The Box (U.S. TV channel)
| The Box | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | 1985 |
| Closed | 2001 |
| Network | MTV (bought The Box in 2001) |
| Owned by | Steve Peters (1985–1999) MTV Networks (Viacom) (1999–2001) MTV (2001-present) |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Formerly called | Video Jukebox Network (1985–1990s) |
| Replaced by | MTV2 |
| Sister channel(s) | MTV (1999-present, bought The Box in 2001) |
| Website | mtv.com (2001-present, as MTV2) |
The Box, originally named the Video Jukebox Network, was an American broadcast, cable and satellite television network 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.
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 Box's shutdown, have since been sold off as of 2012, while Viacom retains ownership of the other remaining former Box affiliates.
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 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 a group which included cable operator TCI and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. Beginning in the early 1990s, 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 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 during the 1990s, "Music Television You Control").
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