M3 (Canadian TV channel)
| M3 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | October 5, 1998 |
| Closed | September 1, 2016 |
| Owned by | Bell Media |
| Picture format |
1080i (HDTV) 480i (SDTV) |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
| Formerly called | MuchMoreMusic (1998–2009) MuchMore (2009–2013) |
| Replaced by | Gusto |
| Sister channel(s) |
Much MTV |
M3 (formerly MuchMoreMusic and MuchMore) was a Canadian English language Category A cable and satellite specialty channel owned by Bell Media. As with its sister networks, the network was headquartered at 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario.
Established in 1998 as MuchMoreMusic, the network began as a spin-off of the youth-oriented MuchMusic, targeting an older demographic with adult contemporary, classic hits and classic rock music videos, along with music news programs and concert specials. Its lineup later expanded to incorporate pop culture programming (often sourced from the similar U.S. network VH1), reality shows, dramas and sitcoms. Under Bell ownership and its final branding as M3, the network began to heavily downplay music programming outside of non-peak hours (similarly to Much at the time).
On September 1, 2016, M3 was shut down and replaced under its license and most channel allotments by Gusto.
In June 1993, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) began accepting licence applications for new Canadian specialty channels for the first time since 1987. On August 31, 1993, MuchMusic and CITY-TV co-founder Moses Znaimer announced on-air a proposal by CHUM Limited to launch a specialty channel called MuchMoreMusic as an adult music/lifestyle channel, quoted as offering music more "familiar, tuneful, [and] melodic" for an audience who "could do with a little less rock and rap and metal". This followed CHUM's earlier application for a country music channel, MuchCountry. "Melodic pop, soft rock, jazz, soul and blues" were to be some of the genres played by MuchMoreMusic; according to MuchMusic, the new channel would be able to provide such music to the "sizable" portion of its existing audience who enjoyed such softer music but could not find it reliably on MuchMusic.
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