MTV

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Recommended: MTV influence on society

On August 1st, 1981, the music industry ventured into the realm of television and transformed the way music is received today. A new network station called MTV, arrived on air for the first time. The production opened with a relatively old song called, “Video Killed the Radio Star,” by the Buggles. The industry for music on television introduced new bands and artists, and revived the fame of veteran musicians such as the Buggles, after their appearance. The fad brought a surplus of money to MTV and gave a voice to the young controversial generation of the 80s.
MTV: Music Television was an idea formed by various communication specialists. Majority of the acknowledgment for the making of MTV is given to Tom Freston, an entertainment industry executive, and Robert Pittman, an American businessman. The idea to create a station such as MTV was not one that would have been called random, or unrelated to the time period. This idea was more of a question of how to accomplish something as new as this. Music videos were not widely popular, and in order for MTV to survive, audiences had to be consumed by these videos. On Saturday August 1st, 1981, at 12:01 am Eastern Time, MTV has their debut. The channel opened with, “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll,” said by John Lack in their New York City studio. The original purpose of MTV was to play music videos 24/7, all the time. People known as “Video Jockeys” or “VJs” directed these videos. Videos played all day for a period of time, but eventually MTV began running television programs such as “The Real World” and “The Osbournes.” In 1984, the NY Times reported that MTV planned to start a second 24-hour music channel in January aimed at viewers aged 25 to 49 (NY Times 1984). Present day, MT...

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...m its beginnings and continues to transform culture and entertainment. The money and ego of network executives during the 80s and 90s skyrocketed. The commercial coagulation of music and television moved the generations that were growing up when it emerged, and it only continues to evolve with the rest of society.

Works Cited
"4 Great Ideas for Perfect 80s Hair." 4 Great Ideas for Perfect 80s Hair. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
Kerr, Peter. "MTV PLANS 2D MUSIC CHANNEL." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Aug. 1984. Print. 7 Apr. 2014.
Mann, Laura. "The Ten Best Music Videos Banned by MTV." DC9 At Night. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
Marks, Craig, and Rob Tannenbaum. I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution. New York: Dutton, 2011. Print.
McGrath, Tom. The Making of a Revolution. Running Press Book. 28 Feb. 1996. Print.

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