MTV’s 24-hour music channels have signed off worldwide, ending the broadcaster’s final connection to its music video roots.
It’s officially the end of an era, as MTV has ceased airing its remaining 24-hour music channels worldwide.
MTV channels based in the UK, Australia, Poland, France, Brazil and more have reported that the broadcaster’s music channels have gone dark. MTV’s flagship channel, however, has remained on the air and will continue to prioritise non-music reality programming over round-the-clock music videos.
In a bittersweet sendoff, MTV Music’s final music video aired would be The Buggles ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’, which previously was the very first music video ever broadcast when MTV launched in 1981.
While the channel had become a shadow of its former self, MTV’s music channels would initially be at the forefront of pop culture. Since launching in 1981, the channel has quickly changed the landscape for how audiences and musicians would discover and release music for years to come.
In 1983, MTV debuted the 14-minute music video for Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, which sparked a series of forward-thinking videos that legitimised the format as not only a marketing tool for promoting a song but an art form in its own right.
MTV would also see the debut of iconic music videos for songs like Run-DMC and Aerosmith‘s ‘Walk This Way’ and Peter Gabriel’s surreal ‘Sledgehammer’.
In 1989, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora would debut a stripped-down acoustic performance of ‘Livin’ on A Prayer’ and ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ at that year’s VMAs, which would go on to popularise acoustic renditions of songs, and of course, pave the way for Nirvana‘s landmark MTV Unplugged performance in 1993.
The broadcaster would also play a significant role in popularising Seattle’s Grunge movement by broadcasting the underground scene worldwide. This would see acts like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains dominate the culture in the 90s.
Of course, you can’t talk about MTV without also mentioning its many genre-specific interview shows like Yo! MTV Raps would provide a unique platform for artists to connect with their audience in a more laid-back format.
The decision to cease all 24-hour music channel broadcasts comes from Paramount Skydance’s move to reduce costs across its global media portfolio, following its merger earlier this year.
While the “music” side of MTV has been treading water for years, with the broadcaster pivoting into reality TV instead, the move to remove its 24-hour music video broadcast removes the final pillar of MTV’s music video roots from television. So, while it’s not entirely surprising, it is still bittersweet.
You can watch the final broadcast below:
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