Vice Media’s ascent continues with a major traditional media milestone — its own linear cable channel. I’ve learned that A+E Networks will be rebranding H2 into Vice. The move follows the $250 million deal last August, spearheaded by A+E Networks topper Nancy Dubuc, in which the company acquired a 10% stake in Vice Media. No one is commenting, but Vice co-founder Shane Smith had spoken of his desire to have a Vice-branded cable channel, eying Time Warner as a partner before that deal fell through, opening the door for A+E, and Dubuc has been looking for new ways to boost A+E’s portfolio of networks.
Vice’s target young male demo had been seen as a perfect match to complement A+E-owned History. Launched in 1996 as a companion channel to History, H2 mainly has been repurposing History programming, along with new episodes of the former History series and original specials. It is available in more than 71 million homes. This would be the second A+E Networks channel to be relaunched since Dubuc took over the company, following the rebranding of Bio as FYI.
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Vice Media also has a deal with HBO, which was recently expanded and extended through 2018. It focuses on news content and includes a daily Vice newscast as well as new seasons of the the Emmy-winning weekly documentary show and specials.
Time-Warner really missed out when they had the chance to rebrand HLN as the Vice channel.
Expect history aficionados to be up in arms with this news.
I would be up in arms except for the act that many Vice programs are of better quality than anything on basic cable minus scripted dramas.
I knew A&E paid that insanely exorbitant rate of $250 million because they were planning on rolling out VICE as a network. Initially I was incredibly suspicious about VICE’s inflated valuation until I realized what VICE REALLY is: An “indie-rock” front for the State Department. VICE’s whole purpose is to make war look “hip” and “cool” over an indie rock soundtrack with super hip kids from Brooklyn reporting from “behind enemy lines”. Well….the funny thing is, is that you don’t get to go “behind enemy lines” without doing the State Department’s bidding. Shane knew that the moment he launched the rebranded version of VICE and has been the economic success of that decision ever since.
He recently was exposed by a courageous staff member for spending $300,000 on a dinner. Ask yourself this question: does a man who spends enough money to put 5 kids through college in one lavish dinner care about the poor and disenfranchised? Absolutely note. He’s all about the $$$…..and the State Department is guaranteeing his success. “You report war the way we want it, and we’ll pay you a sh*tload of money.” Shane: “Deal!!”
Anyone who thinks I am being a conspiracy theorist please watch the episode where VICE visits the FOREX weapons conference in Jordan. That is a Military-ONLY conference. You don’t get access to that kind of event unless you’re playing ball with the government. That is one of many examples…..
The History Channel of old is officially dead. As they began showing more and more reality shows with no connection to actual history (or, in some cases, a tenuous one at best), H2 was the place to turn. I guess now the best we can hope for is that the new History channel does more scripted series like Vikings and more miniseries and less reality crap. The days of seeing historical documentaries on their network is long gone.
I’m about Viced out.
Expect quality fare like Vice presents Pawn Stars of communist North Korea
Terrible news for H2 fans like me. I got Smithsonian. Vice won’t be educational and I don’t need them for news. Well I won’t tune in.
I won’t be tuning in. H2 ends then I will be just with AHC and Smithsonian Channel. I quit seeing the main History Channel. I don’t know who Vice is and what they do and don’t care. Got enough channels doing news or whatever Vice does.
AHC, Smithsonian, Mysteries at the Museum on the Travel Channel and the occasional program on National Geographic. That’s where I go to get what History Channel and H2 used to provide.
Vice is a bubble that will soon pop. Their HBO show masquerades as real journalism and can barely hold an hour. The word is that they’ll be producing much of their own content in house. Not sure how they’ll program a whole night or week let alone a network. This won’t be pretty.
Vice continues to shock and awe like “60 Minutes” of yesteryear used to. I can’t wait to see what another dozen correspondents can rake up. I’m all in on this.