Channel 4's portfolio of music channels - The Box, Magic, Kiss, 4Music and Kerrang! - will all close on June 30, it has been confirmed.
Earlier this year the broadcaster confirmed that the stations would be axed as part of Channel 4's digital-first strategy, which will eventually see Channel 4-branded stations close down in linear form too.
The Box Network's flagship channel The Box launched in the UK in 1992 and was originally a regional service distributed on cable, allowing viewers to phone in and select the music videos to be shown.
Over the years the portfolio of channels grew to include genre-themed stations based around established music brands such as Kiss, Kerrang!, Magic, Smash Hits, Q and Heat, with 4Music joining a year after Channel 4 took a 50% stake in the business in 2007.
In 2019 Channel 4 acquired the remaining 50% of the business - and in January this year plans were announced to "close small linear channels that no longer deliver revenues or public value at scale, including the Box channels in 2024 and others at the right time".
According to the latest ratings figures from BARB, the five channels registered a combined audience share of just 0.14% in April, compared to 5.05% for Channel 4, 2.32% for E4, 1.15% for Film4, 0.87% for More4, 0.32% for 4seven and 0.29% for E4 Extra.
MTV has also been reducing the number of linear music channels it offers in recent years, closing down stations including VH1, MTV Classic, MTV Base, MTV Rocks, MTV Dance and MTV OMG, although some of those services have since relaunched as online FAST channels on Pluto TV.
Neil Wilkes
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