MTV

Yes, MTV is the textbook example of Network Decay. However, it'd be great for us to discuss the bad and even the good of MTV, especially what the channel offered us in the past.

I'm only 19 so I wasn't old enough to catch MTV at its peak in terms of quality. But I live in Malaysia for my whole life so I only get to watch MTV Southeast Asia Fortunately, MTV Southeast Asia actually plays more music videos than reality shows. It introduced me to artists like New Order, Garbage and Placebo (in the 2000s!). I don't know what happened to it after I have unsubscribed the channel 3 years ago but I'm sure it provides better substance than its American counterpart.

Also, for nostalgia's sake, I bring you this....

edited 29th Mar '15 2:35:26 AM by tropeslave

MTV2 Has the Sucka Free block, which is about an hour and a half of music videos from the latest singles.

I haven't watched it in years.

I just pulled up the MTV schedule, and it's literally a 24 hour Marathon of Ridiculousness today. See, this is why I don't watch MTV. It's not even that they don't show music, it's that most of its programming just kinda sucks. I mean, it was OK back when they had Rob and Big and Beavis and Butt-head, (hell even Jersey Shore was kinda entertaining if you were in the mood to laugh and stupid people do stupid shit, but even then that wore thin eventually) but, I dunno maybe I just outgrew the channel and I'm pining for old shit based on mid-late 2000s nostalgia since MTV pretty much always appealed to the Lowest Common Denominator.

Honestly I don't even care that MTV doesn't play music anymore, it's just that literally everything on the channel is straight up Lowest Common Denominator type shit and, well once your not 15 anymore that stuff looses its a appeal really fast (then again, I have an Aqua Teen Hunger Force profile picture so maybe MTV's just not MY type of stupid bullshit)

edited 29th Mar '15 5:47:00 PM by RoboZombie

According to Wikipedia and a cited source, as of February 2015, approximately 93,240,000 American households (80.1% of households with television) received MTV whereas approximately 79,416,000 American households (68.2% of households with television) receive MTV 2.

As a Malaysian, I've only found this out recently and can finally understand why Americans get so disgruntled by MTV's content. I mean, I'd be mad too if a 3-decade old TV network still manages to reach a majority of TV audience despite offering almost nothing that made it so iconic in popular culture. At least MTV 2 offers programmes that have music videos.

In addition, finding out this made me realise how much I misunderstood the way Americans consume television.

I understand why they dont play music videos anymore, but why not play shows ABOUT music? Documentaries or even a reality show where they follow an artist on the road or something like that. Wouldnt stuff like that still have appeal to the typical MTV viewer?

That's why we have VH 1's spinoff channels.

@tropeslave I don't know how television works in Malaysia, but in America the standard cable television package is a bundle of all the major cable channels (roughly 50 or so) regardless of whether you watch them or not. So people may not actively watch MTV but still be a bit familiar with what's on it through channel surfing or looking at the TV guide. Plus shows like Jersey Shore have permeated pop culture to the point that the average non-viewer knows about it, which leads to a lot of Complaining About Shows You Don't Watch (which may or may not be justified in this case).

edited 31st Mar '15 6:40:07 PM by djbj

So I looked up the programming schedules for MTV, MTV2 and VH1. I felt down for a while just skimming through them. Too few music-related shows and the others don't show much long-term appeal. I have a feeling that most viewers of those channels at any one time are just watching them to pass time. I just can't see how those shows' premises manage to engage viewers for multiple seasons. Somehow they're capable to do so.

Perhaps I'm complaining too much for someone who haven't watch them yet. I hope some kind of Renaissance happens to MTV soon. Unlikely, I know, but not totally impossible.

Does that mean only viewers with cable television packages can watch MTV? Are there any free cable television packages?

Sorry if I appear nosey. Thanks for enlightening me on this matter. I'll apreciate it.

Agreed, it's not totally impossible.

It's completely impossible.