MHz Networks is an American broadcaster that specializes in international television programming.
Washington, D.C., broadcast operations
MHz (pronounced "M-H-Z") Networks began as a project of the
Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation. The broadcaster's original stations were
WNVT in
Goldvein, Virginia, and
WNVC in
Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia and the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 24,146.
Fairfax is pa ...
, which served the
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
,
television market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...
. International programming began on WNVC in 1996, branded "World View TV". In 2001, the two stations became known as MHz Networks, with WNVC becoming MHz1 and WNVT becoming MHz2.
In the digital television era, WNVC and WNVT placed a set of twelve international news channels on their two signals. The final set of channels consisted of
TRT World,
CGTN America,
CGTN Documentary, Africa Today TV,
France 24
France 24 ( in French) is a French state-owned publicly funded international news television network based in Paris. Its channels, broadcast in French, English, Arabic and Spanish, are aimed at the overseas market.
Based in the Paris suburb ...
,
CNC World,
Arirang
''Arirang'' ( ) is a Korean folk song. There are about 3,600 variations of 60 different versions of the song, all of which include a refrain similar to "arirang, arirang, arariyo" (""). It is estimated that the song is more than 600 years old ...
,
TeleSUR,
Deutsche Welle
(; "German Wave"), commonly shortened to DW (), is a German state-funded television network, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the Federal Government of Germany. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite tele ...
, and Vietnet. Previous channels included
NHK World
NHK World-Japan (formerly and also known simply as NHK World) is the international arm of the Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Its services are aimed at the overseas market, similar to those offered by other national public-service broadcasters, ...
,
BVN,
Al Jazeera English
Al Jazeera English (AJE; , ) is a 24-hour English-language News broadcasting, news channel operating under Al Jazeera Media Network, which is funded by the government of Qatar. Al Jazeera introduced an English-language division in 2006. It is ...
, Blue Ocean Network,
SABC News International,
NTA,
Ethiopian Television,
RT America,
RT Spanish,
VTV4,
Euronews
Euronews (stylised in lowercase) is a pan-European television news broadcasting, news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. It is a provider of livestreamed news, which can be viewed in Europe and North Africa via satellite, and in most of the ...
,
CNC World, and
TRT Türk. Two months before the end of broadcast operations in Washington, on February 1, 2018, RT America was dropped from WNVC's signal, apparently due to concerns that MHz Networks or CPBC would be required to register under the
Foreign Agents Registration Act
The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) ( ''et seq.'') is a United States law that imposes Public disclosure of private facts, public disclosure obligations on Foreign agent, persons representing foreign interests. .
In 2013, Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation
spun off the MHz Networks unit and sold the WNVC and WNVT towers. On April 1, 2018, MHz Networks exited the Washington, D.C. market after CPBC sold the stations' channel allocations in the
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
's ongoing
spectrum reallocation auction.
In November 2022, MHz Networks was acquired by film distribution and home video company
Kino Lorber
Kino Lorber is an international film distribution company based in New York City. Founded in 1977, it was originally known as Kino International until it was acquired by and merged into Lorber HT Digital in 2009. It specializes in art film, art ho ...
.
MHz Worldview
MHz Worldview was an independent, American,
non-commercial
A non-commercial (also spelled noncommercial) activity is an activity that is not carried out in the interest of Profit (economics), profit. The opposite is Commerce, commercial, something that primarily serves profit interests and is focused on bu ...
public television
Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive f ...
network that broadcast newscasts and other programs from around the world. It was owned and operated by MHz Networks.
MHz Worldview offered international newscasts, foreign dramas, music performances, and diversity programming, in English or with subtitles.
The channel was available as a subchannel on several U.S. public TV stations.
On January 8, 2020, MHz Networks announced the closure of MHz Worldview as they transition to digital streaming services. The network shut down at Midnight Eastern Time on March 1, 2020. Near the closure, the many television stations that had programming from MHz switched to different networks. Five stations switched to
World Channel, another five to
First Nations Experience and another five to
DW. MHz Worldview was the main affiliate for
WPPT and they switched to
PBS.
WCFE-TV switched to
NHK World-Japan
NHK World-Japan (formerly and also known simply as NHK World) is the international arm of the Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Its services are aimed at the overseas market, similar to those offered by other national public-service broadcasters, ...
.
KMOS-TV started its new independent channel in subchannel 6.3, named KMOS Emerge.
KUEN
KUEN (channel 9), known as UEN-TV, is an educational television station licensed to Ogden, Utah, United States, serving Salt Lake City and the state of Utah. The station is owned by the Utah Board of Higher Education and part of the Utah Educa ...
now carries local programming on subchannel 9.2, previously used by MHz Worldview.
KWSU-TV removed subchannel 10.3 after MHz Worldview was closed.
Former affiliates
MHz Choice
On October 20, 2015, MHz Networks launched an
OTT streaming
video on demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films Digital distribution, digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typica ...
SVOD service called MHz Choice (pronounced "M-H-Z Choice") in the U.S. The service expanded into Canada in September 2017.
MHz Choice features mysteries, dramas and comedies from MHz Networks' catalog of international programs, unedited with English subtitles. The direct to consumer service is available on the web at mhzchoice.com and on a variety of apps including
Android,
Android TV,
Apple TV
Apple TV is a digital media player and a microconsole developed and marketed by Apple. It is a small piece of networking hardware that sends received media data such as video and audio to a TV or external display. Its media services include ...
,
iOS
Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
,
Fire TV,
Roku
Roku ( ) is a brand of consumer electronics that includes streaming players, smart TVs (and their operating systems), as well as a free TV streaming service. The brand is owned by Roku, Inc., an American company.
As of 2024, Roku is the U ...
and the
Samsung Smart TV app.
MHz Choice Partners
In November 2016, MHz Choice launched on
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
Channels which gave
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime (styled as prime) is a paid subscription service of Amazon which is available in many countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services inclu ...
members the ability to add an MHz Choice subscription to their Amazon Prime account. In October 2018, MHz Choice launched on
Comcast
Comcast Corporation, formerly known as Comcast Holdings,Before the AT&T Broadband, AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, not th ...
's
Xfinity
Comcast Cable Communications, LLC, doing business as Xfinity, is an American telecommunications business segment and division of the Comcast Corporation. It is used to market consumer cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless servic ...
X1's over the internet on-demand service. In April 2019, MHz Choice launched on The Roku Channel as part of Roku's Premium Subscription service.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mhz Networks
Television networks in the United States
Companies based in Virginia
Companies established in 2001
2001 establishments in Virginia
Public television in the United States
Commercial-free television networks
English-language television stations in the United States
Television channels and stations established in 2001