New FTA Music Channel on DTT

Icehouse

This is from the Guardian Online. We'll have to see whether it launches on Sky as well...

Emap mounts digital TV challenge to MTV

Owen Gibson
Thursday October 3, 2002


MTV

The owner of Smash Hits and Kiss is to step up its assault on MTV after winning the right to launch a music channel alongside the BBC on its new digital TV venture.

The service, which replaces ITV Digital, will be available through ordinary TV aerials. It will pose a major threat to MTV, which has had a monopoly on music television since it launched in the 80s.

After just a year on air Emap's six music stations, which include Smash Hits and Kerrang!, have already dented MTV's audience on cable and satellite by almost matching the ratings of their older rival.

The publishing giant will now launch a seventh service, Big City, created specifically for the BBC-backed terrestrial digital network that will launch in November.

The format will be based on Emap's network of eight Big City local radio stations, which includes Key 103 in Manchester and Radio City in Liverpool.

The stations, all based in northern cities, are aimed at the lucrative 15 to 34-year-old market and are known for their upbeat DJs and mainstream, chart-oriented playlists.

Core artists on the stations include Robbie Williams, Coldplay, Craig David, Stereophonics, Texas, Travis and Madonna.

Emap originally offered the channel as part of the ITV/Channel 4 consortium that bid against the BBC for the right to run the digital terrestrial service.

However, when the independent television commission handed the licence to the BBC-backed Freeview, Emap lobbied hard to be included in the line-up of 24 channels.

The decision is a blow for MTV, which is also facing competition from three Sky-backed music channels due to launch later this year.

Emap's coup will be even more galling for MTV given that the veteran pop broadcaster was the only music channel on the doomed ITV Digital service.

DMC

Eh, this article really concentrates on DTT, and I should move it to Terrestrial board, as it doesnt have much to do with Sky.

But I would like to open a general discussion on the state of the music channels on Sky Digital, so for the purposes of opening a debate on it, I'll leave the quoted article here to start the discussion.

Is MTV as good as it used to be? Are the EMap channels any better? Do you phone in to these channels to see a video?

Icehouse

Hi, sorry I forgot you guys try to stick rigidly to a 'this goes in there, not there, policy', whereas I only visit your satellite board and thought this would be of interest to everybody. As for the music channels, I think MTV lost the plot years ago - they're much more interested in displaying their logo than in music, and sacked Ray Cokes because they didn't want anyone with more personality than the station (i.e anyone with half a brain) presenting for them... i used to like Q magazine but find the EMAP channels repetitive and prefer the idea of a station that plays a bit of everything. That said Chart Show TV is awful.

Mossy Monk

is MTV good. in a word no. MTV2 was destroyed with the revamp and the only thing good at the moment is VH1 Classic Rock but that's on way too late

skydigionline

MTV are reportedly going to launch a new channel shortly to counter EMAPs attempts to beat MTV in the ratings war.

Mossy Monk

any info on this

skydigionline

Have a look at http://skydigital.mediabullet.co.uk

telecinesk

Mtv lost the plot years ago alright. No Ray no fun.Pile of Viacom "safe" tv not to mention the splitting of the services.MTV Europe was way better with the mix of presenters. Dunno,kerrang isnt much better.Anyone else? MCM2 is great if you can cope with the french stuff.

bucks73

Dont think MTV is good either. Way too much American crap. I perfer to flick between Q and Kerrang although both do have their poor moments also.

dmeehan

used to be a big mtv fan, but then they started showing way too many adverts, so i switched off

Gonzo

MTV Europe was my favourite channel, it was amazing, it showed a massive range of music covering just about every genre, we had partyzone for dance/techno (it had a massive range of videos), we had 120 minutes for alternative/indie (it showed kool bands like melvins, ministry, god machine, jesus lizard etc), post modern for rock (red hot chilli peppers, pearl jam, nirvana, soundgarden, faith no more etc), and my favourite show Headbangers Ball which covered every genre in metal not the popular crap taht you get on mtv2/kerrang. And for those wiv an insanely heavy taste in music mtv europe had 'Into The Pit' which was basically death metal videos. Yo MTV raps was for the rap dudes and MTV armour was for easy listening. Aside from all these music shows there was Ray Cokes Most Wanted, that was the funniest show on TV, its pan-european presentations was great, MTV At The Movies gave a good run-down on films.... plus there was the lil things like the funneh european adverts and the quirky mtv animation logos. All This has been replaced by MTV Uk, the statation which plays only POP music 24/7 and has vjs who have no clue about music:( To me the demise of MTV Europe has been the greatest tragedy in satellite TV since we first got it back in 1988. 2nd Biggest tradegy is Skys Decision to put its digital service on a UK & Ireland only satellite thus no easy access to european channels like sky analogue but thats another story and im drifting off the point!

skydigionline

Originally posted by Gonzo
Biggest tradegy is Skys Decision to put its digital service on a UK & Ireland only satellite thus no easy access to european channels like sky analogue

Maybe that was the reason Sky decided upon a different orbital position? (To protect their interests)

Gadgie

mtv = crap.

the picture and sound quality on all of their channels is terrible compared with the emap ones, and they seem more concerned with shoving crap all over the screen to promote their latest drivel than playing actual music. having said that, the osbournes is good, but they show it way too often that you get sick of it, and what have undressed, the real world et al got to do with music?

emap is a lot better, but they too have started putting too much junk all over the screen that you have to strain to see the videos. I think they should make their logos transparent (lets face it - they ain't gonna remove them altogether), get rid of the 'blue movies' and selection line number messages from the corner, and remove the video selection numbers from the bottom. They could then put all the selection numbers on a interactive teletext/red button service, and allow people to select videos using the sky active service and also through texting the number in. the premium rate lines put people off using the service as it costs too much per minute, and most of the message is someone waffling on really s l o w l y.

byte

I have to agree with Gonzo. It was brilliant when it was merely MTV Europe. I was another who watched Headbangers Ball whenever I could. As for Cokes, he was a crazy SOAB! I remember watching Most Wanted the last day before the channel was encrypted! Wasn't happy to see the channel encrypted... Another bad move...

Icehouse

FYI

Ray Cokes presents a late night live concert show every 3 weeks or so on Arte, the FTA French/German channel (It's presented in English with subtitles) available I believe on 13°(?) and he has featured Pet Shop Boys and Cure concers amongst others

BrianD

MTV is certainly not the channel it used to be and is a classic example of programming being dumbed down. I don't know if any body saw the 15 year birthday programme that MTV aired recently? Great viewing especially as it reminded me what MTV used to be like in the past. Some great programming even though it was as much as a wall to wall music video station as it is now.

The big difference is that in the past MTV had some character and soul. Now its nothing. How much more do we have to put up with crap like Jackass and Dismissed. Mind you The Cribbs series was quite good. Plus the new channels have only diluted MTVs presence. Instead of having the best tunes these channels have to play all the other crap that would never have got airplay just to fill the schedule!

Bring back the one essential channel that was MTV Europe!

jmcbride

I think it's a wider problem than MTV having gone downhill over the years. The same thing has happened to CNN, as they've changed their output over the years. When I first watched CNN on Cablelink, then on my parents satellite dish, in the late 80s-early 90s, a huge amount of the output was the same as was shown on the domestic US service. Over the years, as they've dropped most of the American stuff like Crossfire and Prime News, and added more "International" content, the channel has become blander and blander, and I can't now remember the last time bothered to switch it on.

The same, I guess, has happened to MTV, though I've never been a huge fan of the channel, preferring VH1 or Play UK (RIP). In the rush to tailor the product to what the station controllers presume is a more relevant audience, they've lost the essence of what made the channel great in the first place - instead of Crossfire, endless hours of Riz Khan (is he still on CNNi?); instead of wall to wall Scooter and crazy European interpretations of the English language, more Gail Porter wannabes.

lawhec

I agree. It's certainly not the channel that it was back around 7 to 8 years ago. Most Wanted was essential viewing and many other programs took the station from the mainstream to the underground - a channel that everyone who liked something in popular music could relate to. Nowadays it's complete rubbish with it's whole schedule about the place. Also one would get the feeling that it makes too many non-music related shows, though I will defend the banality of Jackass (The staged kidnapping of Brad Pitt was a good laugh ) The ad nauseum repeats don't give a great image of the channel.

MTV Hits I suppose doesn't pretend to be anything else than what it is, and MTV2 has gone downhill. The only MTV channel that has improved recently is MTV dance having been made 24/7. MTV2's new look isn't great while VH1 classic Rock needs to have the videos changed more often and would perhaps benefit from starting at 6 or 7pm rather than 9pm.

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by Icehouse
Ray Cokes presents a late night live concert show every 3 weeks or so on Arte, the FTA French/German channel (It's presented in English with subtitles) available I believe on 13°(?) and he has featured Pet Shop Boys and Cure concers amongst others

also on 19.2° East FTA. what night would it be on

Icehouse

It's on 2 Tuesdays each month at 11pm

2 mardis par mois à 23.00
2 artistes
2 villes
2 clubs
2 animateurs

And it's called Music Planet2Nite