Happy birthday, MTV, even if you didn’t kill the radio star

Anant Rangaswami • February 3, 2022, 14:03:24 IST

It’s 30 years since MTV launched – and Video still hasn’t killed the radio star. MTV has changed from being a music channel to a destination for youth.

Happy birthday, MTV, even if you didn’t kill the radio star

It’s 30 years since MTV added a new dimension to the way music was consumed worldwide, launching the first satellite channel devoted to music.

On 1 August, 1981, lives of music fans in the US changed forever when the MTV began broadcasting with this fantastic, provocative number, Video killed the radio star.

MTV caused music producers to scramble and re-work their marketing and production plans to factor in budgets for music videos and airplay (not all videos were aired free). The result? Great videos such as this one from Paul Simon, Call me Al.

It was unusual to see music artists doing anything other than play an instrument or sing, so this new facet, their ability to ‘act’ was a refreshing change – and a driver to the growth of music album sales. Where do you see music videos like this one? Presenting, Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer.

MTV introduced viewers to new music, new bands from countries far and wide – so American music fans could meet bands like Men at Work. Take a look at Down Under:

It took 15 years for MTV to reach Indian shores – and they came to India with an all international music programming strategy, which just didn’t work from an advertising revenue point of view. So MTV India’s re-engineered business plan saw the channel stay ‘international’ with the Video Jockeys speaking in English (later in Hinglish) while the content was largely Indian. MTV India gave us Nikhil Chinappa and Cyrus Broacha, VJs who all but embody what music television in India is. Broacha arrived on the scene with MTV Bakra. Fifteen years on, here’s Broacha with Baap of Bakra.

It’s 30 years since MTV launched – and Video still hasn’t killed the radio star. MTV has changed from being a music channel to a destination for youth. New media has provided today’s youth with new alternative methods of music consumption, and as MTV looks ahead, it’s the core audience – youth – which is the bedrock of their strategy, not the core promise when they launched, music.

Happy birthday, MTV.

Written by Anant Rangaswami

Anant Rangaswami was, until recently, the editor of Campaign India magazine, of which Anant was also the founding editor. Campaign India is now arguably India's most respected publication in the advertising and media space. Anant has over 20 years experience in media and advertising. He began in Madras, for STAR TV, moving on as Regional Manager, South for Sony’s SET and finally as Chief Manager at BCCL’s Times Television and Times FM. He then moved to advertising, rising to the post of Associate Vice President at TBWA India. Anant then made the leap into journalism, taking over as editor of what is now Campaign India's competitive publication, Impact. Anant teaches regularly and is a prolific blogger and author of Watching from the sidelines. see more