Now it’s REALLY no longer “MuchMusic”

When it signed on in 1984, MuchMusic–“The Nation’s Music Station”–was a godsend for music fans all across this country. For the first time ever, a kid in St. John’s could experience the same music as a kid in Yellowknife. Millions would sit in front of their TVs for hours hoping that their favourite new music video would come up next.

And because it was illegal for anyone to carry MTV in Canada, MuchMusic had the market all to itself. For then-owners CHUM, “MM” stood for “MuchMoney.?

Once the record labels realized that music videos sold records, video channels like MM were all the rage for a good fifteen years. But then came Napster, file-sharing, iTunes, and most crucially, YouTube.

Once all music became available on demand, video channels lost their mystique and allure. MTV was the first to pivot to more lifestyle-oriented offerings. MuchMusic soon followed.

The “M” no longer stands for “music” in “MTV,” which are now just a generic set of call letters. And in case you missed it, it hasn’t been “MuchMusic” for some time. The channel was rebranded as just “Much” in 2013. Good move given that there wasn’t that much music being shown on the channel.

There will be even less music on Much going forward. Current owner Bell Media is cutting out six hours of video flow from each weekday. The only music videos they’ll run will come in a one hour noontime show featuring material from the 80s, 90s, and 00s.

Why? Ratings. Video blocks don’t attract audiences like they used to. In fact, they’re a ratings drain. While music videos are still important to the industry, it’s much smarter to make them on demand on YouTube and Vevo. No one watches them on TV.

Best keep pivoting to more movies, more lifestyle shows, more reality programming.

Here’s me talking about the whole situation with Jeff McArthur on Global News Radio AM 640.

(Via the CBC)