Fox Classics
Fox Classics Logo
Launched	1998
Owned by	Foxtel
Audience share	0.7% (April 2008, [1])
Slogan	Times Change. Great TV Doesn't.
Country	Australia
Formerly called	Fox Kids (Shared Channel)
Timeshift service	FOX Classics+2
Website	foxclassics.com.au
Availability
Satellite
Foxtel Digital	Channel 112 (timeshift ch 152)
Austar Digital	Channel 112 (timeshift ch 152)
Cable
Foxtel Digital	Channel 112 (timeshift ch 152)
Optus feat. Foxtel Digital	Channel 112 (timeshift ch 152)

FOX Classics is an Australian cable and satellite channel that specializes in showing classic movies and television series from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and some content from the 80's and 90's.

[edit] History

Fox Classics began as a channel shared with Fox Kids, which itself had moved from a block on FOX8.

This version of the channel was a night shift for the Fox Kids channel in Australia, when Fox Kids ended at a specific time (late afternoon for the most part), Fox Classics began. It was essentially, classic movies (mostly from the 20th Century Fox library), hosted by Bill Collins, who would give background information and trivia about the movie to the audience, before and after the movie. Eventually Fox Kids moved back to FOX8 on February 1, 2004^[2] and Fox Classics became a 24 hour channel again.

In November 2008, with the addition of 111 Hits and the change in direction of the network to a catalog of 50's, 60's and 70's programs, a large amount of newer material mainly sitcoms were moved from Fox Classics.

[edit] Selected programs

(not all programs may be aired at present)

• Batman
• Caroline in the City
• I Love Lucy
• The Honeymooners
• M*A*S*H
• The Addams Family
• The Beverly Hillbillies
• The Golden Girls
• Mork and Mindy
• Laverne & Shirley
• Spin City
• The Odd Couple
• Mister Ed
• The Commish
• The Rockford Files
• NYPD Blue
• Jake and the Fatman
• Matlock
• Hey Dad...!
• Mother and Son
• Kingswood Country
• 3rd Rock from the Sun

[edit] Fox Kids Australia

Fox Kids was launched in Australia in October 1995, as part of the newly launched Foxtel service. At the time of its launch it was a children's programming block on FOX8 (known at the time as Fox). In 1998, it became a channel in its own right, broadcasting from 6am to 8:30pm everyday, with The History Channel airing overnight.^[3] It moved to channel 6 (both on cable and satellite) in 2000, retaining the same broadcasting hours, with Fox Classics becoming its night shift.

On June 1, 2002, Fox Kids was relaunched with a new programming line-up, an updated logo and revamped on-air look, changing from the look and feel of other Fox Kids channels around the world, as part of a move to shift the channel's focus towards preteens. This was influenced in part by the sale of Fox Kids to Disney, but also due to viewer demand for such a television channel in Australia.^[4]

The broadcasting hours of Fox Kids were cut back to 6am to 6pm on February 1, 2003 before being discontinued as a channel one year later, during the migration to the Foxtel Digital platform. Fox Kids returned to FOX8 again as three-hour block in the mornings known as FOX8 Kids.

For much of its existence Fox Kids was exclusive to Foxtel, launching on Optus Television in December 2002.

[edit] References

1. ^ Ratings Week 16 (13/04/2008 - 19/04/2008)
2. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20040219182801/http://www.foxtel.com.au/channel/details.jsp?chnl=CLA Fox Classics
3. ^ F O X T E L I N T E R A C T I V E
4. ^ http://www.foxtel.com.au/236_334.htm Fox Kids taps into tween market