What was first iconic in music pop culture history is now coming to an end, MTV (music television) draws to a close at the start of the new year. Due to music consumption being displayed across social media and many other platforms, Paramount has decided to forbid channels from playing music 24/7.
“MTV shutting down is very upsetting because I grew up on music videos. I still remember when it first came out,” history teacher Jamie Hester said.
For those who are unaware of what MTV is, it was a TV network that was first launched in 1981, introducing the world to new music videos, later broadcasting reality shows, cartoons and documentaries owned by Paramount Skydance. Due to the initial focus on music videos, it helped boost the careers of many artists, even internationally, such as Madonna and Duran Duran.
“I remember when they first showed ‘Video Killed the Radio Star,’ (the first music video aired) as well as Duran Duran’s ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ music video, it was a huge hit,” English teacher Stuart Egan said.
As platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram became popular for other people to discover new music, MTV’s main purpose faded. Younger audiences tend to stream music on services like Spotify instead of discovering new releases on television.
“I remember staying up late watching music videos and talking about it with my friends; it truly made us connected. It’s similar to teenagers discussing things on their ‘for you’ page on TikTok,” theater teacher Renee Hubbard said.
During the late 80s, MTV was introduced to news, animated shows and reality shows, which then shifted in the early 90s with hits such as “Beavis and Butthead” and “The Real World.” As well as that, there were “Unplugged” concerts, as well as TRL, where they interviewed different artists. However, these programs grew more unpopular over time.
“The reality shows were very cliquish at first and entertaining. Later on, it wasn’t as entertaining, so I completely stopped watching it,” English teacher Karen Fletcher said.
Although MTV is dying out, its legacy still holds to this day, giving a platform for many up-and-coming artists throughout the late 20th century, along with providing an entire generation with a connection to the rest of the world.
