| Owned by Foxtel Networks Slogan Stories Start Here Motto Stories Start Here | Audience share 0.8% (April 2007, ) Founded 1995 Replaced by Binge | |
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| Launched 23 October 1995 (1995-10-23) Closed 4 October 2016 (2016-10-04) Picture format 576i (SDTV)1080i (HDTV) Similar Binge (TV channel), Channel V Australia, Fox Footy Profiles | ||
SoHo was an Australian cable and satellite channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television's subscription platforms. Originally a classic programming service, it shifted its focus to women's programming on November 1, 2003. Later, on August 20, 2012, it shifted its focus, once again, to drama television series.
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After several on-air creative rebrands and a repositioning to being a full drama channel, removing much of its talk shows in recent years, W. changed its name to SoHo, a brand that launched in New Zealand on August 20, 2012 as a monthly payment channel. SoHo then focused on drama, horror and thriller programming.
The channel closed on 4 October 2016, and was replaced by a new channel Binge.
History
The channel began life as FX in 1995 and became available on Austar in April 1999. It was relaunched as W. in 2003, shortly before digital broadcasting began. W screened original Australian programming such as Beauty and the Beast, Love My Way, From Here to Maternity and Studio A with Simon Burke. It also had Pay-TV rights to many popular US primetime drama series such as Pushing Dasies and The Wire and repeats of many other series.
Antonia Kidman, sister of actress Nicole Kidman, was the face of the W channel, for quite some time and has presented a few parenting and entertainment programs for this and other channels. W2, the timeshift channel broadcasting programs two hours later, was launched in September 2006. A website for the channel was also launched in September 2006.
W. underwent a transformation in April 2009, which included an updated logo (now simply W) and several new additions to the primetime line-up. W HD was launched on 15 November 2009, on both Austar and Foxtel.
In 2012, it was announced that SoHo was to broadcast the new Australian drama Wentworth, a re-imaging of the classic television show Prisoner. The series started airing on 1 May 2013.
The channel closed on 30 September 2016, with existing programs being moved to other channels. Most programming have migrated to showcase, with a handful of other titles moving to TV H!TS, Arena and Fox8.