MTV’s been responsible for some of the biggest moments in television. It broadcast iconic music videos like Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, which helped play a part in the rise of cable television. The network has also been home to controversies, whether concerning programming or censorship. A shift in MTV’s programming has slowly taken place over the years, and it just made its biggest change when it shut down five auxiliary channels.
The channels being shut down — MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live channels — are located in the UK, and will be inactive by the beginning of the year. This doesn’t mean that MTV is fully going away, but it does cement the fact that music isn’t going to be the main focus of a channel that’s literally called “Music Television”. How did MTV get to this point?
MTV’s Shift in Programming Reflects The Times
MTV’s had a mix of scripted, reality, and animated shows in its programming since the ’90s, with hits like Beavis and Butt-head debuting during that time. The early 2000’s saw a rise in reality-based programming; Jersey Shore and Jackass are two major examples, as those series became a regular part of MTV’s rotation. MTV would also try branching out into more action-based programming in the early 2010’s thanks to the runaway success of Teen Wolf; while the effort wasn’t successful, it was pretty clear that MTV wasn’t just a music channel anymore.
Another factor that contributed to MTV’s shift in programming is the fact that most people get their entertainment online. The rise of the streaming wars, not to mention “cord cutting”, has deeply affected cable TV. Why wait to see Taylor Swift’s latest songs on television when they’re a click away on YouTube or playing on the biggest movie screen possible? MTV is trying to win over the next generation, yet it’s failed to comprehend the fact that this current generation has an entirely different relationship with music and media.
The Skydance/Paramount Merger Likely Led to MTV’s UK Shutdown
Paramount Skydance logo.Image via Paramount
Another major force in the shutdown of MTV’s UK channels is the merger between Paramount and Skydance Global, with newly minted CEO David Ellison stressing that he wanted to make the most use out of Paramount’s assets, including MTV and other cable channels. “We’re thinking about the cable network not as declining linear assets that we need to split them up or deal with somehow. We’re thinking about those brands that we have to redefine,” Ellison said during a press conference.
Ellison’s words might sound reassuring, yet shuttering MTV’s extra channels as an effort to “cut costs” usually mean that people will lose their jobs. It’s not the first time that a corporate merger has led to the closing of whole studios or even departments; the Disney/Fox merger would lead to Fox’s other studios, particularly Blue Sky Animation, closing down. With rumblings that Paramount might be looking to acquire Warner Bros. Pictures, even more cuts could be on the horizon, which would limit entertainment options and competition.
MTV Shutting Down Its UK Channels Has Been Met With Alarm
Britney Spears I’m A Slave 4 You VMA performance.Image via MTV
For the generation that grew up with MTV, the idea of losing more of the channel is not a great sign. Fans took to social media to vent their grievances, with former MTV video jockey Simone Angel telling BBC News: “We need to support these artists and we all need to dance again and listen to music. And I know we do that online in our own little bubbles, but MTV was the place where everything came together. So it really does break my heart.”
Angel’s words do raise a good point. In a world of corporate mergers, social media, and alternate forms of entertainment there may never be a culture-defining piece of media like MTV. Losing its channels means that part of pop culture history is being lost, and that’s a true tragedy.
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