MTV facts for kids
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Logo since February 5, 2021, paying homage to the original 1981 logo.
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| Country | United States |
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| Broadcast area | United States |
| Headquarters | One Astor Plaza, 1515 Broadway, Times Square, Manhattan, New York City, NY |
| Programming | |
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| Picture format | HDTV |
| Timeshift service | MTV East (New York City) MTV West (Los Angeles) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Paramount Media Networks (Paramount Global) |
| Parent | MTV Entertainment Group |
| Key people | Chris McCarthy (President/CEO, MTV Entertainment Group) |
| Sister channels |
List
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| History | |
| Launched | August 1, 1981 |
| Former names |
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| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Philo | Internet Protocol television |
| Hulu | Internet Protocol television |
MTV (which originally stood for Music Television) is a popular American TV channel. It first started broadcasting on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, MTV is a main part of the MTV Entertainment Group. This group is owned by Paramount Global.
MTV first showed music videos and related shows. These were introduced by TV hosts called video jockeys, or VJs. MTV became very popular around the world. It helped cable TV shows become famous in the 1990s. Over time, MTV started showing fewer music videos. Instead, it focused more on reality shows for teenagers and young adults.
Since the late 2010s, MTV mostly shows a few specific programs. One of these is Ridiculousness. In June 2020, this show aired for 113 hours out of the network's 168-hour weekly schedule. MTV has also created many sister channels in the United States. It also has channels in other countries. As of January 2017, about 90.6 million homes in the U.S. could watch MTV.
Contents
What to Watch on MTV: Shows and Films
MTV has changed a lot since it started. Music videos and VJ-hosted shows are no longer the main focus. The channel now offers many different types of shows. These programs are made for teenagers and young adults. Besides its own shows, MTV also airs programs from other Paramount channels.
MTV also makes movies for young adults through its company, MTV Films. It has shown its own movies that were in theaters. It also airs original TV movies and films it has bought from other companies.
In 2010, a study found that MTV had a high percentage of content about the lives of gay, bisexual, and transgender people. This was the highest in the TV industry at the time. In 2018, MTV started a new group called MTV Studios. This group makes new versions of MTV's older shows. It was later renamed MTV Entertainment Studios.
The MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs)
In 1984, MTV held its first MTV Video Music Awards show, also known as the VMAs. Madonna performed "Like A Virgin" at this first show. The awards given out are shaped like the MTV moonman. This moonman was MTV's original image when it first started in 1981. The VMAs were MTV's most watched yearly event as of 2012.
Fun Annual Events and Specials
MTV started its yearly Spring Break coverage in 1986. They set up a temporary studio in Daytona Beach, Florida. They broadcast live for eight hours a day for a week in March. MTV wanted to be part of this youth event.
The channel later added beach-themed events in the summer. They would broadcast live from a beach house in different places. This led to special summer themes in the 1990s and early 2000s. Examples include Motel California and Isle of MTV. MTV VJs would host music video blocks. They would also interview artists and introduce live performances from the beach house.
MTV also had week-long music events that took over the channel. In the 1990s and 2000s, these included All Access Week. This week was for live concerts and festivals. Spankin' New Music Week in the fall showed brand new music videos.
At the end of each year, MTV broadcasts live from Times Square in New York City on New Year's Eve. They feature live music performances and interviews with popular artists. For many years, MTV had a tradition of a band performing a cover song right after midnight.
Live Concerts for Good Causes
MTV has shown live global concerts that raise money for good causes. On July 13, 1985, MTV broadcast the Live Aid concerts. These concerts were held in London and Philadelphia. They raised money to help people in Ethiopia who were suffering from famine. MTV showed 16 hours of coverage.
MTV also broadcast the Live 8 concerts on July 2, 2005. These concerts took place in several countries. They happened before a big meeting of world leaders. MTV received some criticism for its coverage of Live 8. Some viewers felt the network cut to commercials too often. MTV later aired five hours of uninterrupted Live 8 coverage.
MTV's Journey: A Look at Its History
How MTV Began
Before MTV, music on TV mostly meant live performances. Shows like The Midnight Special were popular. Some big music groups, like the Beatles and Queen, had already made music videos. But the idea of music videos wasn't widely known yet.
In 1979, a new company thought teenagers were a great audience. They wanted to create a TV channel just for them. Robert W. Pittman created MTV's first idea. He tested it with a 15-minute show in New York City.
The Big Launch Day
MTV officially launched on Saturday, August 1, 1981, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time. It started with the words "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll." This was played over video of the first Space Shuttle launch and the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Then came the MTV theme song. This song played while the MTV logo changed colors and designs.
The very first music video shown on MTV was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. It was followed by "You Better Run" by Pat Benatar. Sometimes, the screen would go black when an employee changed a tape. MTV's on-screen text for video titles used a clear font called Kabel for many years.
Robert W. Pittman gathered a team to help launch MTV. This team included Tom Freston and Fred Seibert. Within two months, record stores started selling music that local radio stations weren't playing. MTV also helped British bands become popular in the U.S.
MTV aimed for an audience aged 12 to 34. But its own research showed that over half of its viewers were 12–24 years old. This group watched MTV for 30 minutes to two hours a day. MTV helped make music videos a popular art form and a way to promote artists.
The First VJs and How Shows Worked
MTV's early shows were like radio stations that played rock music. Young hosts introduced the videos. Many of these VJs became famous themselves. MTV's first five VJs in 1981 were Nina Blackwood, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, J. J. Jackson, and Martha Quinn. They were chosen to appeal to different types of viewers. The VJs were told not to buy homes because no one was sure if the channel would succeed.
The VJs recorded their introductions and outros for videos. They also shared music news and interviews. These segments seemed live, but they were pre-taped during a normal work week.
Rock bands and performers from the 1980s who appeared on MTV included Adam Ant, Bryan Adams, Pat Benatar, Blondie, Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, Prince, and U2. The song "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits even included the line "I want my MTV."
By 1984, more music companies and artists realized how popular MTV was. To handle all the new videos, MTV changed how it played them. They made more categories for videos. This helped make sure popular artists got enough airtime.
Flashdance (1983) was the first movie that gave MTV musical clips to promote the film. MTV also played music videos by "Weird Al" Yankovic. He became famous for making funny versions of other artists' videos. MTV also aired his special shows called Al TV. MTV also included public service announcements (PSAs) and promoted charities.
1993–2003: Cartoons and TRL
From 1995 to 2000, MTV played 36.5% fewer music videos. MTV's president said that just showing music videos was no longer new. The network needed to change for its audience. MTV started a radio network in 1995. MTV greatly reduced how often it played music videos by the mid-2000s.
Popular Cartoons for Older Kids
MTV started making cartoons for older audiences. These included Beavis and Butt-Head (1993–1997), Celebrity Deathmatch (1998–2007), and Daria (1997–2002). Beavis and Butt-Head and Daria were the most successful. They both gained a lot of fans. Daria also had two TV movies.
Total Request Live (TRL)
In 1997, MTV opened its new studios in Times Square. MTV created several music video shows. In 1998, MTV combined two shows into Total Request Live, or TRL. The first host was Carson Daly. The show had a live audience in a studio with big windows. This allowed crowds outside to watch.
TRL was most popular from 1999 to 2001. The show played the top ten pop, rock, R&B, and hip hop music videos. It also featured live interviews with artists and celebrities. When Carson Daly left TRL in 2003, the show's popularity went down. The series ended with a special finale episode on November 16, 2008.
Other Shows from the Era
From 1998 to 2003, MTV also aired other music video shows. These included Say What? Karaoke, a game show. MTV also aired VJ for a Day and Hot Zone, which played pop music videos.
Special Moments and Milestones
Around 1999 to 2001, MTV aired fewer music videos. It often showed special programs looking back at its history. A big special called MTV Uncensored came out in 1999.
Janet Jackson was the first person to receive the "MTV Icon" award. This award honors artists who have greatly influenced music and pop culture. Later recipients included Aerosmith and Metallica.
2000–2010: The Rise of Reality TV
Over this decade, MTV slowly changed its focus. It started showing more programs that were not just music videos. MTV became known for its reality shows. Some of these shows followed the lives of musicians. The Osbournes, a reality show about Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne and his family, started in 2002. It became one of the network's most popular shows.
While music videos were shown up to eight hours a day in 2000, by 2008, it was only about three hours a day. Many people think this change happened because of websites like YouTube. These sites made it easy to watch music videos online. During this time, MTV started showing music video blocks mostly in the early morning.
Before Total Request Live ended in 2008, MTV tried new music shows. FNMTV was a new music video block. AMTV, an early morning block, started in 2009. This block later became Music Feed and showed full music videos. MTV also brought back MTV Unplugged in 2009.
In 2009, Jersey Shore debuted. It became very popular and led to other "MTV Shores" shows. This show also caused some discussions. After Michael Jackson passed away in June 2009, MTV showed many hours of his music videos. They also had live news specials with reactions from MTV hosts and other celebrities. MTV did similar specials when Whitney Houston and Adam Yauch (from the Beastie Boys) passed away.
2010–Present: Less Music, More Shows
In February 2010, MTV stopped using "Music Television" in its logo. The network still showed video premieres sometimes. But over the decade, music programming was greatly reduced. In April 2016, MTV announced plans to bring more music programming back. New Unplugged episodes started airing. A new weekly performance series called Wonderland also began. When Prince passed away, MTV stopped its regular shows to air his music videos. In July 2017, it was announced that TRL would return.
In the late 2010s, MTV's daily schedule mostly showed movies and many episodes of certain original shows. In 2020, some people criticized MTV for showing Ridiculousness too much.
Besides reality shows, MTV also started making more scripted shows. These included Awkward and a new version of Teen Wolf. Some of these shows later moved to other networks. Chris McCarthy became president of MTV in 2016. In 2021, he became president and CEO of MTV Entertainment Group.
MTV's Look: Logos and Branding
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MTV's first logo was designed in 1981. It had a big "M" and a scribbled "TV." The "M" was often yellow, and the "TV" was red. But unlike other TV channels, MTV's logo often changed. It would appear in different colors, patterns, and images in short clips called station IDs. For example, in one ID, the "M" was an apple, and a snake was the "TV." The only things that stayed the same were the logo's general shape and size.
MTV launched with a special network ID showing the first Moon landing. This clip ended with the MTV logo on the American flag on the Moon. The logo changed colors quickly while MTV's original jingle played. This "Moon landing" ID was shown at the top of every hour until 1986. It was removed after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, MTV updated its on-air look every year. This created a consistent style across its music shows. This channel-wide branding ended when MTV showed fewer music shows. Around this time, MTV started using a simple, single-color logo on screen during all its programs.
In 2008, MTV started using an updated and cropped version of its original logo. This became MTV's official logo on February 8, 2010. The words "MUSIC TELEVISION" were removed. The new logo was similar to the old one, but the bottom of the "M" was cut off. The "V" in "TV" no longer branched off. This change likely showed that MTV was focusing more on reality and comedy shows. Like the original logo, the new logo could be filled with many different images.
On June 25, 2015, MTV International changed its on-air look again. It used new graphics inspired by certain art styles. Many people didn't like this change. They felt the art style was meant to criticize big companies, not be used by them. Some thought MTV was trying to be more current. The rebrand also used a new version of MTV's old slogan, "I Want My MTV!" It changed to "I Am My MTV." Some believe this new slogan shows how today's generation focuses on self-identity.
On February 5, 2021, MTV started using a new logo. This logo is a simpler version of the 2010 one. It pays tribute to old MTV with red, yellow, and blue colors. The new logo was fully rolled out by the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards.
"I Want My MTV!" Campaign
The famous "I Want My MTV!" advertising campaign started in 1982. It was created by George Lois and Dale Pon. The campaign featured popular artists and celebrities. These included Pete Townshend, Pat Benatar, David Bowie, the Police, Madonna, and Mick Jagger. They would interact with the MTV logo and tell viewers to ask their TV providers for MTV. The slogan became so well-known that Sting sang it in the Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing."
MTV's Efforts for Social Change
MTV has always tried to encourage young people to get involved in social, political, and environmental issues. They do this through campaigns like Choose or Lose and Fight For Your Rights.
Choose or Lose: Encouraging Voting
In 1992, MTV started a campaign called Choose or Lose. Its goal was to get over 20 million young people to register to vote. The channel also hosted a town hall meeting for Bill Clinton, who was running for president at the time.
MTV has also aired shows like True Life, which tells stories about people's lives and challenges. MTV News specials focus on current events in music and the world. One special covered the 2004 US presidential election. It focused on issues important to young people. MTV also worked with P. Diddy's "Citizen Change" campaign to encourage young people to vote.
MTV also showed a documentary about the band Sum 41's trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It showed the conflict there. The band even got caught in an attack. For the first time, MTV also started showing presidential campaign commercials during the 2008 US presidential election.
Rock the Vote: Get Out and Vote!
MTV works with Rock the Vote. This campaign aims to motivate young adults to register and vote in elections.
MTV Act and Power of 12: New Campaigns
In 2012, MTV launched MTV Act and Power of 12. MTV Act focuses on many different social issues. Power of 12 replaced Choose or Lose. It focused on the 2012 US presidential election.
Elect This: For the 2016 Election
In 2016, MTV continued its pro-democracy efforts with Elect This. This campaign looked at the 2016 election from the viewpoint of young adults. It included short animations and digital series.
Vote Early Day: Making Voting Easier
In 2020, MTV was a main founder of Vote Early Day. This day encourages people, especially young voters, to vote before Election Day. The campaign works with many different groups.
Beyond the Main MTV Channel
Since 1981, the "MTV" brand has grown a lot. It now includes many other channels and websites.
Other MTV Channels in the U.S.
MTV has a group of channels under the name MTV Networks. In 1985, MTV launched its first sister channel, VH1. VH1 originally stood for "Video Hits One." It was meant to play adult contemporary music videos. Now, VH1 focuses on celebrity and pop culture reality shows. Another sister channel, CMT, focuses on southern culture and country music.
With satellite and digital cable TV, MTV added more channels. These include MTV2 and the Spanish-speaking MTV Tr3́s (Tr3́s). These channels first played music videos but later focused on other shows. MTV also used to broadcast MTVU on college campuses. MTV also had MTV Hits and MTVX channels. These later became NickMusic and BET Jams.
In January 2006, MTV launched MTV HD. This is a high-definition version of MTV. Most TV providers now offer MTV HD.
MTV Networks also runs MTV Live. This is a high-definition channel that shows original HD music programs. It also shows HD versions of music shows from MTV, VH1, and CMT. It launched in 2006 as MHD (Music: High Definition). It was renamed MTV Live in 2016.
From 2005 to 2007, MTV launched channels for Asian Americans. These included MTV Desi (for Indian Americans), MTV Chi (for Chinese Americans), and MTV K (for Korean Americans). These channels showed music videos and shows from MTV's international channels. All three of these channels stopped broadcasting on April 30, 2007.
On August 1, 2016, MTV Classic (formerly VH1 Classic) was launched. This channel focuses on classic music videos and shows from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. It aired old MTV series like Beavis and Butt-Head. The launch included a broadcast of MTV's very first hour on air.
MTV on the Internet
In the late 1980s, before the World Wide Web was common, MTV VJ Adam Curry started exploring the Internet. He registered the website name "MTV.com" in 1993. He wanted it to be MTV's unofficial voice online. When Curry left MTV, the company later sued him for the website name. They settled out of court.
The website was first called "MTV Online" in the mid-1990s. It was a place to find MTV content online. Later, it became "MTV.com" and was the main online spot for all MTV and MTV News content.
MTV.com tried different video-based layouts from 2005 to 2007. One experiment was MTV Overdrive, a streaming video service. After the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV changed its whole site to be video-based. Many users didn't like it because videos played automatically and the site was slow. The experiment ended in 2007. MTV.com went back to a regular website design with embedded video clips, like YouTube.
From 2006 to 2007, MTV had an online channel called MTV International. It showed music videos without commercials. This was because the TV channels were showing fewer music videos.
In October 2008, MTV launched MTV Music (later called MTV Hive). This website had thousands of music videos from MTV and VH1's libraries, going back to 1981. A new part of the company, MTV New Media, started making its own online shows in 2008. These shows could be watched on computers, phones, and other devices.
In 2012, MTV launched a music discovery website called the MTV Artists Platform (also known as Artists.MTV).
MTV.com is still the official website for MTV. It offers more content than what is shown on TV. In 2022, it changed to mostly direct users to content on Paramount+ and Pluto TV. The site used to have an online version of MTV News and podcasts. It also allowed authenticated streaming. The news site is no longer updated but still has old movie features, profiles, and interviews. There is also an MTV app for phones and smart TVs.
Images for kids
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Logo since February 5, 2021, paying homage to the original 1981 logo.
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The first images shown on MTV were a montage of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.
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A woman cosplaying as Daria Morgendorffer, the main character of the popular MTV animated series Daria, which aired from 1997 to 2002.
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1515 Broadway in Times Square, where MTV Studios has been since 1997.
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AMTV, the name of MTV's music video programming since 2009.
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Pauly D and the Situation from Jersey Shore in 2011.
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MTV's first logo, used from August 1, 1981, to May 31, 1994.
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MTV's second logo, used from May 31, 1994, to April 12, 2009. It was still used outside United States until July 1, 2011.
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One of many MTV station IDs used during the 1980s; this one was designed by Henry Selick.
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Comparison of MTV's original 1980s branding and its 2009 branding.
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MTV's former logo used on-air from April 12, 2009, to September 12, 2021. It was still used on some MTV programs and YouTube channel as the logo thumbnail on some videos.
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Logo since 2021.
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MTV's single color version, used for specific pieces of content.
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MTV Choose or Lose logo.
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MTV.com in 2008.
See also
In Spanish: MTV para niños
- List of MTV award shows
- List of MTV channels
- MTV Australia and New Zealand
- MTV Latin America
- MTV Europe
- Music industry
