Can anyone explain why a channel like MTV that back in the 90's produced shows like Aeon Flux, today only produce crap like "My Sweet Sixteen". How is this possible? Wh have they all of a sudden become so mediocre?
Limited competition. Every major television company has its cartel status guaranteed by the state, so they don't bother spending money on good programming.
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I was actually going to say possibly a change in ownership, as the change of format, at least the way I remember it, was rather sudden and abrubt; although I haven't read into the history of such myself. The last good thing I remember MTV having was Clone High (which would've been a great competitor for Family Guy, imo, if not the proto-Family Guy).
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My criticism of MTV extends further: they practically no longer play music videos at all! The entire format has been shifted to reality shows and the like. So I'm confused as to why it's still called music television when it's hardly oriented towards music at all anymore. Also I think that around the time TRL started they shifted their target audience more towards younger folks: pre-teens and highschool age people. The target audience used to be more along the lines of young adults.
Brainpolice:My criticism of MTV extends further: they practically no longer play music videos at all! The entire format has been shifted to reality shows and the like. So I'm confused as to why it's still called music television when it's hardly oriented towards music at all anymore.
The invention of the internet, the rise of p2p software, and video services like YouTube and internet TV are going to give traditianal media services a run for their money. Either their going to have to start coming out with better products/services or new ways to generate revenue or their going to fall. Some companies like CBS are embracing the change. When I want to watch Jericho I just go onto their website and watch it streaming in flash format.
I think MTV2 is mostly music oriented though. I say think because I've never watched it. If I want to listen to music my parents subscrition to Comcast Digital Cable comes with 30 something music channels each with focus on a different genere. They even have several channels catering to different generes of rock music (80's big hair rock, metal, classic, etc) which is what I mainly listen to.
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