111 Hits will target 24-54’s.
Lost, 24, ER, and Two and a Half Men are some of the shows due on the new 111 Hits channel.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under Subscription
111 HITS, which launches on November 1st will be aimed squarely at the lucrative advertiser-friendly 25-54 demographic, as a move to compete with the new standard definition digital channels by commercial networks.
It will program US hits primarily from the Warner Bros, Disney and 20th Century Fox studios, including Friends, Will & Grace, Ally McBeal, The Wonder Years, That 70s Show, ER, Murphy Brown, Alf, Lost, 24 and Baywatch.
The schedule from 6.30pm each weeknight begins with Murphy Brown, The King of Queens, That 70s Show, Dharma & Greg, Friends and Will & Grace. Nine’s major US hit this year, Two and a Half Men, will screen five nights a week (at the same time) in 2009.
“Collectively, our ambition is to take audience away from the free-to-airs,” Foxtel executive director of television and marketing Brian Walsh told The Australian.
“If anything, this will take audiences away from the three commercials.”
“It will be great to have a channel that shows programs consistently and reliably,” he said.
“We promise a dedicated schedule that won’t change.”
The channel will comprise part of the Get Started package and be run from the Comedy Channel base in Melbourne.
Press Release:
FOXTEL today announced the iconic programming line-up for its exciting new entertainment channel 111 HITS which launches on November 1, 2008. The channel comes from the FOXTEL Owned & Operated group which is behind the ASTRA Award winning channels FOX8, W., Arena and FOX Classics.
111 HITS will be the new home to television’s biggest hits and some of the most-loved programs in television history, including critically acclaimed dramas and award-winning comedies. It’s triple the stars, triple the memories and triple the hits.
Top-rating and ground-breaking series such as Friends’ Will & Grace, Ally McBeal, The Wonder Years, That ’70s Show, ER, Murphy Brown, Alf, Lost, 24 and Baywatch are just some of the programs that capture the energy, fun, heart and soul of this new channel.
FOXTEL Executive Director of Television and Marketing, Brian Walsh said: “The television you love now has a brand new home on 111 HITS, bringing the best of TV from the ’80s, ’90s and today, together at one FOXTEL destination.”
111 HITS will be presented to audiences in a new format offering blocks of programming across the day. For FOXTEL subscribers this means the best dramas are delivered as movie length double episodes and comedies are grouped together based on genre and audience profile.
Walsh continued: “The unique programming blocks on 111 HITS have been strategically targeted based on audience viewing habits of these programs gathered from FOXTEL’s research. It will ensure that once you arrive at 111 HITS you”ll never want to leave.
“111 HITS is a wonderful addition to FOXTEL’s stable of channels’ and provides an even wider range of sought after programming ensuring our subscribers will always love what’s on FOXTEL seven days a week.”
With the introduction of 111 HITS, viewer favourite FOX Classics will be re-positioned to celebrate the legendary television series’ from the ’60s and ’70s including Mash, Petticoat Junction, Lost In Space, as well as continuing its much-loved Bill Collins’ Golden Years of Hollywood with Mr Movies himself. FOX Classics will continue to honour the films of James Bond which have been ratings juggernauts for the channel throughout the 2008/09 summer season.
FOXTEL is also pleased to announce Alex Ristevski as the new Channel Manager for 111 HITS. As Group Channel Manager for 111 HITS and THE COMEDY CHANNEL, Ristevski will operate the channel from FOXTEL’s Melbourne studios.
111 HITS will be part of FOXTEL’s Get Started package, enabling all subscribers to enjoy watching the most successful shows in television history. Find 111 HITS at channel 111 on FOXTEL’s Electronic Program Guide.
On November 1, 2008 FOXTEL is also launching two new family-oriented channels exclusively to its subscribers – CBeebies, an ad free channel for pre-school children and BBC Knowledge which is a documentary channel. Both unique channels are from BBC Worldwide, FOXTEL’s subscription television partner in Australia.
Source: The Australian
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- Tagged with 24, Alf, Ally McBeal, Baywatch, Dharma & Greg, ER, Friends, Lost, Murphy Brown, That 70's Show, The King of Queens, The Wonder Years, Will & Grace
68 Responses
Yes, I totally agree, Austar should be ashamed. I’ve had Austar for 8 years now and there is no loyalty to their customers. Unfortunately we live out in the country and have no good tv reception so what choice do we have – besides no tv at all.
I’m absolutely sick of being considered a second class citizen, just because I live a little bit outside of what the entertainment and communications industries consider the “desirable” zone.
I can’t get good internet. I can’t get good TV. I can’t get good phone services. Yet people who liveten minutes down the road can?
What a joke. Austar should be ashamed.
OMFG!!!! my wife was so pumped for the new 111 hits channel, and yesterday she was gutted when it was not forthcoming. It is now 2nd November and we are still getting those bloody ads about it and even had the Countdown Show last night for nothing to happen afterwards. What happens to the shows we currently get on the other channels, do they dissapear and we have to miss out? Very ordinary Austar, shame on you.
What?! Austar won’t be getting the 111 Hits channel?? You mean I had to sit through ad after ad, getting more excited as they went on, only to not actually get the damn thing?! What BS!! I will be complaining to Austar, you better believe me! I will be super pissed if it is not on the cards for some time in the future
Austar is an absolute joke! First I hear they will not invest in HD television and now they have no intentions of adding the new Foxtel stations to our subscribers. We keep seeing the advertisements for both yet we cannot get access to them. Also, we are not allowed access to the free-to-air channels 7, 9 and 10 the way Foxtel subscribers currently enjoy.
Austar subscribers stand up and be counted! Enough is enough!
We deserve the right to a beter tv service or at least be offered the equivilent to Foxtel at no further charge. Write to Austar and complain. Ring them on Monday and complain. Ring your local talk back radio stations and complain. Contact your daily newspapers and complain. Contact your local tv nws presenters and complain. We are not going to accept this just because we live outside of a Foxtel area.
We the subscribers are the voice. We the subscribers hold the power!
I was so excited to see the ads for the old shows not on any other channel, like Dharma & Greg, ALF, Wonder Years, Suddenly Susan etc………and then I was supremely pissed off to switch to channel 111 this morning and Austar displaying “No Channel” Grrrrrrr!!!!!!
Why the hell tease us with all your D Grade tv “stars” raving about how they loved the old shows……..and then give us nothing, no apology, no explanation about how we won’t be receiving the new channel…..nothing!!
Austar has now become a D Grade pay tv subscriber in my book……..hopefully with this many disgruntled customers Austar might at least provide us with an actual date for when this new channel actually works. (I’m so not gunna hold my breath though) 😐
I am so pissed that we that get Austar can’t get this channel. I really wanted to see The Wonder Years again 🙁 I was also hoping to see some new shows that aren’t already on other channels.
Well Austar have done it again. They have failed to provide their subscribers with any of the three new stations coming to Foxtel from November 1st.
I have seen the advertisements for the Classic Hits 111 station, and was eagerly awaiting Saturday morning in order to view this station, however, I have now discovered that this is not an option for Austar subscribers. This is becoming so typical and Austar has become a very sub-standard pay tv provider in my opinion.
I cannot remember when Austar actually introduced a new station, well other than Sky Business, and the programs that are on that channel are recycled on Sky News.
Their mystar, the equivalent of the Foxtel IQ service, is well below par, with recording options failing more times than working, which is unacceptable given the extra cost involved in having that service.
Come on Austar, do the right thing by your subscribers and add new stations when they become available. This disgruntled subscriber has had enough.
Im hoping that the channel plays my all time favourite American comedy “Living Single” its about 5 African-American friends, Queen Latifa is 1 of the friends. Its hilarious i love it, i remember channel 7 or 9 use to play it after i came back from school i used to watch it. Nobody seems to know it, I really wish 111 Hits play all the eposides
Although this is Fox8, Arena and Fox Classics mashed together – I’m looking forward to it. I am embarrassed to admit but the advertisements for ALF are making me crack up already, can’t wait for it to start.
You know, I have been listening to music for the last hour with the ads for 111 Hits on loop in the background, and I haven’t seen 2.5 Men featured at all. As I said, I have been listening to music (and using the computer) so I could be distracted and have missed it, but I haven’t seen it….. once.
“The ads are finally up ”
And they’re up for Optus customers too, so, provided it doesn’t suddenly go off line for us on November 1, we must be getting this too! YAY!
Any ideas when this channel will be on Austar?
The ads are finally up if you flick over to channel 111!
ah the old new channel recycled shows trick !
I was hoping to see some Full House, Step By Step here
Thanks for looking into Austar, David. Guess we’ll just have to sit tight. Although there are alot of channels on Austar…if you’ve had it for some time, you’ve probably seen alot of their content and (ie: law &order) so whenever a new channel arrives we get all giddy that there just may be something new or different. How I wish there was a channel that was viewers choice. They could list what they have rights to, then we could all vote on what we’d like to see. Now that would be…..dyn-o-mite!!!!
Yes, I already indicated Austar / Optus info.
The November Optus magazine says only 2 new channel, and nothing on Channel 111. Seems like only Foxtel is getting it for now…
It is a disgrace that Austar have not informed their subscibers that we will not have access to the new 111 channel even though it has been advertised on numerous other channels. Obviously these are Foxtel controlled channels.
Why couldn’t Austar put a message on the screen to avoid confusion ?
The new channel is only a combination of repeated shows we have seen on Fox 8 and Tv1.
In essence,it is not a new channel and it barely has any more credence than the plus 2 channels.
Look at Showcase. They also think giving a channel a new logo makes lt a better channel. No wonder people are cancelling subscriptions!
Well I guess us Austar viewers won’t be getting this channel anytime soon – the two people I spoke to at Austar today had no idea that there was a new channel. The first woman asked me what channel 111 was, so I’m assuming they’re not planning to add it in the near future.
I hope they get “Two Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place”!
Since it’s not being released on DVD, we need it back on TV.
Why do we need another channel with the same repeats on it?
And not on Austar next month what a joke. If the new BBC channels can come on Austar 1st Nov why can’t 111?
I guess it’s another channel to flick through! Anything is better the free to air though.
take viewers from free to air? what an arrogant tosser.
so, its basicly going to be doing the job that fox8 should really be doing already? Nice
I hope Law & Order doesn’t make its way onto this, its already on 10, W’s and TV1 and I think even classics!! I love it but I’ve had enough.
Thanks David, it’s not listed in the Nov guide, here’s hoping for Dec.