MTV

This article is about the flagship American cable channel. For other uses, see MTV (disambiguation).
"Music Television" redirects here. For the genre, see Music television.

MTV
Logo since February 5, 2021, paying homage to the original 1981 logo
TypeMusic channel (formerly)
Entertainment
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaUnited States
HeadquartersOne Astor Plaza, 1515 Broadway, Times Square, Manhattan, New York City, NY
Programming
Language(s)
  • English
  • Spanish (via SAP audio track)
Picture format1080p HDTV
Timeshift serviceMTV East (New York City)
MTV West (Los Angeles)
Ownership
OwnerParamount Media Networks (Paramount Global)
ParentMTV Entertainment Group
Key peopleChris McCarthy (President/CEO, MTV Entertainment Group)
Sister channels
List
History
LaunchedAugust 1, 1981; 43 years ago (1981-08-01)
Founder
Former names
  • MTV: Music Television (1981–2010)[1]
Links
Websitemtv.com Edit this at Wikidata
Availability
Streaming media
Affiliated Streaming ServiceParamount+
PhiloInternet Protocol television
HuluInternet Protocol television

MTV (originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television channel. It was officially launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global.

The channel originally aired music videos and related programming as guided by television personalities known as video jockeys, or VJs.[2] MTV, as one of the American cable channels available in other countries, eventually gained a massive cult following, becoming one of the major factors in cable programming's rise to fame and American corporations dominating the television economy in the 1990s.[3][4] In the years since its inception, the channel significantly toned down its focus on music in favor of original reality programming for teenagers and young adults.

As of November 2023, MTV is available to approximately 67,000,000 pay television households in the United States, down from its 2011 peak of 99,000,000 households.[5]

  1. ^ "MTV drops 'Music Television' from the network logo". Los Angeles Times. February 8, 2010. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  2. ^ "CNN – MTV changed the music industry on August 1, 1981 – July 31, 1998". Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  3. ^ Jennings, Peter; Brewster, Todd (November 1998). The Century (1st ed.). New York: Doubleday. p. 551. ISBN 0-385-48327-9.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "U.S. cable network households (universe), 1990 – 2023". wrestlenomics.com. May 14, 2024. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2019.