‘Vale Channel V’: Foxtel’s shock announcement for music channel

CHANNEL [V] presenters past and present voice their sadness as Foxtel announces the station will merge in just two days.

For a generation of music lovers, presenters like Gunsberg and Mathison were the gateway to new music.

FOXTEL’s music channels Channel [V] and V Hits will merge later this week, it has been announced today.

“We are making some changes to our music channels on Foxtel. Starting from this Saturday, February 27 you will begin to see some changes to Channel [V],” a Foxtel spokesperson told news.com.au.

Current Channel [V] presenter Danny Clayton will remain with the station.

“Following on from that, from March 25 we will no longer use the Channel [V] brand, which will change to V Hits and V Hits +2. V Hits features a line-up of music videos and countdowns, including the latest hits from Australia and around the world.”

Current and former Foxtel VJs have expressed their sadness at the reported merge on social media, with Osher Gunsberg — who was better known to Channel V audiences as host Andrew G for seven years from 1999 — leading the charge.

Gunsberg announced the news live on air on his Hit 105 radio show this morning, after briefly leaving the studio to field a phone call from current [V] presenter Danny Clayton.

“It was a bit of an emotional phone call. Danny Clayton just told me Channel [V] is closing on Friday - they announced it yesterday. Channel [V] is being absorbed into V Hits... 20 years man, it’s a very sad day for Australian music. That channel created, collected and archived so much Australian music when the ABC weren’t recording any,” he said, before delivering his own tribute to the channel:

“Hey there Channel [V]. You gave me so much. You gave me a career. You gave me a name that I still can’t shake. You gave me footage that haunts me to this day of me being blonde and drunk and crazy. And now you’re closing, and a lot of my friends don’t have a job. Thanks, but no thanks.”

Channel V is closing on Friday. Must have been a tough call to make for MGMT. 20yrs of cutting edge TV, sad to see it go.

— Osher Günsberg (@oshergunsberg) February 23, 2016

Decades of music, concerts, punters, rock-stars, laughs, gaffs, jokes, tears, smiles and mostly love went into a sensational place.

— Danny Clayton (@DannyjClayton) February 23, 2016

In 4 months time I'll celebrate my 14th year at Channel V. That is nearly half my life and 1000s of hrs of live TV. I loved every moment

— Danny Clayton (@DannyjClayton) February 23, 2016

Vale @channelv. Thanks for supporting Aussie music and giving people like me a step up in the industry. Forever your work experience gal X

— Faustina Agolley (@Faustinathefuzz) February 23, 2016

The other thing I'll say about @channelv is that around 2004 V specifically made a casting call for diverse hosts...

— Faustina Agolley (@Faustinathefuzz) February 23, 2016

I remember reading, "all races, gay, lesbian, bi..." That meant a lot to me. And I'm sure to so many kids at the time. Thank you @channelv

— Faustina Agolley (@Faustinathefuzz) February 23, 2016

After 20 years of music television, @channelv says goodbye this friday..Thanks for the memories and the great times. I loved working wit you

— Jane Gazzo (@JaneGazzo) February 23, 2016

Love to all the talented people at @channelv... It must be tought times for the final curtain. Loved working with you... luv you guys x

— Jane Gazzo (@JaneGazzo) February 23, 2016

Sad to hear Channel [V] is no more!
Had SO MUCH fun, made friends for life, laughed ass off, still looking for ass

— Yumi Stynes (@yumichild) February 24, 2016

Head of channels and operations for the Foxtel Networks, Stephen Baldwin, and the executive director of television, Brian Walsh, reportedly sent an email to staff overnight in which they blamed the easy access to music videos online for the music channels’ “steady decline”.

“Over the past several years music clips have become ubiquitous with availability on services like YouTube, whilst linear broadcast audiences for music channels have been in steady decline. In order to run the Foxtel music services more efficiently we have decided to merge Channel [V] and [V] Hits,” they wrote.

Former Channel [V] presenters James Mathison (left) and Osher Gunsberg.

While it’s unclear at this stage exactly how many jobs will be lost in the merge, the email does make mention of “channel rationalisation” and finishes by thanking “those team members leaving us today”.

It is understood that current [V] presenter Danny Clayton will remain with the channel after the merge.

Launched in 1995, Channel [V] has been a training ground for many Australian media identities, including Gunsberg, Stynes, Renee Bargh, Jabba, James Mathison, Maynard and Maya Jupiter.

Former Channel [V] presenter Yumi Stynes.