1. EMAP have Sky channels 459 & 460 (as part of their having 458 for the Hits) - so what do we think of a Classic Hits Channel (maybe The Hits Gold) - it would be like the Classic Hits Weekends and Smash Hits Classics slots across a whole channel.
2. Is The Hits (radio version) just Key103 in disguise or does it take content from other parts of the Big City Network? Is it the only EMAP radio station not based in London (until Kerrang moves to the Midlands later?)
1. MTV has very little music these days. It's mainly programming, very litte has much to do with music the ones that do are often about people who are as far as it goes are unknown (or obscure) in the UK- why dot hey think we have any interest in it? Sadly this programming that ruined MTV is slowly creeping on on the other MTV channels- even TMF. It won't be long before all MTV owned channels are all the same- little music, load of US-import shíte.
2. There is too much on-screen crap on all music channels. Originally there was just the logo- which I can live with. Then they bought in the programme name (initially only appeared with the song titles- good idea. Sadly they decided to make it permanant in early 2000), advertising text which can be either "tonight at 10:30", "coming up next", "X days to go" etc..., competition details, red dots etc... It's all too much. You can watch MTV now and at the same time you'll have on-screen the MTV Logo, some text next to the logo saying what's on tonight, a full size, full colour TRL logo "X to go" on the left of the screen, the red dot under the DOG (thnakfully being on cable I live without this) and a scrolling banner at the bottom- it's far too much. It just makes me turn off, it doesn't make me want to watch the programmes/press red/enter the competitions any more. In fact it makes me want to do it LESS. For the last 18 months or so, MTV Hits have had a scrolling banner on virtually every video (many of which tell me to press red- which being on NTL I can't do!), even TMF (the only music channel I used to watch due to lack on on-screen crap which has overtapken all MTV & EMAP channels) now enjoy scrolling banners every 15 minutes telling me about Newleyweds & Spongebob- 2 rubbish (IMO) shows I have no interest in, and are both heavily trailed.
Please MTV & EMAP- ditch the on-screen crap (why do the EMAP channels now inist on having theme weeks, phone nos & Comp details on-screen permanantly? I haven't watched ANY Emap channel since the start of this year when they started having a graphic which alternates between theme week/comp details and the phone no. On the theme week thing- why do the EMAP channels have one EVERY week? It's worse considering the only have the same 5 or 6 which are looped ad nauseum), go back to just having the on-screen logo! If you really want any extra info- surely it's not hard to make it appear with the song titles? That would be vastly prefarable to it being there permantly.
I don't think the music channels are as bad as some people make out.
Although, those of you who read DS will probably know I hate MTV Dance, not because of graphics etc but for the thing that really matters - its content. How many of you would agree with MTV Dance that Atomic Kitten are dance music? Black Eyed Peas? Britney? Girls Aloud? Eminem? Luckily us Sky viewers have Rapture TV which more than makes up for the lack of Dance on MTV 'Dance'.
Another thing i've noticed is the copying that goes on between VH1 and Magic. I noticed this when VH1 did its (excellent) Number One's week in January. The Thursday before VH1's Number One's week, Magic did Number One's week aswell. Then, It was Movie Soundtracks week on Magic, so it became Chick-Flicks week on VH1. This week its Love Week on Magic, and would you believe it, Love Week on VH1. Go forward on the EPG to Thursday, see what themed week it is on Magic and then you'll know what to expect on VH1 come Monday.
Theres just no variety anymore. They all just copy each other...
Maybe the music channels are quite bad after all...
Although, those of you who read DS will probably know I hate MTV Dance, not because of graphics etc but for the thing that really matters - its content. How many of you would agree with MTV Dance that Atomic Kitten are dance music? Black Eyed Peas? Britney? Girls Aloud? Eminem? Luckily us Sky viewers have Rapture TV which more than makes up for the lack of Dance on MTV 'Dance'..
Solidarity brother...... MTV Dance plays so much urban it has turned into MTV Base 2...... I know urban's the most populat genre at the moment but surely there's enough material out there for MTV to create a second urban channel and get MTV Dance back to playing what it should be playing, and that's dance, pure and simple.
What's happening to MTV Dance is what happened to M2 a few years back when it was brought closer into the MTV stable and killed slowly for whatever reason I don't know, now every single MTVNE channel is far too generic in what it plays so I don't even bother and don't get me started on the EMAP channels.
It's a shame P-Rock shut down again - has anyone heard anything about it recently, like a relaunch or something? It just disappeared, which was irritating.
I have stopped bothering with the music channels now, as they are annoying me as they all show the same thing, I don't mind putting VH1 and The Amp on every now and again, but thats it. For some reason I find that Q Radio is far better than Q TV, they have a far better playlist and NO theme weeks, which are pissing me off now.
Is it the only EMAP radio station not based in London
Are you talking about national stations? Because Magic 1152, Metro Radio and Magic 1170 are most certainly not coming from London.
I think he meant national stations which aren't Magic or BigCity, if he is wrong there are tons of them.
It is easier for them to replace The Hits Radio with Key 103, as they transmit JK and Joel, Mike Toolan and James Stannage on The Hits and there you have some of the best parts of Key 103.
If I see "All New Cribs" repeated on MTV one more time... if I wanted to look at someone's house, I'd look out the window, thank you. MTV/MTV2 are really wearing the Osbournes re-runs thin too.
Bring back MTV Europe, that's what I say.
I saw a Blazin' Squad video on MTV Base the other day, what a disappointment and it does little for the channel's credibility. Never mind that video is played on heavy rotation on MTV Dance. When speaking to a friend the other day, we came to the conclusion that Channel U's playlist reflects urban tastes more and gives more prominence to UK urban music.
Why do TMF feel the need to show SpongeBob, Newlyweds and those VH1 documentaries? They are hardly music related (hands up any Jessica Simpson and 98 Degrees fans in the UK?) and an unnecessary overspill from MTV. And please get rid of MatchMaker while you're at it!
I doubt that P-Rock will make a return as I imagine Scuzz has eaten up its likely audience share, but you never know.
I hope that Sky's music channels won't take the MTV/EMAP route in having themed weeks. The Amp have already had Old's Cool week and Ladies Week, excellent playlists but please don't make a permanent thing of it.