| The Hits | |
|---|---|
| Launched | 30 October 2002 |
| Closed | 2 August 2008 |
| Owned by | Box Television (Bauer Group/Channel 4) |
| Audience share | 0.3% (February 2008, [1]) |
| Slogan | "Such a good feeling" |
| Replaced by | 4Music |
| Website | www.thehits-tv.co.uk |
| Availability (at time of closure) |
|
| Terrestrial | |
| Freeview | Channel 18 |
| Satellite | |
| Sky | Channel 360 |
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media | Channel 330 |
| UPC Ireland | Channel 716 |
The Hits was a music video channel in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned by Box Television.
Contents |
The channel showcased a range of pop centering on chart hits and current favourites. Originally, the vast majority of music videos were selected by viewers by means of calling a premium rate telephone number, however the policy was abandoned with the channel playing an automated selection of videos and countdown shows presented by celebrities and singers past and present. Programming was often themed to coincide with events such as St. Patrick's Day and Christmas.
The channel was available free-to-air on the British Digital terrestrial television service Freeview on channel 18. It is no longer a pure music video channel because the evening on the channel has been replaced by various shows from Channel 4 like Balls Of Steel. It was also available on Sky Digital, encrypted as apart of Sky's Music Pack. The Hits was also available on Virgin Media and was included in the basic (TV Size: M) package. It was also be seen through the British Forces Broadcasting Service.
87-07 is a series of programmes where a song is played from each of the years from 1987 to 2007. There was a more up to date version called 88-08 which is the same as 87-07 except it goes from 1988 to 2008. There were different collections of songs depending on different things that the songs had in common, an example of 87-07 is Cheesy Pop 87-07 which includes the songs Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley, Saturday Night by Whigfield and C'est La Vie by B*witched which are all commonly regarded as "cheesy pop songs".
Another type of programme on The Hits is where one hundred songs are played, usually counting down to a song that is featured as "number one". This varies from "100 Forgotten Gems of the Nineties" to "The Nation's Favourite Love Songs."
Sometimes there was a programme in the style of the above except there were fifty or in other cases twenty songs featured in the programme.
The Hits Chart used to be played at around 12.15 and 17:15 Monday-Friday [1]. The Hits Chart was simply a countdown of the biggest songs of the day.
The Hits had a programme called "Every Number One of the Nineties" which was what the title suggests, it played every number one of the nineties back to back. It was played over a bank holiday weekend in two parts, the first part on the Sunday and the second part on the Monday. "Every Number One of the Nineties" has been played on 4Music in small segments. Another programme like it is "Every Number One of the Twentyfirst Century" which was every number one of this century up to a certain point, played back to back.
On 20 February 2008, it was announced that The Hits was to be replaced by 4Music later in the year, and a trial period broadcast on Sundays under the 4Music banner was broadcast on Sunday evenings during the spring.[2] In June 2008 it was further announced that this replacement was to take place during the V Festival weekend on 15 August.[3] The replaced station will show predominantly music videos, alongside live performances and Channel 4 programming like Star Stories and The Sunday Night Project, as well as documentaries about artists.[4]
In recent weeks before the launch, 4Music had begun airing teaser trailers for the channel as part of its extensive promotion of the rebrand, airing such quotes as "Get on all fours and we'll cover you with music," "With all the cunning of a squirrel, and the power of ten wolves... 4Music: the new channel from 4 & "Let us lick your mind... 4Music: the new channel from 4." During T4 On The Beach, one of the three stages was named, the 4Music stage, along in the concert programs, it has an ad which says, "Do You Party?...4Music...the new channel from 4."
The Hits ceased broadcasting music videos on Friday 15 August 2008 at 06:00. The last video played on The Hits was 'Thank You For The Music' by ABBA, before fading in to a promo for 4Music.
In November 2007, Ofcom found The Hits had breached broadcast licence for failing to retain copies of its programming. Two viewers had complained questioning the authenticity of some of the winning entries on text-in quiz programme Win Win TV, broadcast overnight on 26 June.
The broadcaster was unable to provide Ofcom with a review copy of the programme in question because of "problems with its logging system". Condition 11 of a Television Licensable Content Service license requires the broadcaster to keep recordings of all output for 60 days after transmission, providing Ofcom with any material on request.
Failure to supply these recordings is a serious and significant breach of the broadcaster’s licence. This will be held on record," the regulator noted.[5]
In 2003, companion radio station The Hits Radio was launched. It continues to this day.
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