MTV2 under Craig Media In November 2000, Craig Broadcast Systems Inc. (later known as
Craig Media) was granted approval from the
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a specialty service called "Music 5" that would consist of five separate music video channels that would each focus on a specific musical genre –
dance,
pop,
urban,
R&B and "hot hits". Before any of the channels had launched, in August 2001, Craig announced that it had reached an agreement with
MTV Networks to license the
MTV brand in Canada for several their channels. Although it was expected that 3 MTV branded genre-specific music channels would launch, on December 6, 2001, as
MTV2. Shortly after the launch, MTV Networks acquired a minority interest in the channel, along with sister network MTV Canada. MTV2 was structured as a free-form music video channel that aired music videos from various artists from different genres aimed at teenagers to young adults, in addition to a small number of concert series including the MTV Canada original series,
Pepsi Breakout. MuchMusic owner
CHUM Limited would file a complaint with the CRTC over MTV2 Canada, accusing the service of violating its CRTC licence by devoting over 60% of its programming to music videos. CHUM also accused Craig of using its promise of a pop music channel service as a backdoor to gain approval for a channel that would encroach on MuchMusic's protected format. Craig disputed the allegations, and this channel operated similarly to the
contemporary hit radio format. According to CHUM's complaint, Craig operated MTV2 as a general interest music video service, rather than a narrower "pop" channel as it was licensed and it also stated that it must air "less than 95% of music video clips broadcast on the channel" of pop music videos.
CHUM acquisition and relaunch as PunchMuch CHUM's disputes over the channel were soon rendered moot when it acquired Craig Media in 2004, primarily to gain control of its
A-Channel television stations in western Canada (which joined its
Citytv brand). However, per a clause in the licensing agreement, Viacom exercised its right to pull out of the venture upon the change in ownership. On June 9, 2005, CHUM announced it would rebrand the channel on June 30 as
PunchMuch, changing the format to an automated
music video service that would allow viewers the ability to request music videos and participate in on-screen chat, polling, and other interactive participation with their
mobile phone. The sale, also needing approval from the CRTC, was approved on June 8, 2007, with the transaction completed on June 22. After a three-year absence, the MTV2 brand returned in Canada when CTVglobemedia rebranded Razer as
MTV2 on August 1, 2008. From its inception, the channel had operated as an advertiser-supported service; on August 31, 2009, PunchMuch and its sister channels
MuchLoud,
MuchMoreRetro, and
MuchVibe all switched to commercial-free formats, while MuchMusic and MuchMoreMusic would continue to run commercials during programs. Ownership changed hands once again when on September 10, 2010,
Bell Canada (a minority shareholder in CTVglobemedia) announced that it planned to acquire 100% interest in CTVglobemedia for a total debt and equity transaction cost of $3.2 billion CAD. The deal was approved by the CRTC on March 7, 2011, and was finalized on April 1 of that year, on which CTVglobemedia was rebranded Bell Media.
Juicebox and Stingray ownership PunchMuch was subsequently rebranded as
Juicebox on November 17, 2011, focusing on music videos aimed at children (such as
teen pop musicians), with an emphasis on videos aimed at preteen audiences. On June 21, 2016, it was announced that
Stingray Digital would acquire Juicebox and its sister channels from Bell Media; the networks were sold for $4 million. The deal for Juicebox would later close on August 15, 2016, with the channel changing its name to
Stingray Juicebox on August 12, 2016. On June 1, 2017, Stingray announced the completion of the rebranding process for all four music video channels, which included new programming and a national promotional campaign. Since its launch in 2019, a number of television providers have replaced Juicebox with
Stingray Country, although the channel continues to be available on some providers. ==Programming==