Inside the sad last day at Australian Country Music Channel: Director reveals the final three songs he submitted before the network switched off for the last time
Foxtel switched off its Country Music Channel on Wednesday after 16 years for a new partnership with ViacomCBS.
But before the network ended, CMC’s programming director Tim Daley revealed in a heartbreaking post to Facebook, that he choose the three final songs that would play on repeat until it turned off.
‘We’re not sure exactly when CMC will switch off, so we couldn’t select a final song. We picked three which will repeat from Midnight,’ he wrote.
Inside the sad last day at Australian Country Music Channel: Foxtel switched off its Country Music Channel on Wednesday after 16 years. Pictured Caitlyn Shadbolt
Tim went on to reveal he decided on playing Steve Forde’s The Letter, Slim Dusty’s Looking Forward Looking Back and Fanny Lumsden’s This Too Shall Pass.
Australian songwriter Phil Barton also shared a photo with Tim and thanked him for all his work over the years.
‘I want to say a massive thank you to Tim Daley for all you have done for Australian Country Music and Country Music mate, you’ve been a real champion for our songs and artists and we appreciate it,’ he wrote.
‘Hate to see the last day of Country Music Channel but know we are truly grateful for the hard work and the way you’ve broken acts and song for the genre of country.’
The Country Music Channel launched in 2004, replacing an existing music video network.
Last song: Programming director Tim Daley revealed in a heartbreaking post to Facebook, that he choose the three final songs that would play on repeat until it switched off
In May, Foxtel announced it would be axing it’s music channels: MAX, Country Music Channel and V.
The news came just one week after the pay TV provider cut another 70 jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘We have made more tough decisions this week which will see around 70 people from our marketing and creative team leave Foxtel,’ a Foxtel spokesperson said at the time.
‘We are truly grateful for the hard work’: Australian songwriter Phil Barton also shared a photo with Tim and thanked him for all his work over the years
‘These are changes we had to make to face up to the impacts of COVID-19 on our business and a very different future for everyone involved in the media, entertainment and sporting industries.’
On Wednesday, MTV Australia launched its new music channels MTV HITS, Club MTV, MTV Classic and CMT, which are now available on Foxtel.
MTV HITS will play chart-toppers from around the globe, Club MTV will have R&B and dance hits, MTV Classic will feature music from 80s and 90s, while CMT will play country music.
New: This comes as MTV Australia launch its new music channels MTV HITS, Club MTV, MTV Classic and CMT, which are now available on Foxtel. Pictured country singer Tim McGraw