Well, it’s official – in early 2011, New Zealand screens will be graced with a brand new entertainment channel – FOUR. Taking over from C4 and losing its ‘music television’ label for the first time since its re-launch in October 2003, the new channel looks to be a younger version of TV3, who is now moving to a demographic in line with TVNZ’s TV One. Here’s what we know so far about FOUR, from what Mediaworks has let loose.
1. It will no longer have music as a central focus – in fact, music won’t really be a part of FOUR’s line up at all, with the exception of one music oriented show to be hosted by Drew Neemia and Shannon Ryan on the new channel. The music focus shifts to the re-born C4.
2. There will still be a free-to-air music channel - C4 will be the name of this music channel, and it will take over C42′s spot on Freeview (channel 9) and will not be, at least at this time, available on the Sky platform. The new C4 will play mainstream music, and borrow the music-oriented shows from the current C4 schedule, with C42 becoming a show on the channel, showcasing alternative music.
3. The channel will borrow shows from TV3′s current lineup – several shows, including America’s Next Top Model and The Simpsons are making the move to FOUR. Plus, for the first time, FOUR will actually play All New Family Guy, not TV3.
4. The change to TV3 is a more subtle, gradual change than that of FOUR – the change to TV3′s demographic will take time and not be a simple ‘flick of the switch’ unlike that of FOUR.
These are some of the main points we’ve managed to establish about the all-new FOUR. Feel free to comment below, and be sure to check out the discussion board on FOUR’s Facebook page – lots of active discussion going on there!
