. The channel although Australian run, mainly showed programming for the US and the UK with programs such as '' The Fabulous Life of...'' and the celebrity based documentary '' Driven''. The VH1 Website officially launched on 3 August 2006. The website somewhat followed the format of the

MTV Australia MTV is a 24-hour general entertainment channel specialising in music and youth culture programming which serves Australia and New Zealand. It is operated by parent company Paramount Networks UK & Australia headquartered in London with a local of ...

website. It contained a news section, competitions, features, info on new acts and more. It also has details on shows like

Can't Get a Date ''Can't Get a Date'' is a documentary-style reality show on VH1 and Logo. The show takes a variety of individuals from New York City who feel that they have personal issues that are holding them back from finding romance. An anonymous host, pro ...

. The website also provided an e-newsletter. The website was closed down in April 2007 for maintenance and was offline until November. In mid August 2009 the site was expanded from a single page to a mini-site on the MTV website. On 25 November 2006 VH1 presented Australia's Favourite Lyric which presented a long list of songs on the VH1 website for viewers and industry members to vote. When the votes closed the list was made into a top 100 countdown and INXS took out the top spot with their song

Never Tear Us Apart "Never Tear Us Apart" is a song by Australian rock band INXS, released in August 1988 as the fourth single from their sixth studio album, ''Kick''. Background and composition The music was written by keyboardist Andrew Farriss, who recorded ...

. Unlike sister channel MTV, the channel still aired a majority of music programming, with VH1 produced entertainment programming shown on MTV or other channels.

Relaunch as MTV Classic

On 10 February 2010, the channel was announced via the MTV Australia website. MTV Networks in Australia confirmed that VH1 receives fewer viewers each week than its sister channel MTV Australia. Part of the channel's launch included a music event which took the place of the annual

MTV Australia Awards The MTV Australia Awards (previously known as the MTV Australia Video Music Awards or AVMA's) started in 2005 and were Australia's first awards show to celebrate both local and international acts. The last edition happened in 2009. History The M ...

which was held in Melbourne at the Palace Theatre. The event consisted of a line-up of local and international artists including former Guns N' Roses guitarist

Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash ...

. "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles was the first music video to be played on the channel. The channel was made available on Australian IPTV service Fetch TV from launch in June 2010. On 23 November 2010, MTV Classic began broadcasting in widescreen. The channel launched in New Zealand on 1 June 2011 on Sky Television.

Cessation of Service on Foxtel

On 29 October 2013, MTV announced they had been working with Foxtel since early 2013 to offer more diversity on the Foxtel platform, as MTV Classic and MTV Hits fought for the same audience as Foxtel Networks channels MAX and Hits respectively. The channel to replace MTV Classic is ''

MTV Dance Club MTV, formerly MTV Dance, is a European pay television music channel from Paramount Networks EMEAA that was separated from the UK channel on 27 May 2014. It broadcasts electronica, dance and r'n'b music programming. The channel is widely ava ...

'', a channel dedicated to dance, hip hop, and

RnB Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

music from around the world - MTV's first channel to be dedicated to three different genres of music. Although MTV Classic and MTV Hits will no longer be available on Foxtel, they will continue to be offered by Australian IPTV service

FetchTV Fetch TV is an Australian IPTV provider that delivers a subscription television service over a user's regular internet service. Fetch TV launched in 2010 backed by its Malaysian parent Astro Malaysia Holdings. On 2 August 2022, Telstra acquire ...

and New Zealand pay TV provider Sky Television. The changes took place on 3 December 2013.

Closure of channel in New Zealand

On 1 December 2015, Sky Television replaced ''MTV Classic'' (and sister channel ''MTV Hits'') with a localized version of MTV Music.

Closure

On 28 February 2016, Fetch TV (the last carrier of ''MTV Classic'') announced via their

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...

page that the channel would close on 1 April 2016.

Revival

On 27 February 2017, ''MTV Classic'' was revived on the Fetch TV platform as a result of "popular demand". Available on channel 140, and exclusively on Fetch TV, the revived channel features rock, R&B and pop music from 1980 to 2000. Sky TV New Zealand would also re-add the channel on 8 December 2017. This was later replaced again on Sky by

MTV 80s MTV 80s is a worldwide music channel, which began broadcasting on October 5, 2020. MTV 80s features music videos from the 1980s. MTV 80s has replaced VH1 Classic. History Before launch On November 30, 2004, VH1 Classic Europe featured a pr ...

on 6 July 2020. On 1 July 2020, MTV Classic returned to Foxtel on channel 804, replacing MAX, after a 7-year absence.

VJ's

When the Channel first launched (as VH1) it employed 2 on-air talent but they later began running on mainly voice overs and guest presenters, the 2 hosts were: Zoe Sheridan: the glamorous and sexy side of the project who assisted in the production to Inside Track and David Campbell: the son of Australian rock sensation

Jimmy Barnes James Dixon "Jimmy" Barnes (née Swan; born 28 April 1956) is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best- ...

. David also had some chart success with his hit single "Hope" which sold well in Australia, the US and the UK, he also was one of the faces of Inside Track until its cancellation.

Programming

MTV Classic airs a variety of artist related programmes as well as established MTV series. The channel aims at the age demographic of 24- to 40-year-olds.

Original Programming (2010 - 2013)

* ''

Behind the Music ''Behind the Music'' is a documentary television series on VH1. Each episode profiles and interviews a popular musical artist or group. The program examines the beginning of their career, their road to success, and the hardships they may have ...

'' * ''

Celebrity Deathmatch ''Celebrity Deathmatch'' is an adult stop-motion claymated series created by Eric Fogel and produced by John Worth Lynn Jr. for MTV. A parody of sports entertainment programs, ''Celebrity Deathmatch'' depicted various celebrities engaging in ...

'' * ''

Classic Albums ''Classic Albums'' is a British documentary series about pop, rock and heavy metal albums that are considered the best or most distinctive of a well-known band or musician or that exemplify a stage in the history of music. Format The TV ser ...

'' * '' Famous Crime Scene'' * '' Greatest'' * ''

MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...

'' * ''

The Osbournes ''The Osbournes'' is an American reality television program featuring the domestic life of heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne and his family—his wife Sharon, their daughter Kelly, and their son Jack. The series premiered on MTV on March 5, 20 ...

'' * ''

Storytellers Storyteller, story teller, or story-teller may refer to: * A person who does storytelling Arts and entertainment Film *''Oidhche Sheanchais'', also called ''The Storyteller''; 1935 Irish short film * '' Narradores de Javé'' (''Storytellers'') ...

'' * ''

That Metal Show ''That Metal Show'' is a talk show that premiered on VH1 Classic on November 15, 2008 and ended on May 9, 2015 with a span of 14 seasons. Hosted by Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine, the series features three hosts interviewing musi ...

'' In addition to the above, the channel often screens music documentary and concert specials.

ARIA Hall of Fame

MTV Classic have the rights to The ARIA Hall of Fame Awards show (aired since 20 August 2006). The Hall of Fame has been an important part of the ARIA Awards since 1988. Traditionally taking place during the

ARIA Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austra ...

ceremony, a diverse range of artists have been inducted into the Hall of Fame including AC/DC,

Dame Joan Sutherland Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano known for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s. She possess ...

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...

Johnny O'Keefe John Michael O'Keefe (19 January 1935 – 6 October 1978) was an Australian rock and roll singer whose career began in the 1950s. Some of his hits include " Wild One" (1958), " Shout!" and "She's My Baby". In his twenty-year career, O'Keefe rel ...

, Paul Kelly, John Farnham, INXS,

Slim Dusty Slim Dusty, AO MBE (born David Gordon Kirkpatrick; 13 June 1927 – 19 September 2003) was an Australian country music singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He was an Australian cultural icon and one of the country's most awarded stars ...

, Jimmy Little and many more.

MTV Australia Video Music Awards

In March 2005 VH1 co-broadcast the

MTV Australia Video Music Awards The MTV Australia Awards (previously known as the MTV Australia Video Music Awards or AVMA's) started in 2005 and were Australia's first awards show to celebrate both local and international acts. The last edition happened in 2009. History The M ...

. As well as showing facts about the nominated artists, during this time, they also had a special award called the VH1 Music First Award which was awarded to Cher.

Inside Track

Inside Track featured new music and videos internationally and locally. So far the previous hosts have chatted with Jet,

Darren Hayes Darren Stanley Hayes (born 8 May 1972) is an Australian singer and songwriter. He was the frontman and singer of the pop duo Savage Garden until their disbandment. Their 1997 album ''Savage Garden'' peaked at number 1 in Australia, number 2 in ...

, PJ Harvey, Lionel Richie,

and

Chris Isaak Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. He is widely known for his breakthrough hit and signature song " Wicked Game", as well as other songs such as "Blue Hotel", " Baby ...

. *

Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...

- VH1 aired full episode repeats and music clips of ABC's popular music show Countdown. The Countdown special included live performances and interviews. * Greatest *

The Meldrum Tapes ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

- A compilation of interviews from the archives of Molly Meldrum produced by the ABC, it began airing from February 2008. * RocKwiz *

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...

- In August 2009 VH1 began screening a repackaged and compiled version of the long running UK music show

Programming after revival (2017 - present)

All of these programmes air without interruption. After the official revival in 2020, the schedule was refreshed to include programming blocks at set times throughout a large part of the day (aside from the countdowns). Programming line-up are almost entirely same as

VH1 Classic Europe 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 ...

. * 70s & 80s * 90s & Noughties * Classic Clock-Off * Flashback Friday 100 * Good Morning Music * Memory Lane * Non-Stop Classics * Party Mix * Saturday Night Fever * Snooze Sunday * Sunday Sessions * Superstar Spotlight * Timeless Tunes * Turn Back Time * Windback Tracks * Weekend Wake-Up * Yesterday's Hits, Today

Logo history

File:VH1_2003_logo.svg, VH1 logo used 14 March 2004 – 30 April 2010 File:MTV Classic 2010 logo.svg, Original Logo used 1 May 2010 – 30 June 2011 Image:MTV Classic 2011 logo.png, Logo used 1 July 2011 – 30 September 2013 File:MTV Classic 2013 logo.svg, Logo used 1 October 2013 – 4 April 2017 MTV Classic 2017 logo.svg, Logo used 5 April 2017 – February 2018 File:MTV Classic Australia (2018 - present).png, Logo used February 2018 – 14 September 2021 File:MTV Classic 2021.svg, Logo used 14 September 2021 – present

References

External links

MTV Classic Official WebsiteAnnouncement article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mtv Classic Australia MTV channels Music video networks in Australia Music video networks in New Zealand English-language television stations in Australia English-language television stations in New Zealand Television channels and stations established in 2004 Television channels and stations disestablished in 2016 Television channels and stations established in 2017 Defunct New Zealand television channels Defunct Australian television channels

History

As VH1

Relaunch as MTV Classic

Cessation of Service on Foxtel

Closure of channel in New Zealand

Closure

Revival

VJ's

Programming

Original Programming (2010 - 2013)

ARIA Hall of Fame

MTV Australia Video Music Awards

Inside Track

Programming after revival (2017 - present)

Logo history

See also

References

External links