The Decline of MTV and VH1 as Priority Music Channels

Have you tuned into MTV lately? Odds are they aren’t playing music videos. At one time MTV was thought of as a music television station, but those days are long past. I guess it’s understandable for some, as to why MTV might cut down video time to make room for shows like Pimp My Ride, the Ashlee Simpson show, and of course the newlyweds show featuring Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. Isn’t reality TV great? Truth is, MTV now has three stations, including VH1, and is starting to fill up the other stations with reality garbage. VH1 just a few years ago was a great station for all music lovers. From Rock & Roll Jeopardy to Behind the Music, to actual music videos, it was actually a music station 98% of the time. Now Behind the Music seems to be extinct, and meanwhile VH1 is filling up with I Love the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. Even more disturbing if the existence of shows like the Surreal Life, Celebrity Fit Club, Strip Search, and the Fabulous Life of.... MTV2 is still a young station and has already changed from the original format that was promised. It was supposed to be videos all day long, nothing else. They show the Tom Green Show, Beavis and Butthead, and several other non-music programming. Please MTV, don’t change your format to include music just because it’s a large part of the entertainment that fills our lives. It’s not as important as watching what the musicians do when they’re not making music. That’s what all music fans truly want to see (note: strong sarcasm). Remember when Ozzy was known for his music and stage antics? Now he’s just a joke to the society we live in. He’s just one in four that make up the core Osbournes family we all know from the TV show. Ozzy should not be known for his dogs that piss on the carpet in his house, he should be known for “War Pigs,” “Crazy Train,” and getting rabies shots for biting the head off an unconscious bat. How many of you truly thing of Ozzy as a musician? MTV and VH1 are not meant to be reality show outlets; they are supposed to be for music lovers of all kinds. Think of all the bands and musicians that spend money and time making videos that are never shown. In the approximate two or three hours a day MTV and VH1 spend showing videos in the morning, variety doesn’t exist. Green Day tends to be played several times, along with typical rap and R&B acts (Usher, Nelly). No other rock bands are featured regularly with the exception of Maroon 5 and the Killers. The lack of quality music television also limits the ability for musicians to promote themselves. There are great bands, rappers, artists, that you haven’t heard before. A true music station would allow these musicians to be heard and judged on their talent. As it stands now a pretty face is the most important thing, and the music is just made to fit accordingly. The overall message and creativity should always be the most important thing, and there’s at least one media outlet that’s lost sight of that.