| C4 | |
|---|---|
| Launched | 3 October 2003 |
| Owned by | MediaWorks New Zealand |
| Picture format | 576i 16:9 (SDTV) |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Formerly called | TV4 |
| Sister channel(s) | TV3, FOUR |
| Availability | |
| Freeview|HD | Channel 9 |
| Satellite | |
| Freeview Satellite | Channel 9 |
C4 is a television station operating in New Zealand and owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. C4 plays music around the clock and has some specialty music shows such as HomeGrown (New Zealand music show), Video Hits and Biggest Records Right Now. The channel was originally launched in 2003 as a replacement for TV4 which had been broadcasting since 1997. As C4 moved away from music programming in 2008 a second C4 was launched called C4 2, C4 2 was only available on the Freeview platform. At the end of 2010 an announcement was made that Mediaworks would launch a new entertainment channel branded as FOUR this channel replaced C4 frequencies while C4 then replaced C4 2 going back to its roots of a music channel. As a result C4 is now only available on Freeview channel 9.
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On the 1st of May 2010 Roar second C4 channel was launched as C4 2. At the time C4 had moved to screening entertainment shows in the evenings instead of music shows as a result the second C4 channel was launched as a music channel screening around the clock music with no presenters. C4 2 also screened a large amount of Alternative Music videos. With Mediaworks deciding to launch FOUR, C4 replaced C4 2. C4 now screens around the clock music and some presenter based music shows. Other shows that were on C4 have moved to FOUR or TV3. The C4 2 name now exists as an alternative music show on C4.
C4 was launched on 29 June 1997 as TV4 a Free to Air channel. On 1 October 2003, TV4 ceased broadcasting and relaunched on 3 October 2003 as a music channel called C4 which broadcast music and programming content in the afternoons until midnight and broadcast infomercials overnight. The very first show broadcast on C4 was the 100 Best Music Videos of All Time a countdown show where viewers voted prior to the show for their favourite songs of all time. TV Programming on C4 included local made shows such as Select Live and The Official NZ Top 40. New Zealand on Air paid $500,000 for the first year of operation and C4 was to broadcast 58 hours a week of music television in prime-time, reaching 72% of the population, with a target of 20-25% New Zealand music content.
C4 had a deal with MTV Networks to air MTV programming in New Zealand, which proved successful, with shows such as Pimp My Ride proving popular among C4's target demographic. The MTV content on C4 remained on air after Sky TV launched a local MTV station featuring some of the same shows. MTV content was decreased in 2008 when the channel moved towards General Entertainment programming.
On 11 April 2007 C4 began broadcasting in 14:9 widescreen on SKY TV in New Zealand the same day TV3 began broadcasting in a 16:9 widescreen format. C4 then switched to a 16:9 widescreen format on 2 May 2007, the same day as Freeview launched. C4 screened in letterboxed 14:9 widescreen on 4:3 analog VHF broadcasts.
24 hour broadcasts began in 2007 but only to digital viewers, in the TV4 days outside broadcast hours viewers would see a test pattern with Auckland's More FM playing in the background this was later replaced with Channel Z. Later the test pattern was replaced with overnight Informercials and Auto TV a show used to advertise cars. The move to 24 hour broadcasting saw the channel play continuous music videos overnight followed by a music breakfast show with no presenters, analogue viewers continued to see Infomercials during these times.
From 1 July 2008, the channel began the process of changing from a music channel to a youth oriented entertainment network, operating under the same programming direction of its sister station TV3. In addition, C4 moved to channel 12 on Sky Digital and TelstraClear InHome TV platforms to reflect its new programming direction with a reduced focus on music.
On 1 May 2010, MediaWorks launched a second C4 channel C4 2. C4 2 screened back to back music videos, unhosted and uninterrupted. The channel was exclusively on the Freeview platform on channel 9.
At 6:00pm on 6 February 2011, C4 moved to Channel 9 on Freeview, thus replacing C4 2.[1] MediaWorks then launched FOUR in place of C4. The final show screened on C4 before the changeover was the Top 100 Music Videos Ever a similar show was used to launch C4 in 2003. The final music video screened before the changeover was Michael Jackson's Thriller. As a result of the change C4 is now available exclusively to Freeview viewers. C4 now screens music shows once again, many of the entertainment shows seen on C4 between 2008 and 2011 were moved to FOUR.
In its relatively small time on air, C4 has caused controversy around New Zealand.
The first such instance was when it chose to air the BBC series Popetown becoming the first TV network in the world to show the series, originally made for the BBC but then pulled from their schedule. This caused much controversy with New Zealand Roman Catholics as it was seen to be demeaning of Pope John Paul II. However, all 10 episodes made were aired. This prompted bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in New Zealand to call for a boycott of all CanWest radio and television stations.
Catholic leaders and other religious groups such as Family Life International called for a boycott of all CanWest stations in February 2006 when C4 chose to air the South Park episode Bloody Mary earlier than originally planned. The following day it was reported that the episode was C4's highest rated show ever, drawing 210,000 viewers, six times South Park's normal audience. Protests were held outside the C4 studios the night it aired and the episode drew the most complaints ever received by the Broadcasting Standards Authority.
Flashbacks, Amp'd, Freestyle, Intellectual Property and The Sound Lab all suffered from C4's mid-2006 revamp. C4 wanted to air new shows, along with a new on-air identity which was launched soon after, with all five shows being cancelled.
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