Music Video P R O G R A M M I N G New Media Get Decidedly Mixed Reviews; New York Cable Backs Out Of The Box GLITCHES: 1995 will probably be allowed the computer -owning viewer a U.K. operations was snapped up by a remembered as the year in which new chance to critique videos as they played subsidiary of Ticketmaster. media aggressively forced its way into on the music channel. However, the Box will find itself the music video industry. Ask any music Some other music video programmers unplugged in its largest market at the video veteran about this sudden intru- found the transition from television to beginning of 1996. New York's Time sion and the response is likely to be one Warner Cable is replacing the music of either excitement or utter despair. video channel with the History Channel, Many members of the production 1995 IN REVIEW effective Jan. 2. industry hope to benefit from the busi- Time Warner Cable's New York reach ness opportunities of new media, as they includes more than a million customers begin to branch out their services to help computer to be-e1 umm bit buggy. in -a Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. We Two Are One. VH1 demonstrated its commitment to original music program- produce content for CD -ROMs. The Box's plans to "cybercast" its pro- Significantly, the corporate offices of the ming with the debut of "Duets" in 1995. Pictured in the first installment of the per- In addition, some record label music gramming on the Internet's World Wide New York -based major music labels will formance series, from left, are Joan Osborne and Melissa Etheridge. Web crashed before the supposed July 4 no longer be able to receive the Box at launch. Independent music video pro- work through cable. THETOPSTORIES grammer the End made a lofty promise Richard Aurelio, president of Time tures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and views. More programming changes are of online programming that went unful- Warner Cable's New York division, says Olé Communications. expected to come at the channel in 1996. The Box Breaks Even But Is filled. Only the U.S. division of Canadi- that the decision to drop the Box was Despite the rapidly expanding inter- Finally, shop -at -home music video pro- Bitten By The Big Apple. an programmer MuchMusic and Austin made based on a scientific survey of its national music video programming grammer MOR Music added its first on- Music Network managed to make cable customers over a three -year peri- environment, MTV remains a strong air hosts, known as "retail jocks," to help Plans For A Major- Label- "cybercasting" a reality, thanks to some od, which global force. MTV partnered with solicit music product to its audience. Backed Music Video Network To help from the grass -roots Texas State The ranked the PolyGram to launch MTV Asia in channel hired veteran Home Shopping Rival MTV In The U.S. Flounder,- University college program InterneTV music service April. PolyGram, which has a 50% Network anchor Katrina Owens to help While International Efforts Flourish. and the video teleconferencing technol- as having "lit- stake in the new venture, is the first sell CDs, cassettes, music video - ogy known as CU- SeeMe. long tle value" to label tb team with MTV for one of its forms, and other music merchandise Despite Some Positive Growth, As 1996 approaches, the industry will the viewers. many international efforts. through its 800 number. The Eye wants The Country Music Industry Re- undoubtedly continue to be faced with "Our responsi- MTV has already flexed its muscles to know if we Evaluates Its Use Of Music Videos more new -media promises TIHIE can use "Tootie" (an inside -some bility is to our by filing an antitrust lawsuit in the - joke that only the most frequent For Every Single. empty, and, in a few cases, some HSN fulfilled. customers, not U.K. in response to the.majors' group viewers will appreciate). A significant new video-related develop- to provide a negotiation of the licensing fees VH1 And CMT Continue To ment in multimedia to watch for in 1996 marketing tool EYE charged through the U.K.'s Video Per- HOWDY: MOR Music was among Restructure Their Image And Pro- is Intel's Intercast technology, which for those the music formance Limited. As a result, some in the country music video community gramming Content. promises to merge television with the industry," says major music companies, including Sony that migrated to Nashville in 1995. Sev- Internet. Among the primary content Aurelio. and EMI, have signed non -exclusive eral music video companies moved their providers for the ambitious venture are The Box is agreements to continue to license the offices to get closer to the pulse of coun- video staffers began to expand their NBC, CNN, and Viacom. Although Nick- already aim- global use of their videoclips to MTV trymusic- literally. New York-based pro- duties and, in some cases, their titles, to elodeon is the only Viacom -owned chan- ing to bounce in the future. It remains to be seen duction company Picture Vision shifted encompass "visual marketing," a hybrid nel officially to announce support for the back in the whether the major labels will team its headquarters to the land of the Grand of music video and multimedia promo- computer platform, which is due in mid- Big Apple. A again to tackle MTV's U.S. stronghold Ole Ope-y. In addition, Jones Internation- tion duties. 1996, it is expected that MTV and Vil1 spokeswoman in the future. al Networks Inc. announced plans Over the past year, music video pro- will supplement their clip programming by Brett to for the chan- begin its 24 -hour country music video grammers went online to decidedly with liner notes, biographies, and other nel says that it Atwood FACELIFTS: VH1 continued to fine channel Great American Country on Dec. mixed results. MTV and VH1 placed information by the end of the year. will rally sup- tune its image to celebrate its 10th 31. their stakes on the Internet and Ameri- However, the new video programmer port from its anniversary. The music video channel, will keep its headquarters in Denver. ca Online with MTV Online and VH1 BIG APPLE BITES THE BOX: The viewers by mailing out a direct -mail under the helm of president John Sykes, Despite the growth, not all was rosy Online, respectively. MTV Online, ironi- Box had a year of ups and downs. The campaign to "back the Box" to several added a slew of programming, including in the country music video community in cally, became a staple of the "old -fash- video channel finally turned a healthy thousand New York cable consumers. the highly touted performance series 1995. Some music labels have started to ioned" cable -delivered MTV channel via profit in its third quarter, as several new In addition, the service may explore "Duets." Music labels discovered anoth- re- evaluate their commitment to produce "MTV Yack," which transplanted its advertisers, including MCI, Reebok, and alternative avenues of distribution to er selling point with the channel's newly clips to promote the fourth or fifth computer "chat sessions" to the televi- Calvin Klein, jumped aboard. In addi- bypass sin- cable in the region. The Box is instituted "DISCovery Artist" program, gle from many country albums. Among sion screen alongside the latest video - tion, the channel continued to expand its already broadcast during overnight which guarantees clip rotation and pro- the acts that bypassed clips in 1995 are clips. With its interactive "Beavis And international operations. The Box opened hours in New York through a local low - gramming support to developing artists. Brooks & Dunn, Clint Black, Lones- Butt -head" -like forum, "MTV Yack" shop in Holland, while a 50% stake in its power station. Keep reading the Eye The channel also beefed up its com- tar, Lorrie Morgan, and Dwight for further developments. mitment to news with the addition of a Yoakam. dedicated news department, which G OODBYE: MTV Networks was no includes former Rolling Stone senior fea- CHANGES: Among the music video doubt pleased by the collapse of a much- tures editor Anthony DeCurtis, as well outlets closing shop in 1995 were F/X's hyped rival network that was slated to as veteran TV executives Mark Angot- "Sound F/X," the monthly subscription launch in 1995. The failed venture, which ti and Bill Bouyer. The channel also service "Rock Video Monthly," and was to have been backed by Warner brought aboard former Musician editor Orlando, Fla.-based "XLTV" Music Group, EMI Music, BMG, Sony Bill Flanagan as VP/executive director The performance series "Live From Corp., and Ticketmaster, reportedly of VH1 specials. The House Of Blues" stopped airing on imploded because of the departure of its While many labels are still very much TBS and aims to resurface for a second key proponent, former Warner Music in the "wait and see" category on the season on another cable or broadcast Group chairman Robert Morgado. "new" VH1, it is clear that the channel channel in 1996. The major labels haven't completely has converted at least a few naysayers in abandoned their plans to establish a 1995. CLIPS THAT CLICKED: Here are the music video channel, however. Interna- Another programmer, Country Music Eye's favorite videos for 1995: tionally, the entertainment giants con- Television, began to tinker with its tried - 1. "It's Oh So Quiet," Bjork (Elektra). tinue to bite away at MTV. and -true country video format in Octo- 2. "Just," Radiohead (Capitol). Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warn- ber.