Flava (TV channel) explained

Flava
Launch Date:	12 July 2004
Closed Date:	1 November 2017
Picture Format:	, 576i (SDTV)
Owner:	Sony Pictures Television
Former Names:	B4 (2004-2008)
Availability Note:	(at time of closure)

Flava was a British hip-hop music television channel owned and operated by Sony Pictures Television.

It was launched in June 2004 and was formerly called B4 TV, a previous pre-launch music channel from CSC Media Group. Flava broadcast 24 hours a day and played Hip Hop, Urban and R&B music from the late 1970s to the 2010s. It also occasionally showed films and original programming (#PLAY). The channel advertised itself as "100% Old Skool Hip-Hop/R&B 24/7."

History

B4

Flava launched on 12 July 2004, initially as a test channel focusing on Pop and Dance under the name "B4". The channel played the latest pre-release music videos from notable artists and groups and had dedicated hours for playing requested music. It advertised itself as both 'B4 It's A Hit' and 'B4 Everyone Else'.

From 2004 to 2006, the B4 logo appeared on screen in the bottom left-hand corner during music videos. Song information was displayed in two lines: a blue line for the artist and a purple line for the song title, shown at the beginning and near the end of each music video.

From 2006 to 2008, similar to the previous period, the B4 logo appeared on screen in the bottom left-hand corner during music videos. Song information was displayed in a white colored bar at the beginning and near the end of each music video. The channel's identity was also visible before and after advert breaks, with the B4 logo forming on screen in a white box shape against an orange background.

B4 was available 24 hours a day on Sky channel 357 and was part of several music channels owned by CSC Media Group.

B4 also produced an early morning music video program broadcast from 2004 on weekdays on Channel 4 at 7 am. It was typically aired as part of Channel 4's breakfast programming, following children's programs and preceding several comedy programs from America. Produced by the same company behind ITV's The Chart Show, the program featured approximately seven new upfront videos each day that were set to be released in the United Kingdom in the near future, usually within the next month.

Rebrand to Flava

The rebranding of B4 to Flava was first signaled when the Ofcom license for B4 was replaced by one under the name Flava, and this change was also reflected in the EPG references describing the programs being shown, in late February or early March 2008. On March 26, 2008, B4 officially launched as an all-urban music channel named Flava.

On September 29, 2009, Flava launched on Freesat channel 502, replacing Scuzz on the platform.

On November 26, 2012, Flava changed its logo. Then, on June 5, 2013, Flava swapped positions with Scuzz on Sky. Flava moved from channel 367 to 374, while Scuzz moved from 374 to 367 to sit next to Kerrang!, as both are rock music channels.

On July 21, 2014, Flava, along with Bliss, was removed from Freesat.

On 23 April 2017, Flava introduced a brand new logo and changed their program graphics from blue to black (red in some programs and yellow in "Remember The Year"). They later rebranded themselves as a 100% Old Skool Hip Hop and R&B channel on 2 May 2017.

Closure

Flava abruptly ceased broadcasting at 11:15 on 1 November 2017 without warning, with "Juicy" by The Notorious B.I.G. being the final music video to be played on the channel. The broadcast crashed and went blank in the middle of the video. Shortly after, the channel was closed down and removed from the EPG. The last video played in full before the shutdown was "In da Club" by 50 Cent.

Programming

99 Problems: Rap Anthems - We've got 99 rap anthems for you right now, so keep it Flava for Old Skool Eminem, Jay Z, Dr Dre, Snoop, 2Pac & more.
A-Z of Hip Hop - The ultimate countdown of the best Hip-Hop videos from artists A-Z.
Bass Believers - A collection of the best drum 'n' base tunes.
Big Tunes Fo' Shizzle - Non stop variety of Hip Hop Music
Block Rockin Beatz - A mix of big urban tunes.
Brand New! This Weeks Hottest - Brand new music, and the biggest new hip-hop and R&B music.
Breakfast Beats - Non-stop hip hop, rnb & drum 'n' bass music.
Britain's Next Urban Superstar with Jordan Kensington - The nationwide talent search ran by Jordan Kensington.
Charlie Sloth's Old Skool Takeover - BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter Charlie Sloth chooses his selection of old skool hip hop music.
Dope Morning Beats - The latest urban music on a morning.
Double Up - Back to back videos from the best urban artists around.
Drum 'n' Bass - A mix of the finest drum 'n' base music.
First for Flava - A collection of the newest urban music videos.
Flava at the Flicks - The best hip-hop music from movies
Freshest Beats - The latest urban music.
Garage Anthems - The best in new and classic garage tunes.
Godfathers of Hip Hop - The best music from male urban artists.
Hip Hop Download Chart - A countdown of the weeks most downloaded Hip-Hop tracks.
Hip Hop Number Ones - A collection of Hip-Hop number ones from recent years.
Hip Hop Vs Garage - A mash up of Hip-Hop and garage music.
Hip Hop Xplosion - A mix of the biggest Hip-Hop music.
In The Mix - The biggest urban, hip-hop, pop and R&B tunes, in the mix!
In The Mix: 90s Hip-Hop Anthems - Rap classics from the 90s, in the mix.
Masters of Hip Hop - Music from the founders of Hip-Hop.
Morning Rewind - Hip Hop from the 80s, 90s & 00s on a morning.
Non Stop Flava - Non-stop R&B and Hip-Hop music.
Official Flava Urban Chart - Get your daily fix of the hottest RnB, Hip Hop, grime and dance tracks in our massive Top 20 countdown.
Party Flava - Classic urban party tunes.

PLAY - Interactive twitter block

PLAY: Eminem and Friends - A special edition of #PLAY reserved for songs by Eminem and his collaborators.

PLAY: Movie Soundtracks - A special edition of #PLAY featuring hip-hop music from movies.

R&B Download Chart - A countdown of the most downloaded R&B songs each week.
R&B Singles Chart - Countdown of the weeks' top R&B music.
Scratch Masters - Back to back scratch tunes from the experts.
Something for da Honeyz - The best music from male RnB/Hip-Hop artists.
Straight Outta Old Skool - Hip Hop from the 80s, 90s & 00s
The Jump Off - A collection of Hip-Hop music with the loudest beats.
Top 10 Biggest Tracks Now - The latest top 10 hottest urban tunes.
Top 20 Bad Boyz of Hip Hop - Countdown of the best male artists in Hip-Hop.
Top 20 Buff Boys - We unleash 20 of the buffest boys in hip hop music!
Turn Up The Flava - A collection of the best R&B music from the last two years.
Urban Beats - The best new and classic R&B and Hip-Hop music.
Urban Cutz - The latest R&B and Hip-Hop music.
Wake Up wit Flava - A mix of the latest new music.
Westwood TV - Interviews with artists from the hip hop scene
xXx: State of the Union - See more.

B4 programming

B4 Breakers - A countdown of the top ten most selected videos.
B4 Breakfast - An energetic mix of the latest pre-release songs.
B4 Dawn - Music from new artists and groups.
B4 Hits - A selection of the newest music.
B4 Loves... - An hour dedicated to the life and music of one artist or group.
B4's Big Ones - A mix of the biggest and best hits.
B4's Hot Hits - All the latest and most requested music videos.
B4's Lovin' - The most requested new music.
B4's Most Selected - The top ten most requested music videos.
Brand New - All the biggest and newest music videos.
First on Friday - All the latest music videos every Friday.
Fresh New Tracks - A showcase of brand new music videos.
Most Requested - Songs most requested by the viewers.
Out Tomorrow - Brand new music that's released tomorrow.
Today's Most Selected - An hour of music videos selected by viewers.
Top 5 - Five non interrupted songs from an artist or group.
Top Ten Bands to See This Week - A countdown of the top ten best bands to see in concert.
Videos to Cure a Hangover - A mix of the best non-stop music.
Wake Up with B4 - A selection of fresh new music videos.