For much of the modern era, the word music in the MTV acronym has been an afterthought, a vestige of an earlier time and identity. Because we all know it isn’t, and hasn’t been for a long time, “Music Television.”
That’s all about to change.
Under the guidance of new President Sean Atkins, the youth network is embarking on a redo that will put music at its center.
With ratings flat or down in a number of time periods, MTV is turning to songs as its savior. The network is prepping a new version of its classic “Unplugged”; a music competition show in the world of hip-hop produced by Mark Burnett; and an L.A.-set live-music series titled “Wonderland.” The last one is MTV’s first such program in about two decades.
Though much of the network’s success this century has come via nonscripted series with little connection to bands (ie. reality shows) – MTV believes it will fare better by returning to its roots.
Atkins said in an interview that the constant question in his mind was “Why doesn’t MTV do more music?” and referred to music as their “muse” or “spirit animal.” So they’ve decided to return to it.
The new direction comes at a time of MTV uncertainty–and executive housecleaning. With ratings stagnant, fears of millennial cord-cutting rising and no new shows on the breakout level of “Jersey Shore,” owner Viacom and Doug Herzog, the company’s president of the music and entertainment group, have embarked on a series of major personnel changes. Since the start of 2015, well-known MTV executives have left the network.
The network also announced that “The Shannara Chronicles” — the most expensive fantasy series in its history — has been renewed for a second season.
But Atkins said he’s wary that too much non-music fare could throw the network out of balance, and so has set out to find as much music programming as possible. The Burnett hip-hop show, for example, will involve the business side as much the creative, a kind of “Shark Tank” meets “the Voice,” according to MTV, is especially intriguing, given the producer’s pioneering role in reality competition series space (and given that the most successful show in the genre, “American Idol,” just wound down after a ratings plummet.)
“Wonderland,” meanwhile, will be an hour long show focusing on a different series of acts every week. With the help of sister channel Comedy Central, the series will showcase “the best new music, groundbreaking live performances and young comedic talent under one roof,” according to a network statement, with live performances “the beating heart of every episode.”
And more music could be on the way: Other shows in development include “Year One,” an archival look at a superstar’s early days; “It’s the Real,” a Jewish/hip-hop mashup produced by John Legend’s company; and “Studio 24,” a pairing of artist and celebrity to create a song in 24 hours, executive produced by Justin Bieber manager Scooter Braun.
“Unplugged,” which could be on the air in coming months, will stoke the interest of those who came of age with artists such as Nirvana, Eric Clapton and Arrested Development breaking down their music to its acoustic basics, often with some added atmosphere.
It goes along with the idea of stripping down music that has become too produced, a factor that was one reason for the show’s launch in 1989 and that MTV executives believe remains important now. (Incidentally, nostalgia will be at play in some other ways–the network plans on announcing a revived “Cribs” — but on Snapchat — and has recently hired a number of respected journalists from Grantland and elsewhere to work on a revived MTV News brand.)
Whether music can be a viable strategy remains to be seen. Any longings a for a channel that once played videos and debuted new bands does not exist for the network’s core group of millennial viewers in 2016. And there are many more places today to learn about and revel in new music than there were in the formative years of the Gen-X and Baby Boomer audiences of MTV’s past.
The network recognizes that many of the elements that weren’t around when MTV was born–particularly digital music services like Spotify and social media sites that help spread word of new music–are around now and playing the role of tastemaker that MTV once did. He said it won’t always seek to compete on the discovery front. But he does feel there is a way to enhance the relationship fans have with musicians.
Sources: LATimes.com