Much | |
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Current version of third Much logo used from 2013 to present.
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Launched | August 31, 1984 |
Owned by | Bell Media |
Picture format |
1080i (HDTV) (2011-present) 480i (SDTV) (1984-present) 4K (UHDTV) (2016-present; part-time, selected broadcasts) |
Slogan | It's That Much Closer |
Country | Canada |
Broadcast area | National |
Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
Formerly called | MuchMusic (1984-2013) |
Sister channel(s) |
The Comedy Network MTV MTV2 |
Website | www |
Availability
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Satellite | |
Bell TV | Channel 570 (SD) Channel 1670 (HD) |
Shaw Direct | Channel 580 (SD) 86 / 586 (HD) |
Cable | |
Available on most Canadian cable systems | Check local listings, channels may vary |
IPTV | |
Bell Aliant | Channel 220 (SD) Channel 424 (HD) |
Bell Fibe TV | Channel 570 (SD) Channel 1570 (HD) |
MTS | Channel 25 (SD) Channel 1025 (HD) |
Optik TV | Channel 9557 (SD) Channel 557 (HD) |
SaskTel | Channel 12 (SD) Channel 312 (HD) |
VMedia | Channel 701 (HD) |
Zazeen | Channel 52 (HD) |
Much (formerly and commonly known as MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel. It is currently owned by Bell Media. The channel first launched on August 31, 1984, under the ownership of CHUM Limited, as one of the country's first specialty channels. Upon its launch, and for much of its life, the network primarily aired music programming, including blocks of music videos and original series focusing on musicians and artists.
However, the network has since cancelled the majority of its original music programming due to budget and staffing cuts (in so far that the channel began to phase out MuchMusic as an on-air brand), and beyond blocks of music videos in off-peak timeslots and occasional specials (such as the annual iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards produced by the network), primarily broadcasts comedy programming aimed towards a young adult demographic as a sister to The Comedy Network.
MuchMusic was licensed on April 2, 1984 by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to CHUM/Citytv. It had faced competition from two other proposed services. One of them, CMTV Canadian Music Television, was deemed not to have sufficient financial resources. The third applicant was Rogers Radio Broadcasting. The CRTC believed that the Canadian market could only support one music video service and CHUM's proposal was chosen because of various commitments it had made and the company's expertise in music programming. The station was initially patterned on City Limits, an overnight weekend rock music show which had aired on sister station CITY-TV since 1983.
Shortly thereafter, MuchMusic was launched on August 31, 1984 as one of the first Canadian cable specialty channels. It was headed by the channel's founders John Martin and Moses Znaimer. The first video played on MuchMusic was "an early music-to-film synchronization short from the 1920s which featured Eubie Blake performing Snappy Songs." The first video made specifically for television air play was Rush's "The Enemy Within".