VH1 Classic (European TV channel)


VH1 Classic is a European music television channel from ViacomCBS Networks EMEAA. The channel primarily features music videos from the 1980s through to the 2000s, although rare live performances from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s can be seen as well. VH1 Classic was first launched in the United Kingdom on 1 July 1999 and made available from the beginning to the whole of Europe. However, the current pan-European service was launched in 30 November 2004, when it became a separate feed from VH1 Classic UK. Like VH1 European, it broadcast from MTV Networks Europe's premises in Camden Town. It is officially available to viewers all over Europe and Latin America. Unlike VH1 Classic UK, the pan-European version of the channel is entirely devoid of advertisements, with round-the-clock music videos played out from MTV Networks Europe's comprehensive library in London.

Attempts to transition VH1 Classic to widescreen

Like the now-defunct Italian feed of MTV Classic, VH1 Classic airs in 4:3 standard definition aspect ratio. There were a very few attempts to transition this channel to widescreen, but they were failed due to several technical issues.
The first widescreen transition attempt happened on 19 August 2015 at 7:00AM CET, which caused VH1 Classic to have severe technical issues for a minute, then it went widescreen temporarily until 7:45AM CET, which the music video was abruptly changed to "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani and reverted to 4:3. The recent widescreen transition attempt happened on 9 February 2016 at 7:00AM CET, when a fragment of the music video of the song "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith played, but it abruptly shifted to the on-air ident instead, which also failed.
The channel will close along with the European version of MTV Rocks in October 2020 and be replaced by MTV 80s. MTV 80s was first launch in February 28, 2020 in the UK & Ireland as a temporary rebranding of MTV Classic until March 31, 2020. An MTV 80s channel already operates in New Zealand via Sky.

Regular programming on VH1 Classic