At 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 1, 1981, a little-known music network called MTV debuted on television screens across New Jersey.
The first words uttered on the network were from of one of its creators, John Lack.
According to an article from History.com, Lack introduced the network to viewers with the words, “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.”
After its first video — “Video Killed The Radio Star” by The Buggles — debuted, MTV skyrocketed into mainstream popularity and came to define a generation of music lovers.
Videos like The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” and Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” established the MTV era and cemented the importance of the music video as an art form.
After its music video usage peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s, MTV shifted its focus to the ever-popular realm of reality TV.
According to an article from Billboard magazine, the number of videos shown on MTV dropped more than 36.5 percent from 1995 to 2000.
In the 2000s, shows like “The Real World” and “The Hills” came to be more synonymous with MTV than its more important predecessors like “120 Minutes” and “MTV Unplugged.”
Although the ratings on its reality shows may be high, it’s clear that MTV has betrayed its core ideals by eliminating most of its music videos and alternative programs.
MTV needs to revitalize and reinvigorate itself. By featuring more music videos and alternative programs, MTV could improve its image and re-brand itself as the world’s most important and influential music television network.
To explain MTV’s significance to today’s generation of youngsters is difficult, as the means by which young people view music videos is entirely different from previous generations.
Before YouTube and iTunes, music fans tuned into MTV to watch their favorite artists. In addition to watching what they loved, fans sought out late-night shows like “120 Minutes” to discover new artists and songs.
Instead of solely entertaining viewers, MTV sought to broaden people’s musical tastes by showing other videos that were less popular but just as good.
It was apparent from the beginning that MTV’s goal was to provide its viewers with the best and most diverse music available.
While music videos may be more easily accessible on sites like YouTube, the Internet cannot recreate the atmosphere that MTV provided with its unique hosts and programs.
By redefining itself, MTV could reclaim the crown and position itself as the definitive music television channel.
Shane Newell is a junior journalism major and the opinions editor at the Daily 49er.