Music Television. Those two words will conjure up many images in your head, but the most obvious is that you are probably now imagining a music video. These, of course, range from the classic (And I will fight anyone who doesn’t believe ‘Coffee and TV’ is a classic by now), to the ludicrous (as in pretty much anything by Lady Gaga).
This is obvious, you’re thinking. But to others, Music Television is the unabbreviated name of the iconic channel, MTV. However, I’m pretty sure this contravenes the Trades Description Act, as I’m certain MTV doesn’t actually play music videos any more, just endless shows about 16 year-old Valley teens squawking at each other.
The original American channel has already dropped the words ‘music television’ from its name, presumably in anticipation of my lawsuit.
And now, those students lucky enough to have Sky, or those who correctly prioritise it over course books or food, will soon notice that MTV wont be found in the ‘Music’ section any more, but ‘Entertainment’. Leaving the question of how entertaining ‘My Super Sweet 16’ is to one side, it is a sad state of affairs for a channel that was once revolutionary.
But while once MTV trail-blazed the future of the music industry, it now leads the way in vacuous shit. We once tuned in and saw a channel that invented the Music Video, we now get ‘Brooke Knows Best’.
The problem is spreading, those who rely on free music channels will notice 4Music and Viva going the same way. I never thought I’d call TMF the golden era of anything, but at least it played bloody music videos.
