2. Who are they?
■ Channel Aka are formerly known as Channel U until 2009 when they changed to ‘AKA.
■ They are owned by ‘All around the world productions’
■ They are a British urban digital satellite TV channel that is available through ‘Sky’ within the UK and Ireland on the
channel 385.
■ They mainly focus on promoting and playing upcoming UK urban, grime, and hip-hop music and has also played a huge
part in the popularity for acts. For example, Tinie Tempah, Dizzee Rascal, Chipmunk, Wretch 32, Giggs, and Skepta
when they were just starting off in the music industry.
■ The channel was launched February 2003 which is when they went by the name ‘Channel U’.
■ The channel started off shooting crude productions with handheld digital video cameras.
■ Majority of the videos shown on the channel are of “the raw and unsigned talent we have in the UK”
■ In October 2005, the first ever ‘Channel U Awards’ were held in London with live performances.
■ In 2009 ‘Mushroom TV bought out ‘Fizz TV’ and ‘Channel U’, causing them to rebrand and change the name.
■ As of recently, Channel AKA have not only been playing UK music, but also music from the states and Caribbean that
may not always make it to the mainstream channels. For example Kodak Black, Kranium and Bobby Shmurda.
■ However through the use of showing raw urban material all the time, the channel was fined £18,000 by ‘Ofcom’ for
offences including broadcasting of inappropriate material etc.
■ Some of the channels programmes include: UK Gold, Urban Throwbacks, Hip-Hop Rap & Rhymes, and Street Stories.
■ Due to the channels use of urban videos that would only be seen elsewhere on YouTube, the type of audience they
would be attracting would be youthful people or people from the older generation that have a love for the classic
sound of UK music that you wouldn’t hear anywhere other than channel AKA.
■
3. Videos they may show
Cadet – Behind Barz
Young M.A - OOOUUU
Kranium - History
Stormzy – Shut Up
Bobby Shmurda – Hot Nigga
Kodak Black – No Flockin
Potter Payper - MIA Dave – Wanna Know Giggs – Talkin Da Hardest
