It’s over: MTV is shutting down all its music channels
For us in North America, we’ve long become accustomed to not seeing music videos on MTV. The channel has become a repository for endless reruns of Ridiculousness and whatever lifestyle programming is cheap to produce.
There are, however, places around the planet that still have MTV channels with video flows under the brand names MTV Music, MTV Hits, and a couple of decade-specific (80s and 90s) versions. I’ve been a few places in SE Asia where these channels have popped up on my hotel TV.
Now, though, the medium that was supposed to kill the radio star (Spoiler: It didn’t.) is going away forever. Paramount Skydance, MTV’s new owner, will shut down all its international music channels by December 31. No more VJs, no more Unplugged specials, no more video premieres. MTV can no longer compete with streaming (especially YouTube) and social media.
Countries affected included the UK, France, Germany, Australia, and Brazil. Some channels (MTV HD) will still exist, but the focus will be lifestyle, not music.
This is remarkable, especially if you grew up in the 80s and 90s when music videos and the video channels ruled and artists would spend millions on a producing a new clip. MTV influenced everything about the music industry and changed the course of how music was made, promoted, and sold.
Funny how radio is still here, though, huh?
