Muchmusic2.jpg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language
specialty channel A specialty channel (also known in the United States as a cable channel or cable network) can be a commercial broadcasting or non-commercial television channel which consists of television programming focused on a single genre, subject or targeted ...
owned by
BCE Inc. BCE Inc., formerly Bell Canada Enterprises Inc., is a publicly traded Canadian holding company for Bell Canada, which includes telecommunications providers and various mass media assets under its subsidiary Bell Media Inc. Founded through a c ...
through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. MuchMusic launched on August 31, 1984, under the ownership of CHUM Limited, and was originally focused on music programming, including blocks of music videos and original series focusing on Canadian musicians. In the years since its acquisition by Bell, Much has cancelled the majority of its music programming due to budget and staffing cuts. The channel's full name was retired in 2013 in reflection of its decreasing reliance on music-related programming.


History


Under CHUM (1984–2006)

MuchMusic was licensed on April 2, 1984 by the
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; french: Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes, links=) is a public organization in Canada with mandate as a regulatory agency for broadcasti ...
(CRTC) to CHUM Limited. It had faced competition from two other proposed services. One of them, ''CMTV Canadian Music Television'', was deemed not to have sufficient financial resources. The third applicant was Rogers Radio Broadcasting. The CRTC believed that the Canadian market could only support one music video service and CHUM's proposal was chosen because of various commitments it had made and the company's expertise in music programming. The station was initially patterned on ''
City Limits City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. Similarly, corporate limi ...
'', an overnight weekend rock music show which had aired on sister station CITY-TV since 1983. Shortly thereafter, MuchMusic was launched on August 31, 1984 as one of the first Canadian cable specialty channels. It was headed by the channel's founders
John Martin John Martin may refer to: Business *John Martin (businessman) (1820–1905), American lumberman and flour miller *John Charles Martin (fl. 1913–1931), American newspaper publisher *John Martin (publisher) (born 1930), American founder of Black ...
and Moses Znaimer. The first video played on MuchMusic was "an early music-to-film synchronization short from the 1920s which featured Eubie Blake performing Snappy Songs." The first video made specifically for television air play was
Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...
's " The Enemy Within". MuchMusic's slogan, and on-air advertising, was "The Nation's Music Station". Making use of CHUM's facilities and production teams, the channel produced many specialty musical and variety shows, including the long-running dance show '' Electric Circus'' and the late 1980s game show ''
Test Pattern A test card, also known as a test pattern or start-up/closedown test, is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast (often at sign-on and sign-off). Used since the ear ...
'', and Citytv shows such as ''City Limits'' and '' The New Music'' also became integral parts of the MuchMusic schedule. The channel's format consisted primarily of an eight-hour daily block which mixed scheduled shows with VJ-hosted general "videoflow", which would then be repeated two more times to fill the 24-hour schedule. Some variance from this model was seen with the late-night shows ''City Limits'' and '' Too Much 4 Much'' (a show that featured panel discussions surrounding controversial music videos that the channel had refused to air in regular rotation), and live specials such as '' Intimate and Interactive''. For the first few years of the channel, it was classified as a pay television service and was therefore offered largely in bundles alongside other pay-stations such as First Choice and
TSN TSN may refer to: Science and technology * Translin, DNA binding protein involved in microRNA function * Taxonomic serial number, a stable and unique taxonomic serial number issued by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System * The Science Netwo ...
, and would occasionally offer free preview weekends for non-subscribers. The subscriber count was at 500,000 customers by December 1984. In December 1987, MuchMusic received permission from the CRTC to move to basic cable lineups beginning on September 1, 1989; in the interim cable operators could offer the channel as a negative-option expanded basic channel. An American version of MuchMusic, originally known as "MuchMusic USA", was launched in the United States on July 1, 1994 through a partnership with Rainbow Media. The network was largely a simulcast of the Canadian version with U.S advertising and acquired programs. The network would go into its own direction over time, eventually rebranding as
Fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...
in 2003. In 1995, the annual Canadian Music Video Awards were renamed to the "
MuchMusic Video Awards The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018. Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Video Awards, the awards were renamed in 1995 to the MuchMu ...
" (presently known as the "
iHeartRadio iHeartRadio (often shortened to just "iHeart") is an American freemium broadcast, podcast and radio streaming Computing platform, platform owned by iHeartMedia. It was founded in August 2008. , iHeartRadio was functioning as the national umbr ...
MMVAs" as of 2018). Since 1996, the ceremonies have been held outside the formerly-named "MuchMusic Headquarters" on
299 Queen Street West 299 Queen Street West, also known as Bell Media Queen Street or Bell Media Studios, is the headquarters of the television/radio broadcast hub of Bell Canada's media unit, Bell Media located at the intersection of Queen Street West and John Stree ...
, the present-day main offices for Bell Media's speciality channels. In 2002, MuchMusic introduced promos that consisted of one of twelve images of a VJ posing in front of the network's logo, lasting for only 1/60th of a second each. The "quickies" were recognized with a
Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
for the world's shortest television commercial.


Under Bell (2006–present)

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 MuchMusic. The sale was subject to CRTC approval and was approved in June 2007, with the transaction completed on June 22, 2007 while the
Citytv Citytv is a Canadian television network owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The licence of the original Citytv station, granted the callsign of CITY-TV by the CRTC on November 25, 1971 to Cable Television Ass ...
stations were sold to
Rogers Media Rogers Media Inc., operating as Rogers Sports & Media, is a Canadian subsidiary of Rogers Communications that owns the company's mass media and sports properties, such as the Citytv and Omni Television terrestrial television stations, Sportsnet, ...
in the same year. Since then, MuchMusic has aired a vast number of non-music related shows, mainly teen dramas and
reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
s. In 2010, the CRTC rejected a request by CTVglobemedia to reduce the percentage of music video programming that the channel shows from 50 to 25 percent. CTV's second request to the CRTC to reduce and reposition its Canadian programming was also denied. For the reasoning behind these requests, CTV explained that "music videos no longer distinguish the service as they are readily available through other sources." This was met with mixed reaction by music fans and drew the ire of notable artists. On June 1, 2011, MuchMusic launched its
high definition High definition or HD may refer to: Visual technologies *HD DVD, discontinued optical disc format *HD Photo, former name for the JPEG XR image file format *HDV, format for recording high-definition video onto magnetic tape * HiDef, 24 frames-pe ...
simulcast feed. Beginning in September 2013, the channel would air more comedy programming targeting young adult men during the late afternoon and primetime hours, much of it moved from The Comedy Network. Such shows included Comedy Central series (such as ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
'', ''
Tosh.0 ''Tosh.0'' ( ) is an American television series that aired on Comedy Central from June 4, 2009, to November 24, 2020. The series is hosted and produced by comedian Daniel Tosh, who provides satirical commentary on online viral video clips, inter ...
'' and ''
The Jeselnik Offensive ''The Jeselnik Offensive'' was an American late-night television series that aired on Comedy Central. It was hosted by stand-up comedian Anthony Jeselnik, who extended his onstage character into weekly, topical humor with a sociopathic, dark twi ...
''), reruns of '' The Simpsons'' and '' The Cleveland Show'', as well as ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon. About pag ...
'' and '' Conan''. These changes came when Comedy's request for licence amendments to reduce requirements for Canadian content and increase the amount of animated programming it could air was denied. The channel officially dropped the word "Music" from its name in press releases and promos as a result of this revamp, becoming known simply as Much, and the channel became a sister network to Canal D,
Canal Vie Canal Vie is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Bell Media. Canal Vie airs lifestyle and entertainment programs aimed at women in the form of talk shows, documentaries, reality TV series, and films. Programs focus on a variet ...
, Vrak, and Z. Subsequently, a variety of other Astral Media properties ( Family, Disney XD, the two Disney Junior services, MusiquePlus,
MusiMax Max is a Television in Canada, Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Remstar Media Group, a division of Remstar. The channel primarily broadcasts entertainment programming, focusing on scripted television series and films. Establish ...
, seven radio stations, the Teletoon networks, Historia, and Séries+) — were sold to third parties. Most of the channel's previous non-music programming, such as '' Pretty Little Liars'' and '' Degrassi'', moved to sister channels M3 (formerly MuchMoreMusic & MuchMore) and
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
respectively. At the same time the channel cut back further on original music-related programming apart from '' Video on Trial'', ''
The Wedge A wedge is a triangular-shaped simple machine. Wedge, The Wedge, or Wedges may also refer to: Common meanings * Wedge (footwear), a type of shoe * Wedge (golf), a type of golf club Culture Fictional characters * Wedge (''Transformers''), an ...
'', countdowns, and other non-hosted blocks of music videos, with ''
New.Music.Live. ''New.Music.Live.'' (often called ''NML'') was the hour-long flagship show of MuchMusic and the successor of '' MuchOnDemand'' which premiered on December 13, 2010 and ended on August 1, 2013. It was broadcast live from MuchMusic's studio at 299 ...
'' confirmed to have been cancelled and the likes of ''
RapCity ''RapCity'' is a Canadian television program that airs on the MuchMusic cable channel. It is not to be confused with the American TV show of the same name, ''Rap City''. The show features a selection of the newest and vintage music videos from ...
'' no longer appearing on Much's schedule. By the summer of 2014, amidst production and staffing cutbacks, the ''Countdown'' went on hiatus and Much's remaining original shows, including a revamped ''Video on Trial'', were cancelled. Meanwhile, in August, Much celebrated its 30th anniversary. A half-hour anniversary special, "30 Years of Much", aired on August 30, 2014 and was preceded by a full-day countdown of ''The 100 Greatest Videos Ever''. Repeats of both the special and the countdown aired throughout the Labour Day weekend. On September 27, 2014, the ''Countdown'' returned with a revamped format. On April 1, 2015, Much announced the launch of Much Digital Studios (later renamed Much Studios), a production unit and YouTube multi-channel network. The network features content catered towards Much's demographic of 12-34s, and would also be integrated into their on-air programming. Such content includes the ''Mike On Much'' podcast, hosted by Mike Veerman, co-produced by
Arkells Arkells is a Canadian rock band, formed in Hamilton, Ontario. In 2006, they signed with Dine Alone Records, and have since signed with Universal Records Canada and Last Gang Records. They are managed by Last Gang Management. They have released s ...
lead singer Max Kerman, and featuring segments led by Shane Cunningham. The podcast eventually spawned the spin-off series ''Much Studios presents "Mike on Much in Conversation With..."'', which premiered in 2018 on sibling service
Crave __NOTOC__ Crave or Craving may refer to: Entertainment and media Companies and services * Crave (streaming service), a Canadian video-on-demand streaming service * Crave (TV network), a Canadian linear pay TV service operated in conjunction with ...
. On August 12, 2016, Bell Media sold MuchLoud, MuchRetro, MuchVibe and Juicebox to Stingray Digital. On September 1, 2016, M3 was shut down and replaced by Gusto, a cooking and lifestyle-oriented TV network that Bell Media acquired, after the original Gusto TV closed in March 2016. In late 2017, Much further cut back on music programming, reducing its music blocks to the morning hours and removing the ''Much Countdown'' from its schedule.
MuchFACT MuchFACT was a Canadian fund that provided grants to Canadian recording artists to help them produce music videos. FACT stands for Foundation To Assist Canadian Talent. MuchFACT was funded entirely by television cable channel Much (formerly MuchM ...
was also discontinued, as a result of the CRTC having dropped the requirement for Much to fund it. On October 11, 2017, Much premiered ''Sides*'', a new talk show which discusses youth issues; it is streamed live on Twitter, and compiled into weekly televised editions on the channel. In November 2017, Much began to air a Friday-night block known as ''Icons'', which featured airings of music-related documentaries. In 2019, the daytime ''Playlist'' block of music videos was discontinued and replaced with library programming, citing decreased interest and viewership. In addition, that year's MMVAs, which were moved to August the previous year, were delayed due to scheduling conflicts with the
2019 MTV Video Music Awards The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 26, 2019, at the Prudential Center in Newark, being the first VMA ceremony to be held in New Jersey. Sebastian Maniscalco hosted the 36th annual ceremony. Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Billie ...
. The ''Much Retro Lunch'' block remained the only regularly-scheduled music video programming on the channel, with the network citing its popularity among youth as a factor. The block was discontinued on March 20, 2020 and was later replaced by '' Corner Gas''. The last music video that the channel aired was Irreplaceable by Beyonce. On June 10, 2021, it was announced that the "MuchMusic" name would be revived for a new "digital-first" network to launch on July 7 in-partnership with TikTok. The network would feature new "creator-driven content", including revivals of old Much programming. Meanwhile, the linear TV channel would continue with its current format and programming under the "Much" brand.


Programming

Much's main programming includes original series from Comedy Central (select shows not seen on
CTV Comedy Channel CTV Comedy Channel (often shortened to CTV Comedy and formerly known as The Comedy Network) is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Bell Media which focuses primarily on comedy programming. The channel first launched on Octobe ...
) and other acquired comedies, reality shows, broadcasts of feature films, encores of shows seen on sibling networks, and reruns of other shows sourced from Bell Media's program libraries to fulfil Canadian content requirements. The network's music programming previously consisted of music video blocks seen on weekdays and the annual
MuchMusic Video Awards The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018. Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Video Awards, the awards were renamed in 1995 to the MuchMu ...
(MMVAs), of which most of its ceremonies had been held outside the network's headquarters on
299 Queen Street West 299 Queen Street West, also known as Bell Media Queen Street or Bell Media Studios, is the headquarters of the television/radio broadcast hub of Bell Canada's media unit, Bell Media located at the intersection of Queen Street West and John Stree ...
during Father's Day weekend from 2002 to 2017. The network also produced and aired several original series, both in-house productions (such as the ''
MuchMusic Countdown The ''Much Countdown'' (also known as the ''Much Top 30 Countdown'', and formerly known as ''The MuchMusic Top 20 Countdown'') is an hour-long musical television program, usually hosted by a VJ, that aired on Canadian music television station Mu ...
'', '' Video on Trial'', and ''
The Wedge A wedge is a triangular-shaped simple machine. Wedge, The Wedge, or Wedges may also refer to: Common meanings * Wedge (footwear), a type of shoe * Wedge (golf), a type of golf club Culture Fictional characters * Wedge (''Transformers''), an ...
'') and scripted series (such as ''
The L.A. Complex ''The L.A. Complex'' (originally ''Highland Gardens'') is a Canadian drama television series that premiered on CTV on January 10, 2012, subsequently airing on MuchMusic. It also began airing in the United States on April 24, 2012, on The CW. Th ...
'' and seasons 9–13 of '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'', after its move from
CTV CTV may refer to: Television * Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet North America and South America * CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media ** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...
in 2010.).


Relationship with MTV

Since its inception, Much has aired numerous programs acquired from
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
. Beginning in 1994, MTV's then-parent company
Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to: * Viacom (1952–2006), a former American media conglomerate * Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom * Viacom18, a joint venture between Par ...
would attempt to launch localized versions of the network through other partners; Craig Media first launched
MTV Canada MTV is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Bell Media with the name and branding used under a licensing agreement with Paramount Global. The channel is devoted to talk, lifestyle and documentary programming, and also airs some ...
and
MTV2 Canada MTV2 is a Canadian pay television channel focused on lifestyle and general entertainment programming aimed at youth and teen audiences. The channel is owned by Bell Media, with the MTV2 name and branding used under an agreement with the Paramoun ...
as
digital cable Digital cable is the distribution of cable television using digital data and video compression. The technology was first developed by General Instrument. By 2000, most cable companies offered digital features, eventually replacing their previou ...
networks in 2001. Due to CRTC genre protection rules, MTV Canada was forbidden from unduly competing with existing analog channels, such as MuchMusic, and its license henceforth restricted the channel to only devoting 10% of its weekly programming to "music video clips". CHUM filed a complaint with the CRTC over MTV Canada in early-2002, alleging that 60% of the schedule contained music video programming. CHUM also alleged that the licensing deal with MTV was a "bait and switch" to encroach upon MuchMusic's protected format, rather than deliver the broadly teen-based channel it had promised in the licensing process. Craig disputed the allegations as inaccurate, arguing that CHUM had incorrectly classified any programming "that has some connection to the general topic of music or music videos" (CRTC category 8a, "Music and dance other than music video programs or clips"), as counting as CRTC category 8b "music video clips" programming for the purposes of the complaint, and that it only aired two hours of purely music video-based programming per-day (accounting for 8% of weekly programming). Upon analysis of MTV Canada's programming, the CRTC ruled that music videos played within a category 8a program still counted as music video programming for the purposes of this limit, and found the network in violation of its licence for this and failure to deliver the broadly teen-based service it promised. CHUM would later acquire Craig Media and both MTV-branded channels were re-launched in June 2005; with MTV becoming a youth entertainment channel called Razer, and MTV2 becoming an interactive channel called PunchMuch. In 2006, Viacom would partner with CTVglobemedia to relaunch TalkTV as a new Canadian incarnation of MTV. The agreement also gave the company rights to air MTV programming on other sibling outlets.


Affiliated channels

With the success of MuchMusic, several spinoff channels have been launched within Canada and around the world, including


Former

* MusiquePlus: Launched in 1986, it was developed as a
Canadian French Canadian French (french: français canadien) is the French language as it is spoken in Canada. It includes Varieties of French#Canada, multiple varieties, the most prominent of which is Quebec French, Québécois (Quebec French). Formerly ''Can ...
language version of MuchMusic. In September 2008, new owner
Astral Media Astral Media Inc. was a Canadian media conglomerate. It was Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 84 radio stations in eight provinces. Astral was also a major player in premium and specialty television in Canada, with 23 specialty channels ...
separated the channel from the network and introduced a new logo. In August 2019, new owner
V Media Group Remstar Media Group is a privately held Canadian media firm, owned by the film production and distribution company Remcorp. It owns the French-language specialty channels Elle Fictions and Max. History In June 2008, Remstar acquired the Frenc ...
relaunched the channel as Elle Fictions with a female-focused programming lineup. *
MusiMax Max is a Television in Canada, Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Remstar Media Group, a division of Remstar. The channel primarily broadcasts entertainment programming, focusing on scripted television series and films. Establish ...
: A sister channel to MusiquePlus focused on adult contemporary music, and was developed as the French language version of MuchMoreMusic. In August 2016, new owner
V Media Group Remstar Media Group is a privately held Canadian media firm, owned by the film production and distribution company Remcorp. It owns the French-language specialty channels Elle Fictions and Max. History In June 2008, Remstar acquired the Frenc ...
rebranded the channel as Max with an entertainment-focused programming lineup. * PunchMuch: an all-request music video service consisting of music videos from various genres. On November 17, 2011, PunchMuch was replaced by Juicebox, a new music video channel aimed at pre-teens. Stingray Digital relaunched that channel as Stingray Juicebox in 2016. * M3: Originally known as MuchMoreMusic, this channel focused on adult contemporary, classic rock, classic hits and even generally lighter music in addition to current pop-rock hits like its sister stations Much and
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
. In March 2009, it was relaunched as MuchMore. In 2013, it rebranded under the M3 name, marketed as an entertainment-focused "
superstation ''Superstation'' (alternatively rendered as "super station" or informally as "SuperStation") is a term in North American broadcasting that has several meanings. Commonly, a "superstation" is a form of distant signal, a terrestrial television, br ...
" and a separate brand. In September 2016, the channel was shut down and its broadcast licence was used to relaunch Gusto on all service providers. * MuchLoud: Focuses on
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
, modern rock,
alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...
, punk and metal. In August 2016, new owner Stingray Digital relaunched the channel as Stingray Loud. * MuchVibe: Focuses on urban music such as hip hop, R&B, and reggae. In August 2016, new owner Stingray Digital relaunched the channel as Stingray Vibe. * MuchRetro: Focuses on music videos from the 1980s to the early 2000s. Originally known as MuchMoreRetro, a spinoff of what would be known as M3, the channel rebranded on November 1, 2013, aligning itself with the Much brand. In 2016, new owner Stingray Digital relaunched the channel as Stingray Retro.


International


Current

* MuchMusic Latin America: Launched in September 1992, originally available in Argentina only, currently distributed on several pay-TV operators in several Latin American countries. it was formerly owned by WarnerMedia Latin America from 2019–2022. It is now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Latin America as of April 8, 2022. Unlike its Canadian counterpart, it airs more music programming instead of comedy programming. * MuchMusic Czech: Launched in 2006, available in the Czech Republic.


Past

*
MuchUSA Fuse is an American pay television channel launched in 1994 which was originally dedicated to music. After merging with the Latino-oriented NuvoTV in 2015, Fuse shifted its focus to general entertainment and lifestyle programming targeting multic ...
: Launched in 1994. Licence to use MuchMusic name and content revoked, and renamed Fuse in 2003. A number of MuchMusic programs were broadcast on this channel in an agreement between the two networks, which share certain programs at times. These included ''
The Wedge A wedge is a triangular-shaped simple machine. Wedge, The Wedge, or Wedges may also refer to: Common meanings * Wedge (footwear), a type of shoe * Wedge (golf), a type of golf club Culture Fictional characters * Wedge (''Transformers''), an ...
'', ''Video on Trial'' (both Canadian, and an American version) as well as the
MuchMusic Video Awards The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018. Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Video Awards, the awards were renamed in 1995 to the MuchMu ...
. * MuchMusic Brasil: Launched in 2000. Ceased broadcasting in 2001. * MuchMusic also had a programming block on MTV3 in Finland called ''
JYRKI Jyrki is a Finnish masculine given name and may refer to: People *Jyrki 69 (born 1968), the lead vocalist for Finnish rock band ''The 69 Eyes'' * Jyrki Blom (born 1962), retired Finnish javelin thrower *Jyrki Hämäläinen (1942–2008), Finnish m ...
''.


Much personalities


VJs (1984–2014)

Several individuals have served as MuchMusic's on-air hosts, or video jockeys ("VJs"). A number of notable Canadian and American television personalities either began their careers at MuchMusic or spent time there. Among these are
J.D. Roberts John David Roberts (October 24, 1932 – May 25, 2021) was an American college and professional football coach. He was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) from the middle of the 1970 season until ...
who, under the name John Roberts, is a national correspondent for Fox News;
Christopher Ward Christopher Ward may refer to: * Christopher Ward (British politician) (born 1942), British solicitor and Conservative Party politician * Christopher Ward (conductor) (born 1980), British conductor * Christopher Ward (entomologist) (1836–1900), ...
, a noted songwriter and producer who collaborated musically with Mike Myers on the '' Austin Powers'' movies; Sook-Yin Lee, now a noted CBC Radio host and actress; Terry David Mulligan, a prolific film and TV character actor; actress Amanda Walsh; Erica Ehm, who became a noted songwriter after leaving Much; and
George Stroumboulopoulos George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos (; Greek: Γεώργιος Μάρκος Παύλος Στρουμπουλόπουλος; born August 16, 1972) is a Canadian media personality. He is one of Canada's most popular broadcasters and best known as fo ...
, who became a television personality on CBC, U.S. network CNN and
Sportsnet Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language sports specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media. It was established in 1998 as CTV Sportsnet, a joint venture between CTV, Liberty Media, and Rogers Media. CTV parent Bell Globemedia then ...
.


Former

*
Steve Anthony Steve Anthony (born Stephen Anthony Gomes on 2 April 1959 in Montreal, Quebec) is a former Canadian broadcaster. He gained attention throughout Canada as a MuchMusic host, or " VJ" from May 1987 to November 1995.Glen Baxter Glen Baxter is the name of: * Glen Baxter (artist) (born 1944), British cartoonist * Glen Baxter (journalist), Canadian journalist * Glen E. Baxter Glen Earl Baxter (March 19, 1930 – March 30, 1983) was an American mathematician. Baxter's ...
* Jeanne Beker * Laurie Brown *
Rick Campanelli Rick Campanelli (born January 5, 1970) is a Canadian television and radio personality known for his work as a VJ and host for MuchMusic and for co-hosting ''ET Canada''. He joined Z103.5FM CIDC-FM in November 2021, and is currently co-host of t ...
*
Kim Clarke Champniss Kim Clarke Champniss is a Canadian television personality and musician, best known as a VJ for MuchMusic during the 1980s. Background Kim was born in Bahrain and raised in London, England."Music puts glow in his eye now". ''Windsor Star'', Februar ...
*
Lance Chilton Lance Chilton is a former Canadian television journalist. He began his career at Citytv in Toronto in 1987, as an entertainment reporter for CityPulse News. He also briefly hosted ''Toronto Rocks'' before joining MuchMusic as a reporter and ancho ...
*
Tim Deegan Tim Deegan (born in Oshawa, Ontario) is a Canadian former VJ on MuchMusic, a music television station in Canada. Early life Tim grew up in Oshawa east of Toronto and he attended O'Neill Collegiate and Vocational Institute, and had a part-tim ...
*
Monika Deol Monika Deol is a Canadian television personality. She began as an entertainment reporter for Citytv in Toronto, Ontario, and later became a VJ for MuchMusic, hosting and co-producing ''Electric Circus'' from 1988 to 1996. Simultaneously, Deol w ...
*
Angela Dohrmann Angela Dohrmann (born August 17, 1965) is an American actress and television personality. She grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. She was a VJ for MuchMusic, the Canadian music video channel, in the early 1990s. She also pursued a career in acting, ...
* Denise Donlon *Phoebe Dykstra * Ed the Sock * Tyrone "T-Rex" Edwards * Erica Ehm (Erica Miechowsky) *Simon Evans * Rainbow Sun Francks *
Diego Fuentes Diego Antonio Fuentes Lopez, known as Diego Fuentes, is a Canadian actor of Chilean descent and Toronto socialite. MuchMusic Fuentes was MuchMusic's first ever VJ Search winner in 1995, going on to host the popular ''Clip Trip'' show on MuchMusic ...
*
Dan Gallagher Dan Gallagher (May 14, 1957 – January 20, 2001) was a Canadian broadcaster, best known for hosting the game show ''Test Pattern'' on MuchMusic between 1989 and 1991. Also in the 1980s, he appeared on the Canadian music channel MuchMusic a ...
*
Jesse Giddings Jesse Giddings is a Canadian musician, designer, actor, artist and photographer born in Langley, British Columbia and went to high school at Langley Secondary School. He was formerly a VJ starting in 2009 at MuchMusic, a music television statio ...
*Craig F. Halket *
Jennifer Hollett Jennifer Hollett (born September 16, 1975) is a Canadian media executive and former television personality and political activist. She was the 2015 New Democratic Party's candidate in the new riding of University—Rosedale. Hollett has a Bachel ...
* Bradford How *
Namugenyi Kiwanuka Namugenyi "Nam" Kiwanuka is a Ugandan-Canadian television personality and journalist. Kiwanuka came to Canada with her family in 1983, following the Ugandan Civil War. She was given the Christian name Mary. She was a VJ for MuchMusic from 1999 ...
*
George Lagogianes George Lagogianes is a Canadian television personality, best known as a longtime reporter and anchor for CP24. Lagogianes graduated from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute with a bachelor's degree in radio and television arts. After graduation, he b ...
* Avi Lewis * Sook-Yin Lee *Patrick Lima *
Ziggy Lorenc Isabelle Anna "Ziggy" Lorenc (pronounced like "Lawrence", ) is a Canadian television and radio personality as well as occasional actress in film and television, best known for hosting programming on the CHUM Limited-owned television stations Citytv ...
*Catherine McClenahan (first female VJ) *
Leah Miller Leah Miller (born July 20, 1981) is a Canadian television host and former Much (TV channel), MuchMusic VJ (media personality), VJ from Toronto, who was the host for the three seasons (2008–2011) of ''So You Think You Can Dance Canada''. She wa ...
* Terry David Mulligan * Nardwuar the Human Serviette *
Rachel Perry Rachel Perry (born January 20, 1976) is a Canadian TV personality working in the United States. The former MuchMusic VJ is the host of ''All Access'' on VH1, and is the narrator for '' Web Junk 20'', and the host of "The Stash" on Playboy TV. ...
*
Juliette Powell Juliette Powell American-born Canadian model, television host, producer and author. She was the Miss Canada titleholder in 1989, the contest's first Black Canadian winner. Early life Powell was born in Manhattan, New York in 1971 and moved to Mo ...
*
Nadine Ramkisson Nadine Ramkisson is a Trinidadian-born television host. Ramkisson worked in MuchMusic (Canada), on the show ''Electric Circus'', starting out as a dancer and eventually becoming the show's host from 2000 to 2002. During this time, she intervie ...
*
Natalie Richard Natalie Richard is a Canadian television personality, formerly a VJ on both the English-language MuchMusic and French-language MusiquePlus networks. On MuchMusic she hosted ''French Kiss A French kiss, also known as cataglottism or a tongue ...
*
Daniel Richler Daniel Richler (born 1957) is a Canadian arts and pop culture broadcaster and writer."The apprenticeship of Daniel Richler". ''Montreal Gazette'', May 19, 1991. Biography Richler was born in London, England."When it's time to stop looking like a ...
*
J.D. Roberts John David Roberts (October 24, 1932 – May 25, 2021) was an American college and professional football coach. He was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) from the middle of the 1970 season until ...
*
Teresa Roncon Teresa Roncon (born in Angola) is a Canadian former journalist. She was a personality on Discovery Channel Canada, and formerly a CFTO ( CTV Toronto) reporter. Prior to both, she was a VJ on MuchMusic Much (an abbreviation for its full na ...
* Hannah Simone * Devon Soltendieck *
George Stroumboulopoulos George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos (; Greek: Γεώργιος Μάρκος Παύλος Στρουμπουλόπουλος; born August 16, 1972) is a Canadian media personality. He is one of Canada's most popular broadcasters and best known as fo ...
* Sarah Taylor *
Lauren Toyota Lauren Toyota is a Canadian content producer and author. She originally gained prominence as a television personality. She is currently the host of the Hot for Food blog and YouTube channel. Toyota was born in Mississauga, Ontario. She earned ...
*Liz Trinnear * Amanda Walsh *
Christopher Ward Christopher Ward may refer to: * Christopher Ward (British politician) (born 1942), British solicitor and Conservative Party politician * Christopher Ward (conductor) (born 1980), British conductor * Christopher Ward (entomologist) (1836–1900), ...
* Matt Wells *
Bill Welychka Bill Welychka (born in Welland, Ontario) is a Canadians, Canadian television personality. Welychka joined CHUM Limited in 1988 as a video editor for MuchMusic. In 1992, he became a VJ (media personality), VJ for the channel, staying with Much for ...
*Chloe Wilde *Scott Willats * Michael Williams *
Byron Wong Byron Kent Wong (born in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Toronto and Los Angeles-based producer, musician, director and entrepreneur. He founded Random Media Core Inc, in 1993, a Canadian company dedicated to music, design, marketing, and new ...
* Tony "Master T" Young Some of the former Much VJs have moved onto other opportunities within Bell Media's entertainment brands like etalk and E!, but occasionally return for special Much events like the annual '' iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards''.


VJ Search

Every few years, when new video jockeys were needed, Much ran a "
VJ Search ''VJ Search'' is the title of a reality television program aired on Canadian music video TV station MuchMusic. Focused on finding a new MuchMusic VJ to join the existing MuchMusic on-air personalities, the original search was a weekend-long on-a ...
" to pick one new VJ to join the channel. They would usually visit cities across Canada and pick people who appear to show potential through their audition. In earlier years, the VJ Search was usually a two-part show, but in 2006 it evolved into its own reality series called ''
MuchMusic VJ Search ''VJ Search'' is the title of a reality television program aired on Canadian music video TV station MuchMusic. Focused on finding a new MuchMusic VJ to join the existing MuchMusic on-air personalities, the original search was a weekend-long on-a ...
''. As a result of that series,
Tim Deegan Tim Deegan (born in Oshawa, Ontario) is a Canadian former VJ on MuchMusic, a music television station in Canada. Early life Tim grew up in Oshawa east of Toronto and he attended O'Neill Collegiate and Vocational Institute, and had a part-tim ...
was chosen as a VJ. It was followed in 2009 by ''VJ 2.0'', where the winner Liz Trinnear was also picked to join the channel. The final search, ''Much VJ Search'', which Chloe Wilde won in 2013.


Much Creators (2015–present)

''Much Creators'' are selected social media personalities, mostly established and emerging Canadian YouTubers. The first ever Fan Fave Much Creator award was won by
YouTwoTV YouTwoTV is a YouTube channel produced by Canadian YouTubers Jaz Saini and Harjit Bhandal. The duo is most prominently known as YouTube personalities and Much Studios creators. Since its 2016 launch, the channel currently has 2.46M subscribers and h ...
during the
2017 iHeartRadio MMVAs The 2017 iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards (or simply the iHeartRadio MMVAs) were held on June 18, 2017, outside 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Canada. It was hosted by Joe Jonas and Alessia Cara. Initial announcements were made on April 26, ...
.


Current

* Jus Reign *4YallEntertainment *Michael Rizzi *The Danocracy *Alayna Joy *
YouTwoTV YouTwoTV is a YouTube channel produced by Canadian YouTubers Jaz Saini and Harjit Bhandal. The duo is most prominently known as YouTube personalities and Much Studios creators. Since its 2016 launch, the channel currently has 2.46M subscribers and h ...
*ThatDudeMcFly *Karli Woods *Istiana Bestari *Wahlid Mohammad *Melissa Merk *Tasha Leelyn *Deejdesign *SneakerTalk *Jaclyn Forbes *Candace Leca *Karina V *RealisticallySaying *Zak Longo *Moving Mind Studio *Dylan Zhang *Fateh Doe *Bongo *Andrew Quo *Joey Kidney *Alex Duckworth *Naomi Leanage *Matt O'Brien *The Baker Twins *Camille Co *Bianca Harris *
Tyler Shaw Tyler Shaw (born April 8, 1993) is a Canadian singer and actor. After winning the "MuchMusic Coca-Cola Covers Contest 2012" organized by the Canadian music cable channel MuchMusic, he released his debut single, "Kiss Goodnight", through Sony M ...
*Shane Cunningham * Dan Talevski *Rayn Magic *Laurier Lachance


Former

This is a list of ''Much Creators'' who no longer appear on the Much Creators website. *Mila Victoria *SickickMusic *Ron Dias TV *AllegraLouise *AmandaRachlee *Letitia Kiu *Chelsi Madonna *SidePonyNation *Rosette Luve *Top 5 Unknowns


See also

*
Countdown (MuchMusic) The ''Much Countdown'' (also known as the ''Much Top 30 Countdown'', and formerly known as ''The MuchMusic Top 20 Countdown'') is an hour-long musical television program, usually hosted by a VJ, that aired on Canadian music television station Mu ...
*MusiquePlus (now known as Elle Fictions) * Fromage


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{Coord, 43.649701, N, 79.390233, W, type:landmark, display=title Bell Media networks Music television channels Music video networks in Canada Television channels and stations established in 1984 1984 in Canadian music English-language television stations in Canada 1984 establishments in Canada Men's interest channels