In 1981, a scrappy ex-radio executive named John Lack had a wild vision: “What if there was a 24-hour television channel devoted entirely to music videos?” Back then, music videos weren’t really a thing, just a goofy way for record labels to promote new albums (Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody? Basically a hype video). But Lack saw them as the perfect opportunity t ... Show More
Sep 2025
📺 SNL: The Snickers Bar of Saturday Night | 50
When Johnny Carson, 1970s late-night king, declared he wanted another day off, it left NBC with a hole in their weekend lineup. 11:30pm Saturday night wasn’t exactly the hot time slot… so the network recruited a quiet Canadian comedy writer named Lorne Michaels to produce a live ... Show More
42m 25s
Mar 2024
Who Killed the Video Star: The Story of MTV | We Have Liftoff
Today, MTV is a household name. And everyone knows what a music video is. But there was a time when MTV and the art form it championed were crazy ideas that nobody believed in. Well, almost nobody...This is how it all started, told by the people who made it happen.Who Killed the ... Show More
34m 32s
Apr 2024
Who Killed the Video Star: The Story of MTV | TV Mattered, Nothing Else Did
To increase ratings and become more attractive to advertisers, MTV leans away from music videos. In so doing, they create some of the most influential shows of the 80s, which inspires a complaint that would follow them forever.Who Killed the Video Star: The Story of MTV is a new ... Show More
30m 49s
Apr 2024
Who Killed the Video Star: The Story of MTV | So Yesterday
As the moment of the boy bands and the pop girlies winds down, MTV gets new life by making celebrities into reality stars, and cranking out daily dating shows. But as the ratings soar, a revolution is brewing, and it's about to steal MTV's thunder.
34m 2s
Aug 2024
Celebrating MTV’s Anniversary with the Real Story of MTV
In honor of the 43rd anniversary of MTV, we’re rereleasing a classic episode: the real story of MTV, as told by the founders. Today MTV is a cultural institution, but people forget what a long shot it was to get the channel off the ground. Bob Pittman led the team that created MT ... Show More
52m 59s