Stingray Retro

Stingray Retro
Launched September 4, 2003
Owned by Stingray Digital
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
Slogan Great Music Never Goes Out of Style
Country Canada
Broadcast area National
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario
Formerly called MuchMoreRetro (2003–2013)
MuchRetro
(2013-2016)
Website retro.stingray.com
Availability
Satellite
Shaw Direct Channel 229 / 588
Cable
Available on many Canadian cable systems Check local listings, channels may vary
IPTV
Bell Aliant Channel 219
MTS Channel 315
Optik TV Channel 257
SaskTel Channel 153

Stingray Retro (formerly MuchMoreRetro and MuchRetro) is a Canadian English language Category B music video specialty channel owned by Stingray Digital. MuchRetro is a commercial-free service that broadcasts music videos from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

History

In November 2000, CHUM Limited was granted approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a national English language Category 2 specialty television service called MuchMore ClassicVideo, described as "consisting of classic (songs more than five years old) music videos and related programs, including music and pop news or commentaries, interviews, concerts, profiles and specials, as well as music-related feature films and series or programs."[1]

The channel was launched on September 4, 2003 as a commercial-free service under the name MuchMoreRetro,[2] a spin-off of the CHUM-owned channel, then known as MuchMoreMusic.

In July 2006, Bell Globemedia (later called CTVglobemedia) announced that it would purchase CHUM for an estimated $1.7 billion CAD, included in the sale was MuchMoreRetro.[3] The sale was subject to CRTC approval and was approved in June 2007,[4] with the transaction completed on June 22, 2007.

After the channel's initial launch in 2003, it began to introduce commercials throughout its schedule until August 31, 2009 when the channel, along with the other CTVglobemedia-owned digital music channels, switched back to a commercial-free format.[5]

On September 10, 2010, BCE (a minority shareholder in CTVglobemedia) announced that it planned to acquire 100% interest in CTVglobemedia for a total debt and equity transaction cost of $3.2 billion CAD.[6] The deal which required CRTC approval, was approved on March 7, 2011[7] and closed on April 1 of that year, on which CTVglobemedia was rebranded Bell Media.[8]

On November 1, 2013, MuchMoreRetro was re-launched as MuchRetro; the rebranding marked the first time the channel had been specifically aligned with the flagship MuchMusic brand, as the channel was previously aligned as a spin-off of MuchMore (which was rebranded as M3 in September 2013).

2003-2013 MuchMoreRetro logo

On June 21, 2016, it was announced that Stingray Digital would acquire MuchVibe, MuchLoud, MuchRetro, and Juicebox from Bell Media.[9] The acquisition closed on September 16, 2016 with a plan to rebrand the channel as Stingray Retro shortly.[10]

The first 10 music videos to air on the channel

References

  1. ↑ Decision CRTC 2000-516 CRTC 2000-12-14
  2. ↑ The history of CHUM Globe and Mail article 2006-06-12
  3. ↑ Bell Globemedia acquires CHUM; Fasken Martineau; 2006-07-12
  4. ↑ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2007-165; CRTC; 2007-06-08
  5. ↑ More Music Videos as MuchVibe, MuchLOUD, MuchMoreRetro, and PunchMuch go commercial-free Channel Canada 2009-08-26
  6. ↑ Bell Canada (2010-09-10). "Bell to acquire 100% of Canada's No.1 media company CTV". CNW Group. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
  7. ↑ CRTC approves BCE's purchase of CTVglobemedia
  8. ↑ Bell completes acquisition of CTV, launches Bell Media business unit CNW 2011-04-01
  9. ↑ STINGRAY GROWS ITS CHANNEL PORTFOLIO WITH THE ACQUISITION OF FOUR (4) BELL MEDIA MUSIC VIDEO CHANNELS Stingray Press Release 2016-06-21
  10. ↑ Stingray Announces Closing of its Acquisition of Bell Media's Much Retro Specialty Television Channel, Stingray Digital, 09-16-16
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