MTV downplays 25th birthday...
You would too if you're now older than much of your target demographic which is basically the cradle to puberty. A 19-year old when MTV debuted in 1981 is now 44 - oops. Even a 12-year old skirts the network's prized demographic at 37. At 12:01 a.m. August 1st, 1981 MTV debuted with "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles and while "Music Television" (sound familiar, WABC MusicRadio fans ?) didn't kill radio, it was a major influence in breaking acts and selling music...
| MTV even had disc jockeys who were called veejays. Sirius Satellite Radio will be featuring original veejays Nina Blackwood, Mark "Noodles" Goodman, Alan Hunter and Martha Quinn as they mark MTV's anniversary today at 10 a.m. on their '80s channel. Veejay J.J. Jackson died of a heart attack at 62 in 2004. Digital sister cable network (of MTV) VH1 Classic will also pay tribute to the anniversary but not MTV... I recommend reading David Hinckley's Radio column in today's New York Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/439615p-370363c) for more on MTV and it's effect on radio. Regular blog reader Sean Ross of Edison Media Research offers his views... Ten Timeline Memories... 1790] The 1st U.S. census shows a population of nearly 4 million people (3.9 million lived in New York)... 1960] Chubby Checker releases "The Twist" (the Chubster's version will top the charts for one week on September 19th. Two years later, when it's re-released, it tops the charts again on January 13th, 1962 for 2 weeks)... 1966] Charles Joseph Whitman, 25, climbs the University of Texas 27-story tower and starts shooting. Whitman will kill 15 and wound 31 before he was gunned down by police in Austin... 1969] 110,000 attend the 3-day Atlantic City Pop Festival at AC Race Course. How's this for a star-studded lineup: Janis Joplin, CSNY, Joni Mitchell, Jefferson Airplane, the Moody Blues, 3 Dog Night, Canned Heat and others... 1971] Speaking of lineups, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Badfinger and more, appear at "The Concert for Bangladesh" at Madison Square Garden... 1971] "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" debuts as a summer replacement but will become part of CBS-TV's regular lineup and last until 1974 when 1 show becomes 2 (with Sonny and Cher hosting separate shows)... 1973] The war between Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk begins in a wild free-for-all after a collision at home plate in a Yankee-Red Sox game. There will be more between the 2 but this decision went to Munson (he landed more punches)... 1973] Where were you in '62 ? Better yet - where were you on August 1, 1973 when "American Graffiti" premiered ? The movie makes stars of Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfuss, enhances the careers of Ron Howard, Cindy Williams and Wolfman Jack and Suzanne Somers debuted as "the blonde in the Thunderbird". The soundtrack included "Little Darlin", "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" and other classics... 1978] Pete Rose's 44-game hitting streak ends as he's held hitless in 4 at-bats. He ties the National League record set by Wee Willie Keeler... 1995] Westinghouse buys CBS for $5.4 billion (ya wanna talk about confusion, wait till Infinity gets involved)... Wedding Bells... 1986] John McEnroe and Tatum O'Neal touch gloves in the ring (divorced in 1992, the couple have 3 children together)...1994] Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie announce they were married 11 weeks earlier in the Dominican Republic (Somewhere Elvis spins like a Whirling Dervish)... Deaths... 2001] Vikings Pro Bowl tackle, Korey Stringer dies of a heat stroke at training camp. Stringer was 27... [To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]... Commentary... David Hinckley mentions that CBS AM and FM and other CBS stations have sold a few recent hours to Boston-based TD Banknorth as a sole sponsor. This is what Sirius and XM needs to do to survive. Running a billboard once an hour will help defray talent expenses and will not be an intrusion to their listeners. I belive both satellite networks have begun to do this... "Happy Birthday...happy birthday"... Tempestt (with the double "T") Bledsoe (33), North Carolina coach Roy Williams (56), Former NY Senator Alfonse D'Amato (69), Yves Saint Laurent (70), Dom DeLuise (73), "Ziggy" cartoonist Tom Wilson (75) and Geoffrey Holder (76)... [Timeline countdown: 35 days remain until Labor Day, 39 days until NFL kickoff, 64 days until MLB playoffs and 152 days remain in 2006] ... |
