It’s August 1st, 1981, and in New Jersey 1,000 people have just been given access to a new type of television channel. Focused entirely on the medium of music videos it would immediately define a generation of image-aware artists, and go on to expand massively over the subsequent decades.
Skip forward thirty years, give or take, and MTV- along with its many subsidiaries- may no longer represent broadcasting from the fringes, nor would most rock fans still attest to the network’s dedication to alternative artists. But then there’s no denying this is a long lasting success story that begins in those formative days, moves through the Beavis & Butthead era, and into a modern day model that’s available to most of the world.
During this exponential growth there has been much innovation involved, and this looks set to continue with the launch of the MTV Under The Thumb app, which arrives on European smartphones in March. Aimed at “millennials”- most of whom are children of the original MTV generation- the download allows you to view programmes from the network on your handset, on demand, with a mid-stream chat option and Facebook integration to discuss whatever it is you’re watching with friends.
Furthermore the clever folk responsible have built in functionality to turn your phone into a remote control for computers or internet-connected television screens- similar to the Clik YouTube stream app that has also impressed a few people recently. Quite a unique product then, we’re sure it will appeal to many when it finally goes live in a couple of weeks time, proving that we really are only just beginning to harness the potential in our pockets.
