I WANT MY SATURDAY TV

 

            On August 1^st, 1981, a new network launched that changed the way the music industry would do business for the next few decades. That network was MTV. While music videos had existed before the network, this was the first time a network had been dedicated largely exclusively to their airing. And being the first, stations were naturally hesitant to pick it up. But, once they did and it got going, it became a hit with the teenage and young adult market. Notably, the network provided exposure for many artists that didn’t receive a lot of radio airplay, turning them into successes they wouldn’t be otherwise. As its popularity grew, videos became an essential marketing tool resulting in more and more money being pumped into their production.

            As with any successful concept, imitators were quick to follow and try and attract those same audiences. To commemorate the 40^th anniversary of MTV and the place in pop culture it once held, this month we’ll be looking at some of the shows influenced by it directly, or at least of a similar vein.