VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and the original owner of MTV, and launched on January 1, 1985, in the former space of Turner Broadcasting System's short-lived Cable Music Channel.
The channel was originally conceived to build upon the success of sister channel MTV by playing music videos targeting a slightly older demographic than MTV by focusing on the lighter, softer side of popular music.[2] Like MTV, VH1 ultimately drifted away from music videos and into reality television programming, albeit with a focus on music personalities and celebrities, and shows targeting African American audiences. VH1 is best known for franchises such as Behind the Music, the I Love… series, the Celebreality block, Love & Hip Hop, and RuPaul's Drag Race.
As of January 2016, approximately 90.2 million US households received VH1.