C4 (New Zealand)
Encyclopedia
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.
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 letterbox
ed 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. 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.
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.
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
operating in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
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
Four (New Zealand TV channel)
Four is a television station operating in New Zealand and owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. The channel launched 6 February 2011 at 6pm. The channel broadcasts on channel frequencies previously used by C4 with some shows previously screened on TV3 and C4 now screening on...
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.
C4 2
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.History
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 LiveSelect Live
Drew and Shannon Live is a music video request show, hosted by Drew Neemia and Shannon Ryan and played on C4 . Weekday screenings run from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, while a modified version of the show, Select plays on weekends without a presenter...
and The Official NZ Top 40
The Official NZ Top 40
The Official NZ Top 40 is a NZ made music countdown show which is a countdown of the New Zealand Singles Chart music. It uses the official chart produced by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand...
. New Zealand on Air
New Zealand On Air
NZ On Air is an independent New Zealand broadcast funding agency. It is an autonomous crown entity separate from central Government and governed by a Board of six appointed by the Minister of Broadcasting...
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
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Networks to air MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
programming in New Zealand, which proved successful, with shows such as Pimp My Ride
Pimp My Ride
Pimp My Ride is a TV show produced by MTV. Each episode consists of taking one car in poor condition and restoring it and customizing it.The original United States version was hosted by rapper Xzibit...
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
14:9
14:9 is a compromise aspect ratio of 1.56:1. It is used to create an acceptable picture on both 4:3 and 16:9 televisions, conceived following audience tests conducted by the BBC...
on SKY TV in New Zealand the same day TV3 began broadcasting in a 16:9 widescreen
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
format. C4 then switched to a 16:9 widescreen format on 2 May 2007, the same day as Freeview launched. C4 screened in letterbox
Letterbox
Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting videographic image has mattes above and below it; these mattes are part of the image...
ed 14:9 widescreen
14:9
14:9 is a compromise aspect ratio of 1.56:1. It is used to create an acceptable picture on both 4:3 and 16:9 televisions, conceived following audience tests conducted by the BBC...
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
More FM
MORE FM is a New Zealand radio network playing adult contemporary music or Pop music. It is operated by MediaWorks New Zealand.MORE FM broadcasts in 22 centres throughout New Zealand with local programming in most markets between 6am and 1pm and networked programming the rest of the day...
playing in the background this was later replaced with Channel Z
Channel Z
Channel Z was an alternative music radio station which had a high youth demographic broadcasting in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, New Zealand. In early 2005, the station was relaunched as Kiwi FM and only plays New Zealand music....
. 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
TV3 (New Zealand)
TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
. 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. MediaWorks then launched FOUR
Four (New Zealand TV channel)
Four is a television station operating in New Zealand and owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. The channel launched 6 February 2011 at 6pm. The channel broadcasts on channel frequencies previously used by C4 with some shows previously screened on TV3 and C4 now screening on...
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
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
Thriller
Thriller (song)
"Thriller" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson, composed by Rod Temperton, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records...
. 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.
Controversy
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
Popetown
Popetown is a controversial animated sitcom, billed by its producers as "Father Ted meets South Park", following the doodles and scribblings of a student at school during a lesson. His drawings depict the life of Father Nicholas, who lives in a Vatican City parody referred to as "Popetown"...
becoming the first TV network in the world to show the series, originally made for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
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
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. However, all 10 episodes made were aired. This prompted bishops of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in New Zealand to call for a boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
of all CanWest radio and television stations.
Family Life International (New Zealand)
Family Life International is an independent Roman Catholic and pro-life organisation based in Auckland, New Zealand. Although it initially had close ties with the US based group Human Life International, FLI no longer has any official relationship, or connection to Human Life International...
called for a boycott of all CanWest stations in February 2006 when C4 chose to air the South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary (South Park)
"Bloody Mary" is the fourteenth episode of the ninth season of the series South Park. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on December 7, 2005. In the episode, Randy drives drunk and loses his driver's license. He then forced to go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, where he...
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
Broadcasting Standards Authority
The Broadcasting Standards Authority is a New Zealand Crown Entity created by the Broadcasting Act 1989 to develop and uphold standards of broadcasting for radio, free-to-air and pay television.The main functions of the BSA are:...
.
See also
- Four (New Zealand TV channel)Four (New Zealand TV channel)Four is a television station operating in New Zealand and owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. The channel launched 6 February 2011 at 6pm. The channel broadcasts on channel frequencies previously used by C4 with some shows previously screened on TV3 and C4 now screening on...
- Freeview
- TV3TV3 (New Zealand)TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
- SKY Network TelevisionSKY Network TelevisionSky Network Television Limited , , is a New Zealand pay television service. On 30 June 2011, Sky had 829,421 subscribers, which comprises:*808,617 digital subscribers*20,840 other subscribers...
- MediaWorks