Music Television History

MTV is the most oldest and influential American cable network, launched in August 1981, it’s introduction started off with John Lack (one of the creators of MTV) spoken on camera saying “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll”. The first ever music video that was played on music television was ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ Featured by the band called the Buggles. By 1984 established as central to the music business and started their own Oscars - The Video Music awards, categories like Best Director, Best Video, Most Experimental, Best Choreography, Best SFX. 

Later one MTV was established by WASEC (Warner Amex Satellite Entertainment Company. Being established made MTV available to have low cost programming in the form of music videos and at times was given free by recording companies as MTV was also used for records and performers to advertise them. It was a ‘flow’ of music videos other than other channels that had programmes; MTV constantly played music and had a schedule for when songs could be played and if they were played again, depending on the people’s favourite song.

At the earliest of MTV, music videos mostly came from Britain as they were fairly well developed. Duran Duran was one of the first British bands that became famous through the American Market, as they had a great appeal to their fans and also created interesting music videos, and from then on the band immediately became popular. It started also become important to many more artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince and U2, which MTV helped them to become famous.

MTV throughout the years started to grow and developed through stages, and started showing quizzes shows, reality programmes like 'Unplugged' which featured live performances from artists of acoustics and satirical cartoon characters like 'Beavis and Butthead'  which attracted a younger male audience. MTV also started to become available in different places such as Asia and Europe. Different types of music were introduced like rock, pop, hip hop, grime, opera, indie and heavy metal.


Each category has a different MTV channel so it suits the target audience, MTV is still successful till now and is continuingly becoming an influence world wide. However, not only the music has changed through out the years, but also the image of MTV creating a new and modern look each year that went by, keeping the audience entertained.  MTV is now owned by Viacom, a major media conglomerate but one without significant interests in the record company, they are responsible for the shift instead of the narrow rock market, making the interest at a wider range for music genres. and diversified to establish VH1 a more album orientated channel for the older audience. MTV Europe started up with a great success.