(V)
| Company type | Television channel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music television |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Fate | Replaced by NickMusic (Australia) in 2020 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Owner | Foxtel |
[V] was an Australian music television channel operated by Foxtel, accessible via Foxtel Digital and the digital platforms of Optus Television.
In 2016, Foxtel discontinued Channel [V] Australia and shifted focus to [V] Hits as its flagship music channel. The following year, [V] Hits underwent rebranding to become simply [V], while its timeshift counterpart, [V] Hits +2, was renamed [V]+2.
By May 2020, Foxtel declared it would terminate [V]'s broadcast by the end of June, substituting it with an Australian edition of NickMusic under a collaboration with ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia.
History
Introduced in 2004 as Club [V] during Foxtel’s rollout of 20 additional channels, the channel specialized in dance music and originally operated without advertisements. On 12 January 2007, Club [V] was revamped to align more closely with Channel [V] and Channel [V]2, adopting similar song information displays; however, Channel [V]2 concentrated on advertising content rather than entertainment programming.
On 15 November 2009, [V]2 was relaunched as [V] Hits, a round-the-clock channel dedicated to pop, rock, urban, and dance genres. In June 2012, the channel came under scrutiny for broadcasting Lady Gaga’s "Born This Way" video due to concerns regarding its content.
A two-hour delayed broadcast version of [V] Hits was introduced on 25 March 2016, replacing Channel [V]. Subsequently, [V] Hits became the main destination for music clips and countdown shows exclusively.
On 30 November 2016, the timeshift channel [V] Hits +2 transitioned from channel 803 to 802. The rebranding to simply [V] occurred in 2017.
On 4 May 2020, Foxtel announced the shutdown of its domestic music video channels as part of a partnership with ViacomCBS to launch MTV, Nick, and CMT-branded channels within Australia. This change took effect on 30 June 2020 when the Australian version of NickMusic replaced [V].
Programming
- Late Night [V]ibes
- Good [V]ibes
- Oz Countdown
- Kick on With [V]
- [V] Live
- The Shazam Chart Show
- 30 Hottest Hits Right Now
- The Spotify Top 50
- [V] Music Video Chart
- Unco[v]ered
- Today's Hit 40
- Triple Play
- Top 25
- Nothin' But...
- Fan Made 5
- Fresh [V]id
- [V] Presents
Format
[V] delivered several themed countdowns daily, predominantly featuring top charts derived from country-specific ratings data. Major events included extensive Top 50, Top 100, and Top 200 countdowns. Notably, in January 2010, [V] Hits aired the "10,000 Hits" countdown—one of the most extensive of its type. Overnight programming slots (approximately midnight or 10:30 pm until 6 am) were broadcast without commercial interruptions.