MTV - Gatekeeper for the music industry?

Seminar paper from the year 1999 in the subject Communications - Movies and Television, grade: 1- (A-), Ohio University (School of Telecommunication), course: Cable Communications, language: English, abstract: MTV ¿ an ¿all encompassing mediator of popular culture¿ (Goodwin, 1992) or as the Washington Post once put it ¿perhaps the most influential single cultural product of the [eighties]¿ (McGrath 1996, p. 8). A trademark that has become a synonym for modern television, fast moving pictures and even a certain lifestyle. ¿MTV generation¿, ¿MTV-like¿, ¿I want my MTV¿ etc.

But MTV is more than entertainment for teenagers and music with colorful pictures around it ¿ It is not only the world¿s fastest growing network but also a powerful gatekeeper. It influenced traditional cable television and revolutionized the advertising industry. Whoever makes it onto the playlist of the network can expect his CD sales to skyrocket and his concerts to be sold out. With thousands of bands releasing hundreds of records each year, of course some kind of selection process has to take place. But who makes these decisions? What role does the record industry play? What are the criteria for a successful (and suitable) video that airs on MTV? Is MTV making its own rules or are there also pressures on the network from the outside?

This paper tries to find some answers to these and other questions about the exciting and influential cable network. Its role as an powerful gatekeeper for the multi-million music industry will be examined as well as its strong influence on the content of songs and video clips. Many has been written about MTV, so finding appropriate literature wasn¿t really a problem, although not all of it was always up-to-date. Unfortunately I wasn¿t able to get in contact with some MTV executives. In the last chapter, however, an interview with radio veteran Dave Robbins from CBS Columbus can be found, who has some interesting views on the cable network. One should nonetheless bear in mind that he is more or less sitting on the other side of the table and works for the competition.