Instruction

·         Written assignment in APA format.

·         In text citation

·         Answer question after reading in three pages

·         Reference page

 

 

MTV Reading

 

As asked by the Buggies song, did "video kill the radio star"? Well, perhaps not, but no company has been more successful atgetting teenagers around the world to tune in to music televisionthanMTVNetworks(www.mtv.com).Applyingthemaxim "Think globally,actlocally;'thecompanybeamsitsirreverentmix of music, news, and entertainment to 640 million homes in more than162countriesin34languages.Althoughstyleandformatare largelydrivenbytheU.S.youthculture,contentistailoredtosuit localmarkets.MTVhasnevergrownoldwith itsaudienceandhas remained true to young people betweenthe ages of 18and24.

In 1987,MTVcommandedan audienceof 61millioninthe UnitedStates.But tocounteractslowingdemand,the company took the music revolution global by starting MTV Europe (www.mtv.tv) and MTV Australia (www.mtv.com.au). Through its ex­periences in Europe, MTV refined its mix of programming to become a "global national brand with local variations." At first, it took a pan-European approach, marketing the same product to all European countries. MTV broadcast primarily British and U.S. music(bothofwhich were toppingthechartsthroughoutEurope) andusedEuropean"veejays"whospokeEnglish.TheEuropean networkwasahugeovernightsuccess.

Sevenyearslater,however,MTVhadbecomethevictimofits ownsuccess.Itsuddenlyhadtocompetewithanewcropofupstart rivalsthattailoredcontenttolanguage,culture,andcurrentevents inspecificcountries.OnesuccessfulcompetitorwasGermany's VIVA (www.viva.tv), launched in 1993 and featuring German veejays and more German artists than MTV Europe. Manager s at MTVNetworkswerenotoverlyconcernedbecauseMTVwasstill extremely popular. But they did realize they were losing their edge (and some customers) to the new national networks. So, the company's top managershad to reassess the company'sstrategy.

Becausetheyhadspentalmosttwodecadesbuilding aglobal brand identity, MTV executives initially rejected the idea of split­ tingMTVintonationalstations.Butthecompanygradually decided to go ahead with a national strategy because a new technology made it possiblefor MTV tothink globally and act locally at little cost. The breakthrough was digital compression technology,whichallowsmultipleservicestobeofferedonasinglesatellitefeed."Wherethere werethreeorfourservices,"explained one MTVofficial,"nowwecanbroadcastsixoreight."

Today, tee ns all over the world can have their MTV cake and eat it, too.  German teens see German-languageprograms that arecreatedandproducedinGermanyand shownonMTVGermany (www. mtv.de)alongwiththeusualgeneroushelpingsofU.S., British,andinternationalmusicandtheever-popularcartoon duo of Beavis and Butthead. European nations that still share an MTV channel are those that share cultural similarities-such as theNordicnations(www.mtve.com).Likewise,whereasmuchof LatinAmericareceivesMTVLatinAmerica(www.mtvla.com), BrazilianteensseePortuguese-languageprogramsthatare createdinBrazilandshown onMTVBrazil(www.mtv.uol.com.br). Nationaladvertisers whoshunnedMTVduringitspan-European days can now beam their targeted ads to teenage consumers.

In 2012, MTV launched a new website (www.artists.mtv.com).Bothfamousandnot-so-famousmusicians cansellmusic and merchandise on their own page and even book a gig. Fans can "tip"performersusingvirtual tipjars.ShannonConnolly,V.P.of Digital Music Strategy for MTV, says, "Creating ways for artists to afford to keep doing what they do is a huge challenge in the music business today. Technology has really interrupted a lot of the traditional methods through which artists sold product and built theircareers."

Now, nearly three decades after MTV planted its flag on the pop-culture moon in 1981, the beat goes on for the MTV generation.AsRobertThompson,professorofmediaandpopularculture at Syracuse University, says, "It's the only television entity of any kind that ever had a generation namedafter it."

 

Thinking Globally

1. Some people outside the United States say tee ns exposed to large doses of U.S. culture on MTV will identify less with their own societies and will desire Western goodstheycannotafford.MTV's response:"It's justfun,it'sonlyTV."Whatdoyou think?Are theredangersinbroadcasting U.S.- style programs and ads to developingcountries?

2. Digital compress ion technology made it possible for MTV to program across a global network. What other technological innovations have helped companiesto think globally andact locally?

 

 

 

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• 1501078801-MTV2.docx