1989 Madonna's "Like a Prayer" video premieres on the channel. "MTV Rockumentary" debuts. The Ace MTV'S WORLDWIDE Award -winning series from MTV News profiles R.E.M., Aerosmith, INTERNATIONAL C Michael Jackson, Madonna, the B- MARKETS OFFER 52's, Bruce Springsteen THEIR OWN DIGITAL W and others. MTV wins its first Peabody BY JULIANA KORANTENG OPPORTUNITIES Award for "Decade," a documentary that links music to issues of the '80s. "House of The world's youth, it seems, no longer just want their MTV. They want to personalize it, Style" debuts with hosts participate in it and possess it. MTV Networks International, like its counterpart in the United including Cindy Crawford. States, broke out of the TV box to become a provider of multiplatform digital content. And instead of just pushing music programming at its international audience, MTVNI is enticing it to become part of the show via mobile phones, computers and TV sets. "We're seeing an incredible transformation caused by digital," says Bill Roedy, president of MTVNI. "From being 1990 "Sex in a TV- centric company, we're becoming a company that produces great content across all Debuts: "MTV Unplugged," the MTV News and the platforms. Our 140 digital media properties offer great creative opportunities for partnerships '90s" from with artists and music companies." Globally, MTVNI's music -focused channels include MTV, comedy series' "Totally Pauly," VH1, TMF (the Music Factory) and VIVA. MTVNI brands, including such nonmusic- focused featuring Pauly Shore, and "The Ben channels as Nickelodeon, Paramount Comedy and the interactive Game One, reach 480 Stiller Show." MTV Europe arrives in million households in 179 territories in 28 languages, according to the company. Israel, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Kenya. MTV Brasil launches a 24- "We're launching a plethora of services that are designed to is a big or small screen; it's all just about their moods and hour Portuguese -language network take advantage of new media," MTVNI senior VP of digital their devices," says Tony Elison, Viacom International Japan spotlighting music videos by media Gideon Bierer says. "It's not just about pushing media, senior VP of digital media and Flux GM. "Users can select it's also about giving the audience the tools to create their own entertainment in a way they never could before. In Japan, it's Brazilian and international artists. content in a social environment. about user empowerment." "We have a unique and valuable or- MTVNI experiments with new ideas ganization set up, and we're inno- in one market and uses the results to vating on top of that," he says. "And determine where it will expand those 1991 most of the innovation coming from ventures. Flux (rebranded as MTV Animation shows debut with "Liquid outside the U.S. is significantly from Flux) was subsequently launched in Television," presaging "Beavis and Italy and came to the United Kingdom mobile and [broadband] PC." Butt -Head" (1993), "Darla" (1997) MTVNI content is available via 63 Aug. 1, the 25th anniversary of MTV's mobile carriers worldwide. About 20 debut in the United States. and "Celebrity Deathmatch" (1998). million subscribers of Europe's high- U.K. subscribers can access MTV Nirvana's video speed, third -generation mobile - Flux via the Web, mobile phones and for "Smells Like phone services can access MTVNI TV using a digital persona created from Teen Spirit" video content, the company states. a host of onscreen icons or avatars. premieres. The Among the group's 96 Web sites, That persona can create his or her own channel also 48 are devoted to the MTV and VH1 profile, make friends, write blogs and music brands, while 17 are targeted influence the music video playlists. The premieres call -in for broadband and interactive distri- MTV Flux character can also select parts show "Rock Line bution of original TV programming MTV Net works International of games, animation and music videos on MTV," while through the Internet. president BILL ROEDY to produce their own Flux content. "MTV Unplugged" presents its first In Japan, MTVNI launched Flux oversees 'an incredible "Most of the labels are excited about transform ation.' acoustic rap show with LL Cool J, in June 2005 as a local subscription - this development, because they see it based mobile phone and Web net- as another way to promote artists and MC Lyte, De La Soul and A Tribe working service. Flux was among the first MTVNI ventures increase sales," says Angel Gambino, VP of commercial strat- Called Quest. MTV Europe airs a that did not originate as a TV brand. egy and digital media at MTV Networks U.K. "We're having feed to Russia, making it the first Flux invited mobile and Web users to access music and many discussions with big artists about creating unique con- non- Soviet channel to be broadcast recommend preferences to their tent for MTV Flux." videoclips, share content and 24 hours a day in that country. MTV digital friends. Gambino also sees MTV Flux as a future gateway to other launches a global on -air AIDS Flux's dedicated Japanese content includes originally pro- MTV music services, including the TV channels and the music duced short music videos for Utada, one of the country's most subscription service Urge, which MTV has developed in part- awareness campaign with "Respect popular artists. nership with Microsoft as a competitor to iTunes. Yourself, Protect Yourself." "In the multidevice world, the user doesn't care whether it Another MTVNI brand, TMF, which continued on »p44 JOHN SHEA DAVID G VP, integrated Executive VP, MTV Films; Executive VP, mu Executive VP, series develop- Executive new media programming, con ment and animation, MTV; marketing and brand part- executive VP of specialty film content, gy and scheduling head of programming, MTV2 nerships, MTV Networks and Music and Logo Group MTV Networks Links the linear MTV Leads the series develop- brands to MTV.com, ment and animation group, Oversees all marketing part- Develops, acquires and pr Overdrive, MTV's digital creating, developing and nerships and advertiser - duces long -form narrative'. channels and other plat- producing long -form live driven content tied to pro- content and branded films forms. Also responsible for action and animated series gramming events and spe- for all platforms including wireless, theatrical, strategic scheduling across for MTV and MTV2. cials of the MTVN Music and online, platforms. Logo Group. DVD and video on demand. 42 SEPTEMBER 2, 2006 www.americanradiohistory.com.