MTV2 Europe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| MTV 2 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | October 1998 |
| Owned by | MTV Networks Europe |
| Audience share | 0.0% (November '06, [1]) |
| Website | www.mtv.co.uk/mtv2 |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| Sky Digital | Channel 345 |
| Cyfra+ | Channel 72 |
| Canal Digitaal Satelliet | Channel 25 |
| n | Channel 73 |
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media (NTL) | Channel 312 |
| Virgin Media (Telewest) | Channel 302 |
| UPCi (Ireland) | Channel 702 |
| @Home (Netherlands) | Channel 176 |
MTV2 Europe is a 24 hour alternative music channel broadcast from London throughout Europe. Mainly found in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and France.
Contents |
[edit] Format and history
The structure of the MTV Networks is different in Europe than in the U.S. and so the role that MTV2 plays is somewhat different. The various nation MTV channels remain the flagship channels bringing a wide variety of popular music and many different show formats (including documentaries, reality TV, charts, text shows, and countdowns) however digital satellite in the UK has allowed MTV to operate subsidiary channels with their own specialist areas. So whilst in the US MTV2 is a varied, slightly alternative channel, in the UK MTV2 is dedicated exclusively to alternative rock; with other music output carried on MTV Base, MTV Dance, MTV Hits covering urban music (hip hop, rap, R&B and garage), dance (and its associated sub-genres), and chart music respectively.
At its initial launch, as M2 (the channel changed its name to MTV2 in 2000), the European version was very similar to the U.S. channel, taking the same music policy, VJ segments and on-screen presentation. There was however the exception of a newer, but now defunct, separate German MTV2, broadcast from Berlin, which broadcast the same pop music formula as its original German MTV counterpart.
In September 2002, the European version introduced its own on-screen presentation and graphics, and started to use much more original programming, the jewel in the station's crown being Gonzo, hosted by former MTV UK VJ and now BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe and regularly featuring interviews with bands along with contributions from members of the MTV2 Internet forums. It has recently been relaunched, moving from an hour-long format broadcasting every weekday to a single two-hour show on a Friday. The show won the NME Award for Best TV Show in 2006.
MTV2 Europe is to get a new look and adopt the MTV2 US logo in Spring 2007.
[edit] Programming
The channel concentrates on providing a place for new music and upcoming artists in the areas of rock, punk, indie, metal and similar genres, as well as space for shows such as Beavis and Butt-head. Themed slots are now a regular feature on the channel, as are SMS-oriented shows, showing viewer's text messages in an on screen chat forum, and more recently shows like The Takeover where artists like Sonic Youth, Fall Out Boy, The Futureheads as well as former Faith No More lead singer Mike Patton present videos they have chosen from the MTV archives. As of August 2006, the vast majority of the channel's output is made up of back-to-back music videos, with MTV shows only showing at the weekends.
From early 2005, MTV2 UK started broadcasting the alternative music show 120 Minutes every night, instead of its previous timeslot of Saturday nights. The show airs daily at midnight and includes 120 Electronic Minutes on Tuesday nights and 120 Pioneers on Thursday nights. A 120 Metal Minutes show broadcast on Friday nights until it was cancelled in April 2006, with metal and hardcore videos instead being played on the channel's Headbanger's Ball timeslot on Tuesday and Saturday evenings. Most recently the channel has introduced The 120 Taster, a half hour sample of the kind of music seen in '120 Minutes' but at the more accessible time of 8pm Monday to Thursday.
Other shows that have been broadcast by MTV2 past and present include MTV-produced shows like Daria, Jackass, Viva La Bam, Wonder Showzen, Crazy Monkey, and Dirty Sanchez, along with more eclectic shows such as This Is Our Music and rockfeedback tv. The NME Chart Show also broadcasts everyday on the channel.
MTV2 Europe occasionally airs a sketch called "Ginger Bloke," in which a "Ginger Bloke" interviews mainstream acts (sometimes even acts the station supports) and mocks them during the interview. However, none of the interviews are real. They are taken from other MTV interviews and compiled in a humorous manner.
[edit] Events
In recent years, MTV2 has taken Gonzo on different tours of the United Kingdom. Gonzo On Tour has been a regular tour for the past two years, touring various Barfly venues and filming the results for broadcast on the channel. Bands such as The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, Goldie Lookin' Chain, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs and Maxïmo Park have played in the past, and in 2005 the tour featured bands such as The Rakes, Arctic Monkeys, Editors, and The Subways headlining one venue each, with support from Test Icicles and Be Your Own Pet.
In May 2006 the channel held a series of gigs at Brighton's Great Escape festival, with The Futureheads, The Cribs and Mystery Jets headlining alongside bands such as Metric, The Sunshine Underground and The Fratellis; the gigs were filmed and broadcast a few weeks later alongside interviews and backstage clips.
Other live events MTV2 have staged include the Bandwagon Tour featuring Viva Voce, Clor, The Departure and The Kooks, along with gigs at SXSW and coverage of the Reading and Leeds festivals.
In November 2006, MTV2 hosted its first Spanking New Music Tour where Fields, Forward Russia and The Maccabees supported headliners Wolfmother, with live footage from the Brixton Academy gig broadcast in a Gonzo special.
[edit] Advertising
Unlike other MTV channels in the UK which have regular commercial breaks, MTV2 ran without any advertising (apart from MTV promotions and idents) from midnight to 6pm every day. Commercials shown were mainly for albums, DVDs, films and products that target the channel's main audience. This was contrary to other MTV channels in the UK (including VH1 and TMF, who stream the same commercials, many of them from Jamster! and similar companies.) However, from September 2005 MTV2 started to play these commercials during daytime, but still runs without interruptions throughout the night from 1am.
[edit] External links
- MTV2 at MTV.co.uk
