Foxtel confirms its Smooth music channel won’t continue

After launching the Smooth radio brand on Foxtel in 2013, the pay-TV provider confirmed today the easy listening music channel would cease broadcasting on June 30.

Smooth TV was a joint venture with NOVA Entertainment, from which the pair shared in revenue since it first began airing in December ’13, fronted by Marcia Hines and Cameron Daddo.

The confirmation comes as no surprise after TMN revealed last month that Foxtel is preparing to scrap its local music channels, including the history-rich MAX, CMC and [V], on June 30.

Foxtel Arts, which has shared the programming clock with smooth since 2017, will now return to operating as a 24 hour channel from July 1, according to industry blog TV Blackbox.

In replace of the axed music channels, Foxtel has revealed a new partnership with ViacomCBS.

Foxtel says the new agreement will provide subscribers with a “broader variety of music genres”, including a new kid-friendly music channel, all of which will be locally programmed.

From July 1, the new-look music line-up will cover rock and pop, contemporary and country, charts and dance, urban R&B, easy listening and the all-time classics.

The music channel collection will by spearheaded by MTV Hits, together with MTV Classic, Club MTV, CMT (Country Music Television) and the brand-new Nick Music.

The expanded portfolio will be owned and operated by ViacomCBS with the MTV and CMT-branded channels all programmed in Australia, for Australian audiences.