View source for The Hits

{{Short description|2002–2008 British television channel}}
{{about|the TV channel|other uses|The Hits (disambiguation) }}

{{Infobox television channel
| name              = The Hits
| logo              = Thehits.png
| logo_size         = 250px
| logo_caption      = Logo used from 2005 to 2008
| launch_date       = 30 October 2002
| closed_date       = 15 August 2008
| replaced_by       = [[4Music]] (first version)
| owner             = [[The Box Plus Network|Box Television]]<br>(<small>[[Bauer Verlagsgruppe|Bauer Group]]/[[Channel Four Television Corporation]]</small>)
| sister_channels   = {{hlist|[[The Box (British and Irish TV channel)|The Box]]|[[Kerrang! TV|Kerrang!]]|[[Kiss TV|Kiss]]|[[Magic (TV channel)|Magic]]|[[Q TV]]|[[Box Hits|Smash Hits]]}}
}}
'''The Hits''' was a [[music video]] [[Television channel|channel]] broadcast in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], owned by [[Box Television]]. On 15 August 2008 it was rebranded as [[4Music]].

==Overview and availability==
The channel showcased a range of [[popular music|pop]] centred on chart hits and current favourites. Originally, the vast majority of music videos were selected by viewers by means of calling a [[premium-rate telephone number]], however the policy was abandoned with the channel playing an [[automated]] selection of videos and [[countdown]] shows presented by celebrities and singers past and present. Programming was often themed to coincide with events such as [[St. Patrick's Day]] and [[Christmas]].

The channel was available [[free-to-air]] on the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[digital terrestrial television]] service [[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]] on channel 18. It was also available on [[Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)|Sky Digital]], encrypted as a part of Sky's Music Pack. The Hits was also available on [[Virgin Media]] and was included in the basic package. It was also able to be seen through the [[British Forces Broadcasting Service]].

==Programmes on The Hits==
87-07 was a series of programmes where a song was played from each of the years from 1987 to 2007.  There was a more up to date version called 88-08 which went from 1988 to 2008.  There were different collections of songs depending on different things that the songs had in common, an example of 87-07 is Cheesy Pop 87-07 which includes the songs "[[Never Gonna Give You Up]]" by [[Rick Astley]], "[[Saturday Night (Whigfield song)|Saturday Night]]" by [[Whigfield]] and "[[C'est la Vie (B*Witched song)|C'est la Vie]]" by [[B*Witched]] which are all commonly regarded as "cheesy pop songs".

Another type of programme on The Hits was where one hundred songs are played, usually counting down to a song that was featured as "number one". This varies from ''100 Forgotten Gems of the Nineties'' to ''The Nation's Favourite Love Songs''. Similarly formatted programmes with fifty or twenty songs were also broadcast.

''The Hits Chart'' was played at around 12.15 and 17:15 Monday-Friday. The Hits Chart was simply a countdown of the biggest songs of the day.

The Hits had a programme called ''Every Number One of the Nineties'' which, as the title suggests, played every number one of the nineties back to back. It was played over a [[bank holiday]] weekend in two parts, the first part on the Sunday and the second part on the Monday. ''Every Number One of the Nineties'' has been played on 4Music in small segments. A similar programme was ''Every Number One of the Twenty-first Century''.

Early in the morning, there was a programme called "Signed by The Hits". This programme's duration was usually 30 minutes. The programme involved a sign language interpreter signing to the songs on screen to help deaf people understand the music. Due to persistent criticism, the show was removed.

==Replacement with 4Music==
{{See also|4Music}}
On 20 February 2008, it was announced that The Hits would change its name to 4Music later in the year, and a trial period broadcast on Sundays under the 4Music banner was broadcast on Sunday evenings during the spring.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a89838/the-hits-to-be-renamed-4music.html|title=The Hits to be renamed 4Music|website=[[Digital Spy]] |date=20 February 2008|publisher=}}</ref> In June 2008 it was further announced that this replacement was to take place during the [[V Festival]] weekend on 15 August.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brandrepublic.com/MediaWeek/News/822297/C4-set-launch-music-channel/|title=Media Week - C4 set to launch music channel.|publisher=}}</ref> The replaced station shows predominantly music videos, alongside live performances and [[Channel 4]] programming like ''[[Star Stories]]'' and ''[[The Sunday Night Project]]'', in addition to documentaries about artists.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a112422/the-hits-will-become-4music-in-august.html|title=The Hits will become 4Music in August|publisher=[[Digital Spy]]|accessdate=2008-07-18}}</ref>

In the weeks before the launch, [[4Music]] aired teaser trailers for the channel as part of its extensive promotion of the rebrand and as part of the promotion one of the three stages for ''T4 On The Beach'' was named the 4Music stage.

The Hits stopped broadcasting music videos on Friday 15 August 2008 at 06:00. The last video played on The Hits was "[[Thank You for the Music]]" by [[ABBA]], before heading in to a [[promotion (marketing)|promo]] for 4Music, which would be launched from 19:00.

==Ofcom controversy==
In November 2007, [[Ofcom]] found The Hits had breached its broadcast licence for failing to retain copies of its programming. Two viewers had complained questioning the authenticity of some of the winning entries on text-in quiz programme ''Win Win TV'', broadcast overnight on 26 June.

The broadcaster was unable to provide Ofcom with a review copy of the programme in question because of "problems with its logging system". Condition 11 of a Television Licensable Content Service licence requires the broadcaster to keep recordings of all output for 60 days after transmission, providing Ofcom with any material on request.

"Failure to supply these recordings is a serious and significant breach of the broadcaster’s licence. This will be held on record," the regulator noted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/obb/prog_cb/obb97|title=Ofcom|publisher=}}</ref>

==The Hits Radio==
{{main|Hits Radio}}
In 2003, companion radio station '''The Hits Radio''' was launched. It ceased broadcasting on 4 June 2018.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://www.boxplus.com/}}

{{Bauer Verlagsgruppe}}
{{Channel Four Television Corporation}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hits, The}}
[[Category:Bauer television channels]]
[[Category:Defunct music video networks]]
[[Category:Defunct television channels in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Music video networks in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 2002]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 2008]]