Starz TV (formerly Fizz TV ) was a British free-to-air music channel, owned by TRACE Group.
26-475: Fizz TV was launched on 24 January 2005 on Sky, although the channel began test transmissions on 10 January. The output of the station was music videos from a range of genres that were popular in the charts. The channel also had a heavy interactive texting element, through the viewers being able to send in text messages and pictures that were shown on screen. The parent company of Channel U and Fizz TV, Video Interactive Television, went into voluntary liquidation at
52-729: A fan base. According to its website, "the aim of the channel was to highlight to the public, the raw and unsigned talent we have in the UK, and give them a platform from which they could perform". The parent company of Fizz TV and Channel U went into voluntary liquidation at the beginning of February, 2009, before being purchased by Mushroom TV . When purchasing the two channels, Mushroom TV agreed that Channel U and Fizz TV should be rebranded. The two channels were rebranded as Channel AKA and Starz TV on 16 March 2009. On 22 June 2012, Mushroom TV entered liquidation . Ofcom 's television broadcast licensing update for May 2012, indicates that Channel AKA
78-715: The Now portfolio, along with Now 80s and Now 90s & 00s . Channel U was a British digital satellite TV music channel that focused on the British grime scene which ran from February 2003 to June 2018. It was a significant outlet not only for established artists, but also for those who are just starting out, helping the breakthrough for acts such as Tinchy Stryder , Tinie Tempah , Dizzee Rascal , Chip , Wretch 32 , Devlin , Giggs , Skepta and N-Dubz . Its material "includes crude productions shot with handheld digital video cameras," and helps new musicians attract attention and build
104-457: The beginning of February 2009, before being purchased by Mushroom TV . When purchasing the two channels, Mushroom TV agreed that Channel U and Fizz TV should be rebranded. The two channels were rebranded as Channel AKA and Starz TV on 16 March 2009. On 22 June 2012, Mushroom TV entered liquidation . Ofcom 's television broadcast licensing update for May 2012, indicates that Starz TV was sold to Cloud Television One Limited. From 2014 to 2018, it
130-664: The channel launched on Freesat , having previously only been available on Sky. It moved to 511 in September 2012. Many years after the name being unused, Massive R&B would be reused again as a rebrand of Channel AKA from 1 June 2018 until 1 November 2018, when it became Total Country. On 27 March 2013, the channel was rebranded as Planet Pop, with programming aimed at a core audience of 16 to 24-year-olds, including The Planet Pop 40 and Party-On Planet Pop . From 13 October 2015 until January 18, 2016, Planet Pop returned as simply "Planet" on Sky channel 389. On 9 September 2015,
156-627: The channel launched on Freeview on channel 78, replacing Now 90s. It was removed from the platform on 26 May 2020, coinciding with Together increasing its broadcast hours, and returned on 8 July 2020 as an exclusive to Manchester on channel 78 and via Channelbox on channel 271 (connected TVs only). On 28 April 2021, it returned to Freeview outside Manchester on channel 76, replacing Now 80s, which became exclusive to Manchester. As well as various chart shows (with former Radio 1 DJs like Mark Goodier and Bruno Brookes ) and artist battles (such as Bowie vs Bolan , or ABBA vs Boney M. ) based upon
182-416: The channel originally launched as WTF, the channel used a video jukebox format which allowed viewers to select videos by texting the video selection number to the number on the screen. There were different selection playlists during different times of the day. On 15 August 2011, WTF was rebranded as Massive R&B and, as the channel's name applies, changed its focus to R&B music. On 20 September 2011,
208-404: The channel rebranded temporarily as Christmas Starz. At the same time, the channel also adopted a new logo, which continued on following the reversion to Starz TV on 7 January 2020. The channel closed on 1 June 2020 along with Trace Latina, with its content moving to a block on Trace Urban in the mornings. The last song on the channel was " Barbie Girl " by Aqua , before cutting off partly through
234-403: The channel was fined £18,000 by Ofcom for a number of offences, including the broadcasting of inappropriate material, using premium rate telephone services in programmes, and failing to ensure a clear distinction between programmes and advertisements. Now 90s Now Rock is a British free-to-air music television channel, focusing exclusively on playing rock music for 10 months of
260-399: The channel was rebranded as Chilled TV, which featured laidback and acoustic songs. From 18 November until 26 December 2016, Chilled TV was temporarily rebranded as Chilled Xmas. On 31 March 2017, Chilled TV was rebranded as Chilled 90s, following the success of Now 80s , and eventually temporary renamed to Now Christmas on 10 November 2017. After the success of Now Christmas, the channel
286-591: The channel was rebranded as Now Rock, with a change of focus to rock music. On 2 March 2023, Now 90s reappeared on Freeview as a FAST channel on Channelbox channel 271 alongside Now 70s and Now 80s . On 19 March 2023, the broadcast feed for Channelbox was switched from Now 90s to the Now Rock channel already transmitting on other platforms in the United Kingdom. Unlike the later version of Now 90s streaming via Channelbox, Now Rock includes pop-punk tunes from
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#1732776746811312-424: The channel was taken off-air on Freeview, with a placeholder note being added, a couple of weeks later, to say that the channel should be broadcasting again on 1 October 2019. On 1 October 2019, Now 90s came back to Freeview as a channel streaming through connected TVs for the majority of the day. However, in order to keep a channel number near to Now 80s or Clubland TV (so not to be placed next to Channelbox in
338-501: The music careers of artists such as Dizzee Rascal, Kano, Wiley and Lethal Bizzle. On 1 June 2018, Channel AKA's slot was replaced with Massive R&B. (the second time an All Around the World owned network has used the name), now focusing on celebrating classic hip-hop & R&B from the 1990s and 2000s , and current urban music - from US rap to UK grime . On 1 November 2018, five months after Massive R&B relaunched, it
364-407: The music of the 1970s, the channel also features music from the 1960s in their Now 70s presents Now 60s programming block, in a similar fashion to how Now 80s had a 1970s programme block prior to the launch of Now 70s as a standalone channel. On 23 February 2022, it was confirmed that Now 70s and the other three AATW channels would launch on Sky Glass in the future, although a specific launch date
390-573: The series. On 26 October 2022, NOW 90s was delisted from Manchester local Freeview. On 9 November 2022, NOW 90s ended its run under its then-current name, at approximately 03:25. The final video to be played on NOW 90s was LL Cool J's "Ain't Nobody". The station flipped to a Christmas music format, Now Xmas. A branded Now 90s channel continues to broadcast on Samsung TV Plus in Australia and New Zealand, which launched in May 2021. On 27 December 2022,
416-660: The streaming section lower down in the EPG) the channel has to broadcast over the terrestrial Freeview system for at least two hours a day and so can be found from 05:00–07:00 on non-streaming devices. It was removed from there on 26 February 2020, and replaced with sister channel Now 70s . It was put on Channelbox alongside Clubland TV before returning to the Greater Manchester multiplex on 13 May 2020, where it could be found on channel 84. From 19 November to 27 December 2020, Now 90s temporarily rebranded as Now 80s while
442-508: The usual slot Now 80s is on was used for Now Christmas, in a similar change to how Total Country rebranded as Now 80s for the festive period the previous year before the rebrand to Now 70s after Christmas. This was repeated from 18 November 2021. As Now 80s became a channel which only viewers in Greater Manchester could get on Freeview during this time, AATW decided to simulcast the repeats of 1980s series Fame on their Now Christmas channel as well, so viewers nationwide could continue to follow
468-602: The video, similar to former sister channels Flava and Scuzz 's closures. Now 70s Now 70s (formerly Channel U , Channel AKA , Massive R&B and Total Country ) is a British free-to-air music television channel, owned by All Around the World Productions , available through Sky UK , Freeview and Virgin Media within the UK . It focuses on music from the 1970s , being the third decade-oriented channel in
494-486: The year, with a sister channel called Now 90s featuring rock hits from the 1990s available in other territories. For the other two months, Now Christmas takes over with their Christmas service not only playing hits from the 1990s. The channel originally launched on 23 November 2010 as WTF (Weekly Top Forty). It reaches a million viewers in Sky alone each month. The channel is only allowed to have two ad-breaks an hour. When
520-434: Was not given. On 20 September 2022, Now 70s closed on Freeview. On 2 March 2023, Now 70s reappeared on Freeview as a FAST channel on Channelbox channel 271 alongside Now 80s and Now 90s . From 28 November until 27 December 2023, Now 70s was rebranded temporarily as Now Christmas for the 2023 festive season. DJs hired in the 2020s to present shows for the channel and record voice-overs links include: In June 2005,
546-452: Was owned by Sony Pictures Television , before being acquired by TRACE Group on 13 December 2018 along with its three sister music channels . On 15 April 2014, Starz TV was launched on Freesat, replacing BuzMuzik , which was closed 12 days earlier. It was removed from there along with Chart Show TV , Scuzz and Tiny Pop +1 on 31 July 2018. On 21 October 2019, the channel returned to Freesat, replacing The Vault . On 1 October 2019,
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#1732776746811572-589: Was previously available via the red button on Clubland TV on the platform along with Now 80s and Total Country (then Channel AKA). In June 2018 availability of Now 80s was extended to Freeview HD owners in more parts of the country by relocating to the Arqiva COM8 multiplex. Now 90s continued to broadcast to Manchester only, until 26 February 2019, when it was relocated to the COM8 multiplex. However, in August 2019
598-415: Was rebranded as a country music channel called Total Country, celebrating country music, old and new, from Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks to Carrie Underwood , Ward Thomas and The Shires . The channel launched on Virgin Media on 8 March 2019, along with sister channel Now 90s . It was previously available via the red button on Clubland TV on the platform along with Now 80s and Now 90s until it
624-468: Was removed on 1 March 2018. From 20 November 2019 until 27 December 2019, Now 80s used Total Country's slot since the slot that is normally used for Now 80s was used for Now Christmas, efficiently ceasing the channel's broadcast in the process. On 27 December 2019, the channel was rebranded as Now 70s, becoming the third decade-oriented channel in the Now-branded portfolio. On 26 February 2020,
650-498: Was renamed to Now 90s on 27 December 2017, changing its focus onto music from the 1990s and occasionally shows adverts for previous Now albums that were released in the 1990s. In November 2017, Now 80s and Now 90s (then broadcasting as Now Christmas) were added to the GMAN Freeview multiplex broadcasting to Greater Manchester . The channel launched on Virgin Media on 8 March 2019, along with sister channel Total Country . It
676-527: Was sold to All Around the World Productions , who at the time owned Clubland TV and Massive R&B (now Now 90s ) and had also acquired Greatest Hits TV under UltimateHits Limited. On 29 November 2012, the channel launched on Freesat but was removed on 15 April 2013. The channel returned to Freesat on 1 October 2015 alongside its sister channels Chilled TV, Clubland TV and Now Music, before being removed again on 12 May 2017. Channel AKA and its predecessor Channel U have since been remembered for introducing
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