MTV Secures Unique Radio Deal

MTV Europe has entered partnership with independent UK radio producers, Unique Productions, to create the new company MTV Radio Productions (MTVRP).

The venture will pool the resources of MTV with the production skills of Unique to create music-based radio programmes that can be commissioned by the BBC and commercial radio stations in the UK and across Europe.

The deal represents MTV’s first outing into radio production. Ownership of MTVRP is split 60:40, with MTV holding the majority stake. The company will be headed by MTV Europe’s head of new business development, Malcolm MacKenzie.

…MTV Europe has also launched an internet version of its planned digital music channel, M2 Europe. The website, at http://www.m2europe.com/, currently broadcasts a pilot service 24 hours a day.

The digital television channel, which is dedicated to breaking new and alternative acts, is now set to launch in October (see MTV Embark On Experimental Digital Music Concept).

Brent Hansen, president and chief executive of MTV Networks Europe, says: “M2 is going to be the hippest television channel to come out of the MTV building. A complementary service to MTV, M2 will add a higher-end, more adventurous musical mix: non-playlist, and with more artistic video content. It will be there as a pure complement to the more mainstream service that MTV does so successfully for us.”

MTV Europe: 0171 284 777