MTV has officially drawn the curtain on its music television era, ending in the same spirit it first ignited.
The once revolutionary music channel, which captured global attention throughout the 1980s, has now broadcast its final programs. MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live have officially reached their end in EU and UK
The journey began in August 1981, in the United States, when at midnight, the first video-clip went on air: Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles.
But why the shut down?
MTV had already pivoted away from music programming for a very long time. Reality shows started dominating the schedule more than 15 years ago, while music videos were mostly pushed away. Safe to say, they killed themselves.
Also the advent of Internet has contributed to the downfall of MTV: streaming platforms changed the way people listen to music, giving immediate access to music, replacing the ritual of sitting in front of the TV and waiting for that song to appear.
The main MTV Music channel shut down on New Year’s Eve, as it started, playing “Video Killed the Radio Star“.