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Mtv Networks Inc. history
Mtv Networks Inc. company history timeline
The first video clip to air on CMT was Faron Young's 1971 hit "It's Four in the Morning". The following summer, MTV filed a trademark infringement lawsuit over the initials CMTV, and the network changed its name to simply CMT.
Singles such as “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” from Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982) not only showcased the strengths of the music video format but proved that exposure on MTV could propel artists to superstardom.
The network launched on March 5, 1983, at 6:19 p.m.
Beginning in 1984, MTV honoured achievement in the format with its annual Video Music Awards.
In September 1985, entertainment conglomerate Viacom International purchased it.
On the first day of 1985, with the establishment of VH1, a 24-hour video network appealing to an older audience, MTV Networks had an audience that ranged in age from preschool to the late 40s.
By the mid-1990s, the majority of MTV’s daily schedule was devoted to programming that was not related to music. Its sister station VH1 had been broadcasting adult-oriented rock videos since 1985, and it soon filled the vacuum, with original content such as Pop Up Video and the documentary series Behind the Music.
The network moved away from videos and toward game shows to stem this decline. It began with the launch of Remote Control in December 1987.
News and other types of programming, such as the acoustic concert series called MTV Unplugged, were introduced in 1990.
The focus on politics began with the 1990 "Rock the Vote" advertising campaign, which featured performers such as Madonna urging young viewers to go out and vote for the candidate of their choice in the national elections held that year.
In 1991, Opryland USA and its owner Gaylord Entertainment Company acquired CMT in a $34 million deal.
In October 1992, CMT launched its first international channel, CMT Europe, as part of the Sky Multichannels package.
Also in 1992, MTV premiered the popular show The Real World.
In 1993 Beavis and Butt-Head was introduced.
On October 1, 1994, CMT made its first major format change by adding several new music-oriented programs.
In addition to its own web site, in 1994 the network joined with America Online in establishing MTV Online, which offered users an opportunity for online MTV chat, and to gain a direct link to "The MTV Beach House."
In 1995, CMT dropped all videos by Canadian artists without United States record contracts in response to the network being replaced in Canada by Calgary, Alberta-based New Country Network.
Since the network began primetime programming for children in September of 1996, more than 2.5 million children tune in each night, more than any competitor.
In 1996, MTV's contribution was 19.9 percent of Viacom's revenues.
In 1996, MTV created a sister channel, M2: Music Television.
gunther, marc. "this gang controls your kid's brains." fortune, 27 october 1997.
The network also opened three Nickelodeon stores in 1997, selling clothes, games, videos, and other merchandise stamped with Nickelodeon characters.
In 1997 MTV introduced MTV News Un-filtered, which allows for audience participation.
In 1997, both CMT and TNN were sold to Westinghouse, then-owner of CBS, for a reported $1.5 billion.
By 1998, Gaylord reported $10 million in losses from CMT Europe and decided to cease broadcasting the network on March 31, 1998.
Total Request Live (TRL), an hour-long interview and music video show, debuted in 1998 and anchored the weekday lineup.
The network also started a comic strip based on the Rugrats show in 1998, continuing the strategy of spinning off brands.
CBS would in-turn be acquired by Viacom in 1999, assuming ownership of CMT and TNN and folding them into the MTV Networks.
"Teen Burned Imitating MTV Stunt." Your1voice.com, 29 January 2001.
* Note:The 1-month Treasury constant maturity series first appeared on July 31, 2001.
In 2001, MTVN had revenues of $2.25 billion and operating income of $816.9 million, reflecting respective increases of 21 and 24 percent.
On March 26, 2002, in its regular Tuesday night-time slot, the show attracted 4.1 million viewers.
Of course, Osbourne, 53 years old in 2002, is far from destitute (he lives in Beverly Hills), and he is a reformed alcoholic.
TNN would phase out country programming to avoid overlap with CMT, changing its name to "The National Network", and later relaunching altogether as Spike in 2003.
By 2007, the channel was available in more than 83 million homes.
Since the premiere of the short-lived FNMTV in 2008, MTV has used a revised, chopped version of its traditional logo during most of its on-air programming.
It is used worldwide, but not in all countries. It was first adopted for MTV Films with the 2010 release Jackass 3D. MTV’s rebranding was overseen by Popkern.”
On April 4, 2012, CMT announced its first adult animated series, Bounty Hunters, and Trinity 911, a 10-episode "workplace docu-comedy". Trinity 911 was later renamed Big Texas Heat and was removed from the schedule after airing four episodes.
Revenues for MTV Networks rose 3% in 2012.”
The network’s influence has waned in recent years, but it still attracts the nation’s attention with things like the 2012 Miley Cyrus/Alan Thicke performance during the Video Music Awards.
On June 10, 2016, CMT announced that they would pick up the ABC series Nashville following its original cancellation of the series.
In 2017, as part of Viacom's restructuring plans, CMT would begin a transition back to unscripted programming.
The series premiered on March 1, 2018.
In 2019, Viacom acquired Pluto TV, and launched several CMT-branded channels, including a channel focused on Western genre movies (CMT Westerns) and a channel dedicated to Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.
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Mtv Networks Inc. competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ION Media Networks | 1993 | $415.0M | 425 | - |
| MASS COMMUNICATIONS | - | $1.2M | 15 | - |
| WOR | 2010 | $213.7M | 1,750 | - |
| Vox Communications | - | $2.7M | 75 | - |
| One Media, LLC | - | $430,000 | 7 | - |
| Bascom Communications | 1906 | $1.3M | 50 | - |
| CLS Communication | 1997 | $160,000 | 100 | - |
| Deseret Digital Media | 2009 | $8.1M | 228 | - |
| FANDOM | 2004 | $10.8M | 300 | - |
| Allied Media Projects | 1999 | $999,999 | 28 | - |
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Mtv Networks Inc. may also be known as or be related to Country Music Television Inc and Mtv Networks Inc.