Channel U TV
Encyclopedia
Channel AKA is a British digital satellite TV channel, owned by Mushroom TV Ltd, available through Sky within the UK
and Ireland
on channel 370. It is a music channel, focusing on playing upcoming UK urban/hip-hop music and has helped the breakthrough for acts such as Tinchy Stryder
, Tinie Tempah
, Chipmunk
and N-Dubz
.
Many artists have expressed their loyalty to the channel in their lyrics; for example, in Lady Sovereign's
"9 to 5
", "Channel who? Oh Channel U, the ones who made me huge, like Katie Price's boobs!". Other artists to comment on Channel U include Kano
, DJ Ironik
, Lethal Bizzle
, Sway
, Remi Nicole
, Wong
, and Dizzee Rascal
. Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
negatively mention Channel U in their song "Fixed". Lowkey
frequently criticises Channel U in his studio albums for their lack of innovation.
In October 2005, the first annual Channel U Awards were held in London with live performances from its underground playlist.
Before he joined MTV to host the British version of Pimp My Ride
, Tim Westwood
had a show on Channel AKA, along with his other media activity. Following the success of the Westwood show the channel further developed its programming by licensing a lifestyle TV series, The Ballers Show, in 2006. The 30-minute show gave its audience the unique opportunity to see the real lives of footballers off the pitch and featured Premier League football stars including Jermain Defoe
and Jermaine Pennant
.
Aims:
The aim of the channel is to provide fresh and exclusive entertainment to the viewers and to allow viewers to voice their opinions on videos through the power of voting. Not only does this give the viewer control over their viewing, it also allows artists to see how people are reacting to their music. AKA (formerly Channel U) highlights to the public, the raw and unsigned talent we have in the UK, and it has been successful in this mission, as suggested by the production and popularity of such compilation CDs as Channel U: The Album.
for a number of offences, including the broadcasting of inappropriate material, using premium rate telephone services in programmes, and failing to ensure a clear distinction between programmes and advertisements.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
on channel 370. It is a music channel, focusing on playing upcoming UK urban/hip-hop music and has helped the breakthrough for acts such as Tinchy Stryder
Tinchy Stryder
Kwasi Danquah III , better known by his pseudonyms Tinchy Stryder and Star In The Hood, is a Ghanaian British recording artist, music executive, A&R executive, and businessman...
, Tinie Tempah
Tinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu , better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, the album features Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit...
, Chipmunk
Chipmunk (rapper)
Jahmaal Noel Fyffe known by his stage name Chipmunk, is a British hip hop rapper and songwriter from Tottenham, London....
and N-Dubz
N-Dubz
N-Dubz are a British hip hop group from Camden Town, London. The group consists of members Dappy, Tulisa Contostavlos and Fazer.N-Dubz were previously signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the World Records...
.
Starting point
Channel AKA is a significant outlet not only for established artists, but also for those who are just starting out. Its material "includes crude productions shot with handheld digital video cameras," and helps new musicians attract attention and build a fan base. According to its website, "the aim of the channel was to highlight to the public, the raw and unsigned talent we have in the UK, and give them a platform from which they could perform," and it has been successful in this mission, as suggested by the production and popularity of such compilation CDs as Channel U: The Album.Many artists have expressed their loyalty to the channel in their lyrics; for example, in Lady Sovereign's
Lady Sovereign
Louise Amanda Harman , better known by the stage name Lady Sovereign, is an English rapper & grime artist. She is noted for her professional success in performing styles of music generally dominated by males...
"9 to 5
9 to 5 (Lady Sovereign song)
"9 to 5" is the third single from UK hip hop artist Lady Sovereign's debut album Public Warning, following the release of her first UK top 75 single "Random". It was her debut single for Island Records and was released on 8 August 2005. It contains a sample from the British movie Time Bandits.Lady...
", "Channel who? Oh Channel U, the ones who made me huge, like Katie Price's boobs!". Other artists to comment on Channel U include Kano
Kano (rapper)
Kane Brett Robinson , better known as Kano and also known as Kane O, is an English rapper and actor. His grandparents came to England as immigrants from Jamaica. He was formerly a key member of east London’s N.A.S.T.Y...
, DJ Ironik
DJ Ironik
James Christian Charters , better known as Ironik, is a British musician, DJ and rapper. His genre of music varies from R&B, grime and hip hop....
, Lethal Bizzle
Lethal Bizzle
Lethal Bizzle, also known as Lethal B , is a Ghanaian British rapper. His songs are known to satirise modern Gangsta rap; much of the humour comes from the adoption of hip-hop style and language...
, Sway
Sway DaSafo
Derek Andrew Safo is a Ghanaian British musician who uses the stage names Sway DaSafo or Sway. He is signed to Akon's Konvict Muzik record label and he is also a producer, establishing DCypha Productions.-Childhood:...
, Remi Nicole
Remi Nicole
Remi Nicole Wilson , better known as Remi Nicole, is an English singer-songwriter and actress who was born and lives in North London. She is best known for her single "Go Mr Sunshine", which was released in 2007. Her debut album, My Conscience & I, was released later that year and her second, Cupid...
, Wong
Wong
- Businesses :* WONG , a radio station licensed to serve Canton, Mississippi* Wong , a supermarket chain in Peru, founded by Chinese-Peruvians* Wong Fu Productions, Asian American filmmaking group* Wong Kei, London Chinatown restaurant...
, and Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
. Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip
dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip are a hip-hop duo, combining electronic beats with sung, spoken, and rapped lyrics. The pair are Daniel Stephens , and David Peter Meads...
negatively mention Channel U in their song "Fixed". Lowkey
Lowkey
Kareem Dennis is a musician and political activist of English and Iraqi descent, better known by his stage name Lowkey. He first became known through a series of mixtapes he released before he was 18, before taking a hiatus from the music business...
frequently criticises Channel U in his studio albums for their lack of innovation.
In October 2005, the first annual Channel U Awards were held in London with live performances from its underground playlist.
Before he joined MTV to host the British version of 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...
, Tim Westwood
Tim Westwood
Timothy Westwood is an English DJ and presenter of radio and television. He also presents the UK version of the MTV show Pimp My Ride...
had a show on Channel AKA, along with his other media activity. Following the success of the Westwood show the channel further developed its programming by licensing a lifestyle TV series, The Ballers Show, in 2006. The 30-minute show gave its audience the unique opportunity to see the real lives of footballers off the pitch and featured Premier League football stars including Jermain Defoe
Jermain Defoe
Jermain Colin Defoe is an English footballer who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national football team....
and Jermaine Pennant
Jermaine Pennant
Jermaine Lloyd Pennant is a footballer who plays for Stoke City in the Premier League.Born in Nottingham, Pennant played for his local side Notts County as a youngster. He earned promising reviews in the youth team at County and Arsenal signed him in 1999...
.
2009 rebrand
The parent company of Fizz TV and Channel U went into voluntary liquidation at the beginning of February, 2009, before being purchased by Mushroom TV. When purchasing the two channels, Mushroom TV agreed that Channel U and Fizz TV should be rebranded. The two channels were rebranded as Channel AKA and Starz TV on 16 March 2009.Aims:
The aim of the channel is to provide fresh and exclusive entertainment to the viewers and to allow viewers to voice their opinions on videos through the power of voting. Not only does this give the viewer control over their viewing, it also allows artists to see how people are reacting to their music. AKA (formerly Channel U) highlights to the public, the raw and unsigned talent we have in the UK, and it has been successful in this mission, as suggested by the production and popularity of such compilation CDs as Channel U: The Album.
Programming
- Streetz, Grime & Life
- Free Video Request Show
- Strictly...
- UK Tings
- UK Gold
- XXX AKA
- The AKA Chart Show
- The Raviology Show
Criticisms
In June 2005, the channel was fined £18,000 by OfcomOfcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
for a number of offences, including the broadcasting of inappropriate material, using premium rate telephone services in programmes, and failing to ensure a clear distinction between programmes and advertisements.