MuchMusic

MuchMusic (often called Much) is a 24-hour cable television music video and variety television channel based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which debuted on August 31, 1984 as one of the first Canadian cable specialty channels on the air.

Related Topics:
Cable television - Music video - Variety - Television channel - Toronto - Ontario - Canada - Debut - August 31 - 1984 - Specialty channel

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Controlled by CHUM Limited, a major Canadian media conglomerate, it was designed as a Canadian version of MTV, the very successful American cable music channel that had premiered a few years earlier. Although never an affiliate, Much often broadcast MTV-produced programming such as awards shows and concerts. MTV Canada would later be launched, and in 2004, CHUM bought MTV Canada's owners. Perhaps owing to its prior attempts to compete in the United States through MuchUSA (now the unaffiliated Fuse), Viacom forced CHUM to cease operations of MTV Canada on June 30, 2005. See also: Razer and PunchMuch.

Related Topics:
CHUM Limited - MTV - MTV Canada - United States - MuchUSA - Fuse - Viacom - June 30 - 2005 - Razer - PunchMuch

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The first video played on MuchMusic was Rush's "The Enemy Within".

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There are also affiliates in Montreal, Quebec (Québécois MusiquePlus) which debuted in 1986, and international affiliates in the United States (MuchUSA) launches in 1994, Jyrki a Finland-based segment which airs on Alma Media's MTV3. Argentina (MuchMusic Argentina) launched in 1992, Colombia (CitytvBogota) launches in 1999, Muchmusic Malaysia launched in 2000 in Malaysia and in 2002, Singapore's RTV Broadcast Services began broadcasting content from Citytv and MuchMusic and also in 2002, Mexico's MuchMusic Mexico began a segment airing on Canal Once.

Related Topics:
Montreal - Quebec - Québécois - MusiquePlus - 1986 - International - United States - MuchUSA - 1994 - Jyrki - Finland - Alma Media - MTV3 - Argentina - MuchMusic Argentina - 1992 - Colombia - CitytvBogota - 1999 - Muchmusic Malaysia - 2000 - Malaysia - 2002 - Singapore - RTV Broadcast Services - Citytv - Mexico - MuchMusic Mexico - Canal Once

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MuchMusic also has spinoff channels in Canada including MuchVibe, MuchLoud, MuchMoreRetro and MuchMoreMusic.

Related Topics:
Spinoff - MuchVibe - MuchLoud - MuchMoreRetro - MuchMoreMusic

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The network consists of three weekly viewer voting programs, MuchOnDemand, MuchTakeover and Combat Zone.

Related Topics:
MuchOnDemand - MuchTakeover - Combat Zone

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It has been credited with helping to foster a vibrant Canadian music scene simply by following the Canadian content broadcast rules which guaranteed native musical acts had a secure and prominent place on the channel's play schedule.

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Making use of CHUM's facilities and production teams, the network has produced many specialty musical and variety programs, including the long-running dance program Electric Circus and the late-1980s game show Test Pattern, and it adopted some programs originally created for CHUM such as City Limits which featured alternative videos. It ran afoul of Canadian broadcast regulators in the early 1990s when it aired the animated series Ren and Stimpy; it was forced to take the program off the air on the basis that it was not a music-based program as per the network's licence.

Related Topics:
Electric Circus - Test Pattern - Ren and Stimpy

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The network also generated controversy by occasionally banning videos it deemed too racy or violent for broadcast (MTV also weathered similar controversy). Often, the network would broadcast banned videos as part of a Too Much for Much TV special, followed by discussion with viewers and concerned groups about why the video should or shouldn't be aired (but rarely would videos be unbanned). On the flipside, the worst videos of the year would also be featured in annual New Year's specials entitled Fromage (French for "cheese").

Related Topics:
Too Much for Much - Fromage - French - Cheese

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In recent years, particularly with the brief arrival of MTV on Canadian digital cable, the influence of MuchMusic has waned, and the channel has had to weather criticism that it focuses too much on "top 40" acts and imported MTV "reality shows" like Newlyweds and Pimp My Ride thereby not giving enough time to smaller, independent, and Canadian performers; Much remains a popular station for young viewers.

Related Topics:
Newlyweds - Pimp My Ride

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MuchMusic is also credited with creating one of the more unique award shows, the "MuchMusic Video Awards" (or the MMVAs, as they are also known), which are handed out every June (since 2003, the MMVAs were previously handed out in September but were cancelled in 2002 because of the 9/11 tragedy) at the CHUMCity Building, but without a single chair or seat. Popular celebrities are on hand at the giant street party, award show, and red carpet event to present awards and to perform, while crowds of fans take over the surrounding streets which are shut down for the "3-lane" red carpet.

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