Once a legendary channel, MTV slowly faded into the background over the years. Now, its European chapter is coming to an end.
MTV launched its first broadcast in 1981, appropriately opening with Video Killed The Radio Star. The channel exploded from day one and went on to deliver countless iconic moments. It propelled new stars into the spotlight, and the 1980s became a golden era in pop culture history. But from the late 1990s onward, the decline began. Watching music on TV grew less popular, and downloading—and later streaming—took over. Today, people listen to (or watch, since many music streaming platforms also offer music videos) exactly what they want, whenever they want. We now have access to an endless visual and auditory jukebox.
The end is nigh
MTV gradually slipped from public memory, and at least one generation has grown up without ever watching the channel. For years, it managed to survive in a niche market with reality TV, but even that genre has been losing steam. YouTube has become everyone’s best friend. So it’s not entirely surprising that parent company Paramount Global has announced it will permanently shut down seven MTV channels—first in the UK, and likely later across Europe. The list includes MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live. The UK and Ireland will be the first to go on December 31, followed by France, Germany, Austria, Poland and Hungary. Australia and Brazil will also see shutdowns.
This automatically means that these channels, currently carried by various cable providers, will disappear as well. It marks the definitive end of a remarkable era in music history—one in which the “Radiostar,” as it happens, still exists and is very much being listened to.