VBS.tv

Vice Broadcasting System
Type of business Subsidiary
Type of site
 Video hosting service
Available in English
Founded March 2007
Headquarters New York City, United States
Owner Vice
Key people Spike Jonze (creative director)
Suroosh Alvi (Vice co-founder)
Shane Smith (Vice co-founder)
Slogan(s) Rescuing you from television's deathlike grip[1]
Advertising Vice Media
Current status Merged

VBS.tv was an online television network owned by Vice Media, and later absorbed into VICE.com. The network produced original, short-form, documentary-style video content under the auspice of VICE Films. Subject matter included humanitarian issues, music, insider travel guides, and news. The creative director of the network was Spike Jonze.[2]

History

Formation

VBS began as a deal between Viacom-owned MTV Networks and Logo Group. In March 2007, the network was formed; MTV funded the formation of the network, and Vice magazine would supply the content. MTV has rights to distribute VBS content across its worldwide network of channels.[3] According to Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi, "traditional journalism always aspires to objectivity, and since day one with the magazine we never believed in that...Our ethos is subjectivity with real substantiation. I don't think you see that on CNN."[1]

Circulation

VBS videos are available via the network's website, as well as being broadcast on MTV Latin America[3] and MTV2.[4] VBS is currently featured as a weekly show on MTV2.[5] Online circulation reached over 2.5 million hits in 2008.[6] VBS.tv content has appeared in CNN as part of their CNN presents lineup, with CNN stating that "... We believe this unique reporting approach is worthy of sharing with our CNN.com readers."[7] Much of it is now available at VICE.com.

Content

The network's videos feature reporting on popular culture, travel, extreme sports, and music.[8] The site has also produced special-interest and current affairs-based shows such as an interview with Hezbollah's self-proclaimed mayor of Beirut and a show that explored allegations of environmental abuse. It has also approached drug issues, producing a documentary about the criminal use of the drug scopolamine in Colombia.[3] Other coverage includes a series of short documentaries about Darfur, Hurricane Katrina,[1] Liberia, and North Korea. The network also produced Heavy Metal in Baghdad, a feature-length documentary film about Acrassicauda.

Filmography

Title Format Producer Channel Year
Vice Guide to Travel Documentary film series VBS.tv VBS.tv, MTV2 2006
True Norwegian Black Metal Documentary film series VBS.tv VBS.tv 2007
Heavy Metal in Baghdad Rockumentary VBS.tv VBS.tv, film festivals 2007
The Alli Show Documentary television series VBS.tv MTV2 2009[9]
White Lightnin' Dramatic feature VICE Films Film festivals 2009
The Vice Guide to Everything Television series VBS.tv MTV2 2010
Rule Britannia Documentary film series VBS.tv VBS.tv 2010
The Ride Documentary feature VICE Films Film festivals 2010
The Fourth Dimension Three short films VICE Films Film festivals 2012
Vice Documentary television HBO HBO 2013
Lil Bub & Friendz Documentary feature VICE Films Film festivals 2013
Reincarnated Documentary feature VICE Films Film festivals 2013

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Snarky Vice Squad Is Ready to Be Taken Seriously. Seriously. Wired. 18 October 2007
  2. ↑ Vice Music Chooses The Orchard Business Wire. 13 January 2009
  3. 1 2 3 A Guerrilla Video Site Meets MTV New York Times. 19 November 2007
  4. ↑ THE ANTI-CHRIST OF THE INTERNET RETURNS TO MTV2 DigitallyOBSESSED, 15 November 2008
  5. ↑ "When Vice is Virtue - Jeff Beer - Feature". Creativity Online. 2009-03-24. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  6. ↑ VBS TV Crunch Base.
  7. ↑ "CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
  8. ↑ Television for trendsetters The Guardian. 22 October 2007
  9. ↑ "The Alli Show Debuts with Josh Grant". Oct 7, 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
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