MTV Aims To Beat Competition With New Look
MTV UK & Ireland is attempting to beat-off growing competition by unveiling a new look, new presenters and new original programming.
The new look, which is being driven by a 20% increase in MTV’s programming budget, will include a new in-vision continuity, with new recruits Dave Berry, from Nickelodeon and model-turned presenter, Emma Griffiths, providing live links between MTV programmes each weekday between 4pm and 7pm.
Other new presenters include Xfm DJ, Alex Zane and journalist, Paul Croughton, who will front a variety of new shows including a new weekly movie and computer game show, Screenplay.
The new-look channel will also feature hourly live news bulletins between 4pm and 9pm and a thirty-minute round-up of the weeks news on Friday evenings.
There will also be a new on-air look, with new channel idents and visuals, which MTV hopes will reflect its “naughty, playful and witty personality.”
Catherine Mullen, acting general manager of MTV UK & Ireland, commented: “The new on-air look gives MTV an even stronger and more distinctive identity, which will enhance the viewer experience. Not only will the fresh new programming bring in audiences but the strong in-vision continuity will retain them, giving us a real edge over back to back music channels.”
MTV faces growing competition in the increasingly crowded digital music channel market. Emap recently expanded its The Hits network across Sky, NTL and Telewest’s platforms (see Emap Extends New Music Channel).
Classic FM has also ventured into television, launching a 24-hour television channel that will attempt to bring Vanessa Mae and the Opera Babes to the MTV generation (see Classic FM Launches Round The Clock Music Channel). With the increasing number of both specialised and general music channels, it remains to be seen whether MTV can maintain its audiences and importance in the changing media landscape.
MTV: 020 7284 7777 www.mtv.co.uk
Recent Television Stories from NewsLine Emap Combines SMS And TV To Promote 8 Mile MTV Teams Up With Company And HMV To Celebrate BBC To Bend It Like Beckham
Subscribers can access ten years of NewsLine articles by clicking the Search button to the left