The Box Plus Network
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 | |
| Company type | Limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mass media |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Defunct | 30 July 2019 |
| Fate | Integrated intoChannel 4[1] |
| Headquarters | Horseferry Road,London[2] ,United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
| Services | Television,online |
| Parent | Channel Four Television Corporation |
| Website | www |
| Channel 4 |
|---|
| Television channels |
| Former channels |
| Online services |
| Other |
The Box Plus Network(formerlyVideo Jukebox Network International LtdandBox Television Ltd) was a Britishtelevisioncompany owned byChannel Four Television Corporation,and specialising in music programming. Channel Four acquired a 50% share in Box Television (established 1992) in 2007, and gained full control in 2019. The five remaining channels closed on 30 June 2024.
History[edit]
The Box began as a cable television service in 1992, showing music videos. It was taken over by the publishing companyEmapin the late 1990s, and began to broadcast via satellite and Freeview alongside other music channels which used Emap-owned brands. Emap sold its broadcasting business toBauer Mediain 2007, and a 50:50 joint venture was established between Bauer and Channel Four.[3]
On 2 April 2013, all The Box Plus Network channels wentfree-to-airon satellite, apart from4Musicwhich wentfree-to-view.[4]
On 8 January 2019, Channel 4 acquired Bauer's 50% stake in the company to take full ownership of The Box Plus Network.[5]In July of that year, operations of Box Plus moved into Channel 4's main business operations.[1]The company was based in Victoria, London.
On 16 November 2023,[6]the ability to stream the Box Plus Network's channels on their website and the 4Music player was removed.[7]
On 29 January 2024, as part of a range of cuts announced by Channel Four Television Corporation, it was announced that all channels in The Box Plus Network would be closed down by the end of the year.[8][9]
Channel 4's portfolio of music channels – The Box, Magic, Kiss, 4Music and Kerrang! closed on 30 June 2024.[3]
Final channels[edit]
The Box[edit]
The Box was well known for its First Play feature, where many videos often made their UK or world première. This new music was often shown through theBox Freshshow on the channel.
Kiss[edit]
Kiss TV was a commercial music television channel from The Box Plus Network available on theFreesat,SkyandVirgin Mediadigital TV platforms. The playlist covered a wide range of rhythmic music including:urban,grime,electronic,dance,hip hopandR&B,although after its relaunch in Summer 2006, (and the launch of a sister channelQ) it began to focus more on dance music once again. It was based on format of the Kiss brand fromBauerwhich also exists inthe Kiss Radio station.
Magic[edit]
Magic TV played mainly easy listening music videos from the 1980s to 2000s and sometimes 1970s as well. It was based on format of the Magic brand fromBauerwhich exists inthe Magic Radio stationand Magic branded CDs.
Kerrang![edit]
Kerrang! specialised in Rock Music. As of 2005, all of its programme content was music videos, the majority of which were open scheduled, fortextrequests from their playlist. It is based on format of Kerrang! brand fromBauerwhich also exists inKerrang Radioand Kerrang! magazine.
4Music[edit]
4Music was the onlyChannel 4-branded channel within the Box Plus Network and showcases a range ofpopcentring on chart hits and current favourites, along with, until 2022, a range of comedy and reality TV programmes from Channel 4 and E4. The channel was formerly available free-to-air on theBritishdigital terrestrial televisionserviceFreeviewon channel 31. On June 29, 2022, the channel moved to the slot accompanied by Box Hits, while its current slot was used to launchE4 Extra.With this, the channel was fully transitioned back to an all-music schedule.
Prior defunct channels[edit]
Box Africa[edit]
In July 2012,[10]Box Television launched a 24-hour pan-African music channel.[11]The channel focused on international and local music from across the African continent[12]and was available in 15 countries of Africa. Box Television also made available its other major channels across Africa.[13]The channel ceased broadcasting in late 2020.
Box Hits[edit]
Box Hits (formerly Smash Hits) broadcast general mainstreampop musicfrom the past few years. Formerly called Smash Hits, it took its name and format of the Smash Hits brand fromBauerwhich existed inSmash Hits Radioand once ran as a magazine. It shut down on 29 June 2022, and was replaced with4Music.
The Hits[edit]
The Hits closed on 15 August 2008. It was replaced by4Music.Its sister radio station remains on the air.
Q[edit]
Q specialised inindie,rockandalternative.In common with other Box Television channels, Q was originally a jukebox channel, where music video selections made were by the viewers usingpremium rate phonelines; however this element was dropped in 2004. It is based on format of the Q brand fromBauerwhich exists inQ MagazineandQ Radio.Q closed on 3 July 2012, when it was replaced byHeat.
Box Upfront[edit]
Box Upfront (formerly Heat) was a fresh music channel which launched on 3 July 2012. It formerly took its name and format from Bauer's weeklyHeat magazine,and broadcast showbiz news, celebrity features and music videos.[14]It replaced Q on Sky, Smallworld Cable, UPC Ireland, Virgin Media and in Iceland on Síminn.[15]The channel closed on 9 January 2020.
Box Plus app[edit]
In 2017, The Box Plus Network launched the Box Plus app, available onNow TV,Roku,EETV,Amazon Fire TV,Xbox,iOSandAndroiddevices. The app was free to use, and included the ability to stream Box Plus Network channels alongside a catch up service.[citation needed]By 2024, the app had been discontinued for some time.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ab"Box Plus MD Matt Rennie and COO Anthony Lilleyman to step down as Channel 4 integrates Box into business operations".Channel 4. 30 July 2019.Retrieved4 December2021.
- ^"THE BOX PLUS NETWORK LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK".find-and-update pany-information.service.gov.uk.
- ^abc"Channel 4 confirms Sky, Virgin and Freesat music channel closure date".RXTV.31 May 2024.Retrieved4 June2024.
- ^"Bauer's Box channels appear free-to-air on satellite".a516digital. 2 April 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 9 April 2013.Retrieved5 October2014.
- ^"Channel 4 acquires full ownership of The Box Plus Network".Channel 4. 8 January 2019.Retrieved8 January2019.
- ^"Unfortunately the 4 Music player will no longer be available online as of 16 November 2023".Channel 4.2023.Retrieved19 November2023.
- ^"We Are Sorry Our Services Are No Longer Streaming on This Website".boxplus.16 November 2023.Retrieved19 November2023.
- ^Sweney, Mark (29 January 2024)."Channel 4 says it is to sell London HQ as it confirms job cuts".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved29 January2024.
- ^"Channel 4 shares plans to become digital-first public service streamer by 2030 | Channel 4".channel4.Retrieved29 January2024.
- ^"Box TV launches in Africa".Digital TV Europe.4 July 2012.
- ^"@BoxTVAfrica"onTwitter
- ^Archived atGhostarchiveand theWayback Machine:"Scott Monks on the launch of Box TV Africa and differences in mainstream and genre musics".YouTube.13 December 2012.
- ^"Box TV extended its African partnerships".Balancing Act.7 February 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 20 March 2016 – via Internet Archive.
- ^"Heat TV to launch on 3 July".The Guardian.23 May 2012.
- ^"Bauer axes Q TV after nearly 12 years to make way for Heat TV".Brand Republic. 23 May 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 29 July 2012.
External links[edit]
| Television channels | |
|---|---|
| Former channels | |
| Online services | |
| Other | |