Channel 4 is to relaunch The Hits as 4Music, adding live music shows to the video jukebox, including coverage of Kylie’s Minogues XY Tour and performances from Coldplay and Sugababes.
4Music will launch on August 15, a day ahead of the channel’s exclusive live coverage of the V Festival, featuring performances from The Verve and Muse. The schedule will be enhanced by programmes from the Channel 4 schedule including The Sunday Night Project and Star Stories. On-air talent from Channel 4’s existing 4Music and T4 branded blocks, Alexa Chung, Nick Grimshaw, Miquita Oliver and Steve Jones, will also feature on the dedicated channel.
Last July the publicly owned broadcaster bought a 50% stake in Emap’s music channel business for £28 million (€38m), prior to the publisher’s TV interests being sold to the German company Bauer. The purchase attracted little attention, despite Channel 4 subsequently arguing that it did not have the funding for digital switchover, and the announcement of plans to cut programming budgets.
