The Box , originally named the Video Jukebox Network , was an American broadcast , cable and satellite television channel that operated from 1985 to 2001. The network focused on music videos , which through a change in format in the early 1990s, were selected by viewer request via telephone; as such, unlike competing networks (such as MTV and VH1 ), the videos were not broadcast on a set rotation.
54-432: The network was distributed on cable and satellite providers, with additional carriage on over-the-air UHF television stations (mainly on low-power outlets); most of these stations, which later became affiliates of MTV2 following the shutdown of The Box's US operations, have since been sold off as of 2012, while Viacom retains ownership of the other remaining former Box affiliates. The Box's UK Operations remained on
108-540: A Regional Radiocommunication Conference to abrogate the ST61 plan and to put a new plan for DTT broadcasting only in its place. In December 2005, the European Union decided to cease all analog audio and analog video television transmissions by 2012 and switch all terrestrial television broadcasting to digital audio and digital video (all EU countries have agreed on using DVB-T ). The Netherlands completed
162-607: A virtual channel is defined as part of the ATSC stream metadata so that a station can transmit on any frequency but still show the same channel number. Additionally, free-to-air television repeaters and signal boosters can be used to rebroadcast a terrestrial television signal using an otherwise unused channel to cover areas with marginal reception. (see Pan-American television frequencies for frequency allocation charts) Analog television channels 2 through 6, 7 through 13, and 14 through 51 are only used for LPTV translator stations in
216-579: A 64GB HDD and the video programs were compressed in the MPEG2 format. In 2000, The Box had approximately 1,800 music videos in its inventory, 150 to 300 of which were queued across the network, at any given time. Subscribers could call the Interactive Voice Response at The Box's central office to request videos over the phone, which was typical, but could also request over the internet or via set-top box . The central office would then send
270-496: A DVD entitled "Shhhh... Don't Tell 'Em That" to promote the album. In 2010, Sir Mix-a-Lot announced his next album, Dun 4got About Mix . The lead single "Carz" was released to YouTube on 23 Nov 2010. By June 2011, the video had had over a million views, although no release date for the album has been set as of 2023. In the same year, his F.U.B.a.R. Remix for the song Conditions Of My Parole appeared on Puscifer 's remix album All Re-Mixed Up . In 2013, Sir Mix-a-Lot produced
324-532: A graduated program. The first centre to experience analog switch-off was the remote Victorian regional town of Mildura , in 2010. The government supplied underprivileged houses across the nation with free digital set-top converter boxes in order to minimize conversion disruption. Australia's major free-to-air television networks were all granted digital transmission licenses and are each required to broadcast at least one high-definition and one standard-definition channel into all of their markets. In North America,
378-437: A group which included cable operator TCI and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell . In 1990, Les Garland, co-founder of both MTV: Music Television and VH-1 was brought in to run the network. From 1990–97, Garland, as Executive VP played an essential role in the domestic and international launch of the interactive music channel. He was responsible for entertainment programming, promotion, ad sales and marketing, and he oversaw
432-562: A product of the Miami Music scene, and was hosted by a group of local Miami Bass rappers known as Miami Boyz. Peters formed a record company called Peter's Records from the revenue earned by the Video Jukebox Network. Despite having his foot in the local Miami Bass scene, and employing hip-hop producers from abroad, none of its artists managed to produce a hit record; the label was shut down before Peters sold The Box to
486-697: A specification laid out by the ATSC has become the standard for digital terrestrial television. In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) set the final deadline for the switch-off of analog service for 12 June 2009. All television receivers must now include a DTT tuner using ATSC . In Canada, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) set 31 August 2011 as
540-525: A street named Broadway with a restaurant named Dick's, just like Seattle. This gave him the idea to write his next hit, " Posse on Broadway ". The title referred to Broadway in Seattle's Capitol Hill district. Released in 1987, the single made the Top 100 but quickly disappeared, although it remains popular in the Seattle area for its references to many local landmarks. Swass , Sir Mix-a-Lot's debut album,
594-428: A text- and icon-only format on the lower third of the screen during a video broadcast – to request a recent or classic music video to air on the network (this format was reflected in the network's longtime slogan, "Music Television You Control"). At first, all of The Box's request lines used a large block of Miami telephone numbers, and callers were only charged for a long-distance call; however, in order to gain revenue,
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#1732801995891648-633: Is best known for his 1992 hit song " Baby Got Back ", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 . Anthony Ray was born on August 12, 1963, in Auburn, Washington , and grew up in Seattle's Central District . In Ray's youth, his mother worked as a licensed practical nurse at the King County Jail. Ray was a fan of hip hop and started rapping in the early 1980s. While living in
702-492: Is not good,' 'I want my kid to be able to go to school in our community; that's why we moved here' – all those things I totally understand," he said. "But from my perspective, I didn't have the luxury of living in a neighborhood where a good school was. We didn't make that kind of money. So from my perspective, it was the best thing that could have happened to me." A music teacher at Eckstein Middle School introduced Ray to
756-514: The Def American label, which also bought the rights to his first two albums, and released his third album Mack Daddy in 1992. The single " Baby Got Back " was a number one hit that went double platinum and won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance . MTV aired the music video for the song only after 9 PM because of "many, many, complaints." In 1993, Sir Mix-a-Lot collaborated with Seattle-based grunge band Mudhoney for
810-531: The 1960s. There was no other method of television delivery until the 1950s with the beginnings of cable television and community antenna television (CATV). CATV was, initially, only a re-broadcast of over-the-air signals. With the widespread adoption of cable across the United States in the 1970s and 1980s, viewing of terrestrial television broadcasts has been in decline; in 2018, it was estimated that about 14% of US households used an antenna. However, in certain other regions terrestrial television continue to be
864-631: The Bryant Manor apartments on 19th Ave and East Yesler Way, Anthony Ray started school at Roosevelt High School , near the University District, when the Seattle Public School District was in the throes of what would be a 21-year experiment to integrate the school system; Guns N' Roses member Duff McKagan and actress Rose McGowan also went there. Students were bused from their neighborhoods to schools at
918-564: The Bumpasaurus was only given a low label promotion, leading to lackluster sales, Sir Mix-a-Lot left Def American. During the time off, he worked closely with the band The Presidents of the United States of America under the group name "Subset" with a combination of rock and rap music, but nothing was ever officially released. Sir Mix-a-Lot signed with the independent label Artist Direct for his 2003 album Daddy's Home with "Big Johnson" as its lead single. The next year, he released
972-600: The Nastymix record label in 1983. The first song to gain popularity outside of Seattle was "Square Dance Rap" in 1986. Mix-a-Lot had originally decided to rap the entire song slowly, then speed it up and increase its pitch in post production, Mix later told Seattle Refined in 2018 that "I didn't want to rap, that's why I use this weird Smurf voice". After the song was picked up by DJs in clubs nationwide, he toured Florida, New York, and other states. While in Arizona, he noticed
1026-735: The Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club in South Seattle. Soon he moved locations and started hosting his parties at the Rotary Boys and Girls Club in the Central District. It was there that he met 'Nasty' Nes Rodriguez, a local radio DJ and host of Fresh Tracks, the West Coast's first rap radio show on Seattle station KKFX (K-Fox). Sir Mix-a-Lot partnered with Nasty Nes and local businessman Ed Locke to found
1080-648: The Round Table. He also voiced politician Hans Blix and singer Stevie Wonder in the season 3 finale. He appeared in "The Judge" episode of Season 4 of BoJack Horseman playing himself. Sir Mix-a-Lot provides narration and commentary in Wheedle's Groove , a 2009 documentary about the Seattle 1960s and 70s funk and soul scene. In June 2018, the DIY Network aired a special called Sir Mix-A-Lot's House Remix , which involved Sir Mix-a-Lot buying and flipping
1134-557: The ST61 conference, UHF frequencies were first used in the UK in 1964 with the introduction of BBC2 . In the UK, VHF channels were kept on the old 405-line system, while UHF was used solely for 625-line broadcasts (which later used PAL color). Television broadcasting in the 405-line system continued after the introduction of four analog programs in the UHF bands until the last 405-line transmitters were switched off on January 6, 1985. VHF Band III
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#17328019958911188-649: The United States and Canada have shut down nearly all of their analog TV stations, the NTSC standard continues to be used in the rest of Latin American countries except for Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay where PAL-N standard is used while testing their DTT platform. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Advanced Television Systems Committee developed the ATSC standard for digital high-definition terrestrial transmission. This standard
1242-431: The United States it is called over-the-air or simply broadcast . This type of TV broadcast is distinguished from newer technologies, such as satellite television ( direct broadcast satellite or DBS television), in which the signal is transmitted to the receiver from an overhead satellite ; cable television , in which the signal is carried to the receiver through a cable ; and Internet Protocol television , in which
1296-603: The United States. Channels 52 through 69 are still used by some existing stations, but these channels must be vacated if telecommunications companies notify the stations to vacate that signal spectrum. By convention, broadcast television signals are transmitted with horizontal polarization. Terrestrial television broadcast in Asia started as early as 1939 in Japan through a series of experiments done by NHK Broadcasting Institute of Technology . However, these experiments were interrupted by
1350-428: The United States. Each affiliate had a unique playlist, usually customized to the local market, giving great exposure to more local and obscure groups. Videos cost between 99¢ and $ 3.99 and, on a national average, took around 20 minutes to be broadcast after being ordered; it was not uncommon for multiple videos to air in succession, nor was it for there to be a gap in videos for several minutes on end (during which time,
1404-527: The advent of electronic scan television technology. The television broadcasting business followed the model of radio networks , with local television stations in cities and towns affiliated with television networks , either commercial (in the US) or government-controlled (in Europe), which provided content. Television broadcasts were in greyscale (called black and white ) until the transition to color television in
1458-601: The air until June 30, 2024. The channel was fully owned by London-based Channel Four Television Corporation , (after Channel 4 bought out their partners in The Box Plus Network , Germany's Bauer Media Group in 2019). The network originally launched as the Video Jukebox Network in 1985; it was founded by Steve Peters, who launched it on a television station in Miami , Florida . It was initially
1512-455: The air until its closure on June 30, 2024, with the channel run on satellite and via streaming, alongside a number of TV music channels based on Bauer Radio station brands. Headends incorporated a video server which allowed for localized content mixes – local demographics could be taken into account for selecting the list of videos available for request or frequently requested genres/bands could be queued automatically. The video server had up to
1566-629: The album Dream for the urban rock band Ayron Jones and The Way . He opened their album release party at Neumos on November 2. That Christmas season, he promoted the Washington State Lottery over the Christmas season, with advertisements featuring his music appearing on Spotify . On June 6, 2014, Sir Mix-a-Lot collaborated and performed with the Seattle Symphony on a new composition by Gabriel Prokofiev as part of
1620-755: The beginning of the World War II in the Pacific. On February 1, 1953, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) began broadcasting. On August 28, 1953, Nippon TV (Nippon Television Network Corporation), the first commercial television broadcaster in Asia was launched. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, Alto Broadcasting System (now ABS-CBN Corporation ), the first commercial television broadcaster in Southeast Asia , launched its first commercial terrestrial television station DZAQ-TV on October 23, 1953, with
1674-616: The data to the individual headends regarding what was ordered. Terrestrial television Terrestrial television , or over-the-air television ( OTA ) is a type of television broadcasting in which the content is transmitted via radio waves from the terrestrial (Earth-based) transmitter of a TV station to a TV receiver having an antenna . The term terrestrial is more common in Europe and Latin America, while in Canada and
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1728-511: The date that terrestrial analog transmission service ceased in metropolitan areas and provincial capitals. In Mexico, the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) discontinued the use of analog terrestrial television on 31 December 2015. Sir Mix-A-Lot Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot or his CB handle Prime Minista , is an American rapper. He
1782-500: The help of Radio Corporation of America (RCA). By the mid-1990s, the interest in digital television across Europe was such the CEPT convened the "Chester '97" conference to agree on means by which digital television could be inserted into the ST61 frequency plan . The introduction of digital terrestrial television in the late 1990s and early years of the 21st century led the ITU to call
1836-412: The network switched to the request line to a 1-900 toll number, with callers being charged from $ 1.99 to $ 3.99 per call to make a request of up to three videos. The network was well known for being an "underground" outlet for music videos that were not shown or even banned on MTV, with up to 350 videos selectable at any given time in each of the 170 (by September 1992) different Box affiliates throughout
1890-616: The other end of the city. From 1978 to 1999, when the busing program was in operation, minorities carried the burden of busing, going from the South End and the Central Area to predominantly white schools in the North End. Ray said he knew that some North End residents did not want black children bused into their neighborhoods. But for him, the experience offered respite from the projects. "I've heard things like, 'Forced integration
1944-439: The possibility of a music career. Ray was interested in electronics and CB radio from a young age. One of his early jobs was working at a pinball arcade servicing machines, and during that time he started to fix keyboards and other musical equipment. He still works with electronics as a hobby. Soon after high school, he began DJing parties at local community centers. By 1983, Sir Mix-a-Lot had begun playing weekends regularly at
1998-417: The preferred method of receiving television, and it is estimated by Deloitte as of 2020 that at least 1.6 billion people in the world receive at least some television using these means. The largest market is thought to be Indonesia , where 250 million people watch through terrestrial. By 2019, over-the-top media service (OTT) which is streamed via the internet had become a common alternative. Following
2052-435: The request menu was shown). Because the channel's playlist was totally controlled by viewers, anyone could request any video for as many times as they wanted (explaining why some new videos like Bone Thugs-n-Harmony 's " Tha Crossroads " could be seen ten times within an hour). The network was known for its rough-around-the-edges and "bootleg"-like feel, sometimes making it appear like it was of low quality. Despite this, The Box
2106-456: The rollout of the channel from a base of 200,000 homes at its inception to more than 30 million U.S. households and 25 million households internationally after, the service – which eventually adopted the shortened name The Box – began allowing viewers to request videos through a designated telephone number; viewers would be directed to enter a code – which was displayed through an on-screen menu that aired full-screen between videos as well as in
2160-683: The signal is received over an Internet stream or on a network utilizing the Internet Protocol . Terrestrial television stations broadcast on television channels with frequencies between about 52 and 600 MHz in the VHF and UHF bands. Since radio waves in these bands travel by line of sight , reception is generally limited by the visual horizon to distances of 64–97 kilometres (40–60 miles), although under better conditions and with tropospheric ducting , signals can sometimes be received hundreds of kilometers distant. Terrestrial television
2214-703: The song "Freak Momma" on the Judgment Night soundtrack. In 1994, he released the album Chief Boot Knocka , which reached #69 on the Billboard 200 and #28 on the Top R&;B/Hip-Hop Charts. The album featured the hit single "Put 'Em On The Glass". "Just Da Pimpin' in Me" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance but lost to "Let Me Ride" by Dr. Dre. When his 1996 album Return of
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2268-667: The switchover by 2012 due to technical limitations; the rest of the EU member states had stopped analog television transmissions by the end 2012. Many countries are developing and evaluating digital terrestrial television systems. Australia has adopted the DVB-T standards and the government's industry regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority , has mandated that all analog transmissions will cease by 2012. Mandated digital conversion started early in 2009 with
2322-402: The symphony's Sonic Evolution series of new orchestral pieces inspired by Seattle's music icons. In 2014, rapper Nicki Minaj released the single " Anaconda ", which prominently featured samples from "Baby Got Back". Sir Mix-a-Lot praised both the artist and the song, calling it the "new and improved version" of "Baby Got Back". In March 2016, Sir Mix-a-Lot collaborated with TNT and LK on
2376-456: The time, replaced the network on its affiliates, before eventually withdrawing broadcast carriage of MTV2 in the 2010s to return to a cable-only distribution model (the same strategy was pursued with Más Música TeVe a few years later to launch MTV Tres ). The concept behind The Box was later revived in 2010 when cable music service Music Choice launched SWRV (now Music Choice Play). The Box's UK operations (now owned by Channel 4 ) remained on
2430-498: The track and video, "Streets Don't Love Me". From 2017 to 2019, Sir Mix-a-Lot hosted a morning radio show based in Seattle on Hot 103.7 FM. He owns multiple residences, including one in Auburn, Washington, where he has continued to maintain a strong presence performing at small festivals across the country. In 1995, Sir Mix-a-Lot was the regular host of the short-lived UPN anthology drama series The Watcher , in which, in 2000, he
2484-515: The transition in December 2006, and some EU member states decided to complete their switchover as early as 2008 (Sweden), and (Denmark) in 2009. While the UK began to switch off analog broadcasts, region by region, in late 2007, it was not completed until 24 October 2012. Norway ceased all analog television transmissions on 1 December 2009. Two member states (not specified in the announcement) expressed concerns that they might not be able to proceed to
2538-674: Was eventually adopted by many American countries, including the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras; however, the four latter countries reversed their decision in favor of ISDB-Tb . The Pan-American terrestrial television operates on analog channels 2 through 6 ( VHF -low band, 54 to 88 MHz, known as band I in Europe), 7 through 13 (VHF-high band, 174 to 216 MHz, known as band III elsewhere), and 14 through 51 ( UHF television band, 470 to 698 MHz, elsewhere bands IV and V ). Unlike with analog transmission, ATSC channel numbers do not correspond to radio frequencies. Instead,
2592-531: Was introduced in 1941. This standard defined a transmission scheme for a black-and-white picture with 525 lines of vertical resolution at 60 fields per second. In the early 1950s, this standard was superseded by a backward-compatible standard for color television . The NTSC standard was exclusively being used in the Americas as well as Japan until the introduction of digital terrestrial television (DTT). While Mexico has ended all its analog television broadcasts and
2646-403: Was known to have many popular videos appear in heavy rotation on The Box months before appearing on MTV – Britney Spears ' " ...Baby One More Time " was seen on The Box many months before "breaking out" for example – and was largely responsible in raising the profile of acts such as Sir Mix-A-Lot and Green Jellÿ . In 1998 Greg Willis was recruited to be SVP Sales and Marketing. The channel brand
2700-517: Was quoted in Vibe magazine as saying "in retrospect, I wish I hadn't done (the show)" In 2006, Sir Mix-a-Lot appeared on Adult Swim 's Tom Goes to the Mayor and the 17th Treehouse of Horror on Fox 's The Simpsons . In 2008, he appeared on Adult Swim's Robot Chicken singing a song entitled "Table Be Round". It was sung in the style of "Baby Got Back", but was about to King Arthur's creation of
2754-506: Was released in 1988 with two other singles: "Square-Dance Rap" and "Iron Man", a rap metal track sampling from the song of the same name by Black Sabbath ; it was backed by the band Metal Church . In 1990, the Recording Industry Association of America certified Swass platinum . Seminar , released in 1989, featured "My Hooptie", "Beepers", "Gortex" and "I Got Game". In 1991, Sir Mix-a-Lot signed to
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#17328019958912808-405: Was the first technology used for television broadcasting. The BBC began broadcasting in 1929 and by 1930 many radio stations had a regular schedule of experimental television programmes . However, these early experimental systems had insufficient picture quality to attract the public, due to their mechanical scan technology, and television did not become widespread until after World War II with
2862-411: Was upgraded in 1998, to The Box – Music Network and Box Fusion – an online service that synched television with the internet. In May 1999, The Box was acquired by MTV Networks division of Viacom . The Box ceased operations in the United States just over 1½ years later on January 1, 2001, moving operations to the UK ; MTV2 , which featured a mix of set rotation and viewer request music video blocks at
2916-419: Was used in other countries around Europe for PAL broadcasts until the planned phase-out and switch over to digital television. The success of analog terrestrial television across Europe varied from country to country. Although each country had rights to a certain number of frequencies by virtue of the ST61 plan, not all of them were brought into service. The first National Television System Committee standard
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