David Vance SubstackRead More
If you are around my age, you will recall the excitement that heralded the launch of MTV. That was on August 1, 1981, and it all began with The Buggles “Video Killed the Radio Star” It revolutionised music promotion and pop culture by broadcasting music videos 24/7. It was unlike anything we had seen before.
Well, guess what? Just as video killed the radio, Youtube and platforms like TikTok have killed MTV.
It has just announced that it is closing
MTV, the world’s first 24-hour music broadcaster, is to stop showing rolling pop videos in the UK after almost 40 years when it closes five channels at the end of the year. MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live will all stop broadcasting after 31 December,.
Habits change and the truth is that we now watch music videos on our phones mostly, and YouTube and TikTok are go-to platforms to watch new music. Traditional TV viewership has dropped significantly in recent decades, especially among younger demographics. According to one report, 13 to 24-year-old viewers spent only 16% of their time watching traditional TV in recent years. That’s the people downloading new music and they can do it all on their phones. The tech has left MTV high and dry.
But MTV did have its moment in the sun and even got name checked and immortalised in the epic Dire Sraights “Money for Nothing” video.
MTV in itself transformed the way bands promoted their music. Video became everything and artists like Michael Jackson had the marketing genius to grasp the potential when he released“Thriller” within a 12 months of the launch of MTV.
MTV had its heyday in the 80’s and 90’s and early 2000’s. It was novel and the medium prompted creativity in and around the artist and the actual music. It even allowed for poignancy to be a little popular. I love this video and it highlights the serious issue of Alzheimers and became a decent hit. MTV made a difference here.
All things must pass and streaming on your phone has killed MTV which in itself impacted traditional radio! Here’s to the next music revolution!
