Channel Four to buy music channels from Emap?

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This could be an interesting move for Channel Four with the possibility of creating something along the lines of a 4Music brand.

I would doubt the existing Emap brands would be retained considering their links to their associated magazines and radio stations.

If this move goes ahead there will be some interesting implications for Freeview. Channel Four has said that a new channel will be lauching on what is now Film4+1. This clearly could be a music channel now... with the possibility of a second one if they buy The Hits as well.

I'm not sure how well that will work in terms of viewer loss. For example, Kiss 105-108 is very popular with teens and those in their early 20's, and as a result the associated Kiss TV. If it were to be rebranded, it's possible the viewers will no longer watch it.

Sounds interesting.

If a 4Music TV channel was created I wonder what E4 would do on mornings? I would hope for E4 Music to air along side 4Music with different genres on both channels.

Not hugely surprising - I'd hope if it did happen most of the channels remained independently branded with perhaps just The Hits getting the C4 brand.

I don't know whether they'd want to extend the E4 Music brand to a full channel so it's a spin-off of a spin-off. I think they could get away with that myself, clearing the E4 daytime schedule for more episodes of Friends - and also meaning E4 Music isn't dropped for three months a year due to Big Brother.

I'd argue that some trails during a programme like Big Brother would deliver more viewers to a dance music channel than a tie-in with a London radio station.

I know that there has been an idea to create a music channel since early last year, due to the success of E4 music, with it being the second most watched music channel at that time of day, so potentially 4 music could be a good earner for channel 4.

It is the next logical channel move for C4 - there isn't really any demand for anything else from them at the moment.


Although it hit E4 a bit during the day (nothing endless replays of Friends wouldn't solve!) - I think there would be quite a few E4 Music fans who'd like to have a service that continued after 2pm - and with 4 Music having a pretty decent selection of programmes I think they could fill up the primetime schedule quite easily as well.


Just as long as "Cash Call" or whatever doesn't creep in as part of the deal - though I think C4 are staying pretty clear of that sort of content at hte moment!

I think Channel 4 should turn E4 Music into a full channel….but brand it as “4 Music” . During the day they could have the usual E4 Music stuff, and during primetime they can show the '4music ' stuff that is normally on after midnight on Channel 4!

Then with E4's day time now free, they can fill that with T4 programming...instead of bl00dy Friends! Also with the budget they would normally have on E4 Music, they could use that to but some decent daytime stuff!

According to MediaGuardian...


In Full

I'm not totally sure what to make of this. Perhaps it'd be a similar arrangement to the one where Sky paid Chart Show TV to run Flaunt, Scuzz and The Amp.

Hmmm, I'm a bit sceptical on this.

Emap are not losing money with the music tv channels. I can see them getting rid of say The Hits but not all as they bring in money for them.

They problem they have is that they have diluted what they have. They should have just had The Box, Magic, Kiss and Kerrang. They have over done it a little!

I really doubt they'd drop the existing names - they're big and easily distinguishable between each other, which I applaud EMAP in not plastering their name all over them.
The Hits won't go anywhere. It has a big reputation amongst DTT viewers and has always competed well against TMF, and has good content and general running. I am very much in favour of The Hits.
If anything, I could see EMAP names appearing on the current E4 Music slot, however of course the content would be vastly improved, continuing perhaps the current system making use of in vision? The next most likely change would be another EMAP channel replacing Film4+ 1 on the Freeview platform, most probably another general one.

I am very skeptical about this as I can't see any fault in EMAP's ways. Yes, they're suffering finacially, but at least the content is there - much more than you can say for MTV. Myself, I'm not to keen on E4 Music, but none the less, its an interesting move.

That's the problem though - if they're suffering financially the content obviously isn't there commercially speaking!

The problem being probably they're a music channel that actually shows music - unlike MTV or VH1 etc.