Launched September 7, 2001 Broadcast area National Owner Stingray Digital | Owned by Stingray Digital Country Canada Formerly called MuchVibe (2001-2016) Founded 2001 | |
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Stingray Vibe is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Stingray Digital. The channel broadcasts urban music programming such as rap, hip hop, R&B, and reggae. Programming is primarily in the form of music videos with other programming including concerts and interviews.
History
In November 2000, CHUM Limited was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a channel named MuchVibe, described as "a national English-language Category 2 music video specialty television service dedicated to Urban music (HipHop, Rap, R&B, Soul and Reggae) and Urban music-related programming."
The channel launched on September 7, 2001 MuchVibe, fashioned after the former MuchMusic original program of the same name.
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 MuchVibe. The sale was subject to CRTC approval and was approved in June 2007, with the transaction completed on June 22, 2007.
While the channel, from its inception, had always been an ad-supported service, on August 31, 2009, commercial advertising was dropped from the music video portion of the channel's schedule. The only remaining commercials existed in programs such as concerts or other special programming.
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. The deal was approved by the CRTC on March 7, 2011 and closed on April 1 of that year, when CTVglobemedia was rebranded Bell Media.
On June 21, 2016, it was announced that Stingray Digital would acquire MuchVibe, MuchLoud, MuchRetro, and Juicebox from Bell Media, at a price-tag later revealed to be $4 million for all four channels. The deal for MuchVibe would later close in August 2016 with MuchVibe being rebranded Stingray Vibe on August 12, 2016.