MTV has announced that their flagship black music channel MTV Base will stop airing this month.
Launched in the UK in July 1999, the channel aired across Europe and Africa.
In a news post uploaded to their website, MTV said, “We have made these changes to reflect our audience’s current viewing patterns, and it means we are saying goodbye to our MTV Classic and MTV Base brands. MTV Base, in particular, will be remembered fondly for its contribution to raising the profile of music of Black origin.
“Since its launch in 1999, MTV Base has been a fantastic platform for introducing and establishing some of the biggest acts in RnB, rap, grime and more into UK contemporary culture at a time when these genres were still considered ‘niche’.
“Music of Black origin now holds a broad appeal for a variety of fans across the UK, so we have refined our music channels to reflect how these genres have been integrated into mainstream playlists more generally.
“Contemporary Black music and artists will continue to be showcased on our flagship channel, MTV Music and on MTV Hits. We’re also bringing back YO! MTV Raps: Rated hosted by Poet and Snoochie Shy as a new bi-weekly show on MTV Music.
“Our commitment to representing music of Black origin remains unchanged – these changes will see the Black music genres popularised by MTV Base feature more prominently across our entire music portfolio.”