Sucker Free

Sucker Free, known as Sucker Free Daily on weekdays and then Sucker Free Countdown on Sundays, was MTV2's sole hip-hop video block. Previously, Sucker Free aired weekdays for one hour, then eventually sporadically until the week leading to February 28, 2010. Sucker Free Countdown, its 2 hour top 15 countdown, aired Sundays at 11AM ET/PT and 11PM ET/PT. Sucker Free originated from a block branding of hip-hop videos on MTV2 Sundays (called Sucker Free Sundays) in 2002, and eventually became the branding of MTV's main hip-hop program weekdays from 2006 until 2008. In October 2012, the show was re branded as The Week in Jams.

History

Sucker Free debuted on May 29, 2006. Its previous moniker, Direct Effect, debuted on September 25, 2000, and was more robust in comparison to Sucker Free. From its start, it was marketed and produced almost like a hip-hop version of TRL. However, as the network drifted away from music and began to promote general pseudo-reality programming to teens in afternoons rather than video-branded programming, the series became a pre-taped program consisting mostly of videos and some viewer interaction, and the time slot was pushed back to early A.M. hours (first 10AM, then 8AM, then as early as 6:30AM) before the program's end in 2008.

A limited archive of Sucker Free Countdown can be seen on Sucker Free's web site on MTV2.com

In April 2008, the show became a subject of criticism by the Parents Television Council, whose research report The Rap on Rap claimed that Sucker Free and BET programs 106 & Park and Rap City were deliberately marketing adult content to minors.^[1] In response to the PTC's report, Procter & Gamble proposed withdrawing advertising from BET and MTV.^[2] An executive for MTV responded:

This report unfairly and inaccurately paints MTV with a brush of irresponsibility. During the time outlined in this report we did not receive a single complaint about the content of the videos. We take our responsibility to our viewers very seriously. And have a self-imposed standards group that looks at every video and appropriately rates all of our programming.^[3]

Sucker Free Daily (SFD) debuted on 3/15/10. The Daily edition is only half an hour block of hip-hop videos and aired originally Mondays-Thursdays at 7:30AM ET/PT. MTV.com describes SFD as a half-hour music block of videos from Mondays-Thursday. SFD will have the most current hip-hop news stories in the MTV News Sucker Free News report, it will showcase the latest in fashion, cars, technology in our "On Some Other S***" segment, and it will provide the most current information in trending topics, upcoming music releases, and updates from the sports and Hollywood worlds via texted bumper segments.

As of March 21, 2010, Sucker Free Countdown was hosted by DJ Envy.

As of June 27, 2010, Sucker Free Countdown expanded to 2.5 hours and returned as a top 20 video countdown.

As of March 22, 2011, Sucker Free Daily moved to 8:30AM ET/PT Tuesdays-Fridays.

As of April 19, 2011, Sucker Free Daily moved back to 7:30AM ET / PT Tuesdays-Fridays.

As of June 26, 2011, Sucker Free Countdown returned to its previous 2-hour format and now only counts down 15 videos.

As of October 28, 2012, Sucker Free Countdown was re-branded as "The Week in Jams", which was announced on October 11, 2012. An additional airing appears on MTV Jams. Where “Sucker Free Countdown” focused primarily on music, “The Week in Jams” will expand focus on the latest in the hip hop lifestyle, from music to fashion, gear to sports and, of course, real talk.

Spin off for MTV Tres

Sucker Free Latino debuted in 2006 on the Latino-oriented MTV network MTV Tres, which focuses mainly on Latino urban music. In 2009, the show was cut of its host and other familiar elements and aired as a top 5 countdown known as SFL 5. SFL 5 ran Tuesdays at 10PM ET/PT.

When MTV Tres re-launched in 2010 as Tr3s, SFL5 was not included in the new programming line-up and effectively cancelled.

References

External links

• Sucker Free at the Internet Movie Database