Well, looks like the extremely intelligent boys & girls over at VH1 have decided to make a cheap attempt at ratings by losing the identity they had as a channel from the very start (ie, a music channel for 20 + age viewers) and become an imitation of MTv, to kiss the asses of the Backstreet Boys & Eminem! Congratulations, fuckwits! You're going to run it into the ground....the image of VH1 has no appeal for teeny-boppers, who already have MTV, and we won't watch it anymore because again, if we liked Dr Dre, we'd watch MTv instead of you.... Well, her'es the article. Cheers, jack. VH1 Shifts Away From Rock Jun 30, 2000 — Rock 'n' roll is here to stay? Apparently not on VH1. Due to the growing popularity of other music genres — specifically rap, hip-hop and lightweight pop offered by the likes of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys — the cable music channel will shift its programming away from rock-music videos, according to the New York Post. In addition, VH1 will also concentrate on more substantive programming. "Music is certainly a continuing strategy for us," VH1 programming chief Jeffrey Gaspon told the Post. "That is who we are and what our brand is about. But we are trying to evolve [VH1] into a more long-form-oriented music channel. We've learned from our 14-year history that music videos can only take you so far. There is this drought at the moment, and that just adds to the fact that we made the right decision." VH1's focus on creating its own music-themed movies and shows, which have taken the place of the videos, started about three years ago, says Gaspon. Behind the Music, its hugely successful biography series, is a network staple. Other VH1-produced programming include biography movies — most recently Daydream Believers, about the 1960s pop group the Monkees. Upcoming rock 'n' roll films include To Hell and Back, about iconic rocker Meat Loaf. The impetus for this trend seems to be based on teenage viewers, an audience that VH1 didn't start out aiming for. TV programming analyst Bill Carroll told the Post that artists such as Carlos Santana and Tony Bennett are still big draws, but added, "The majority of the music scene today is much, much younger." Carroll then cited the popularity of nonvideo programming on VH1's sister station MTV, pointing out that VH1's taking the same slant makes a lot of sense. VH1 has four new weekly series on its summer slate: Sound Affects, in which people recount how songs significantly affected their lives; Rock's Greatest, a countdown series; VH1 Confidential, a probe into the unexplained, mythical and legendary aspects of rock 'n' roll; and Don't Quote Me, similar to the network's already successful Pop-Up Video. —Jenny Higgons, Gist TV Staff http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2693#msg-2693Thu, 23 May 2013 17:26:00 +1000 Phorum 5.2.16 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2750#msg-2750 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2750#msg-2750
What a disappointment that VH1 has decided to change direction. Being 31 and in the states I have really been enjoying the station since they have started supporting "rock" a couple of years ago. Though they are not 100% a video music channel, the shows they aired were worth watching. Espcecially the "Behind The Music" series and "The List".

What a shame that music can't be just that.....music. It's now all about "show business" and what label has the strongest/best Marketing Department. What is really sad is we have allowed it to happen and we bought in to it all....... hook, line and sinker.

R.I.P. VH1.......and rock 'n' roll.


~John II

]]> John II NoticeboardTue, 04 Jul 2000 03:26:45 +1000 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2704#msg-2704 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2704#msg-2704 Preacherman NoticeboardMon, 03 Jul 2000 01:19:32 +1000 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2699#msg-2699 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2699#msg-2699
I can't think of a more depressive era than the 90's as far as music goes. This is TOTALLY excluding the bands out now or that are still together doing the classic sound (i.e. MTM, Frontiers, etc.).

This just proves that where there's shit, there's flys....]]> zacman NoticeboardSun, 02 Jul 2000 22:56:09 +1000 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2698#msg-2698 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2698#msg-2698Actually, I don't think VH1 in the UK has ever catered for rock music. Certainly not to the extent it has in the States. Has the 'Where Are They Now?' features on 80s metal bands ever aired on VH1 over here?
And I agree with you on MTV. They completely forgot about music years ago. Now it's just full of phone in sex advice shows for Americans, that Tom Green crap and Jerry Springer hosting some beach party where he's encouraging guys to write backwards messages on girls' butts (hey, where's the PMRC now?!!!!) who then have to transfer them onto glass. What does this have to do with music?! If I wanted to watch this crap I'd tune into 'Sky'!
The best music channel on UK TV is 'The Box'. But, hey, that's Pop!]]> Dave NoticeboardSun, 02 Jul 2000 21:32:12 +1000 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2696#msg-2696 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2696#msg-2696
To give you an example of just how crazy things have got here in the UK, Radio 1,
the countries biggest radio station, recently refused to add the new Kylie Minogue single to their playlist! Apparently this had nothing to do with the song, just the fact that her 'appeal' is to an audience that lies beyond their demographic, of 15-24 year olds. The single went on to become the UK Number 1! Which just proves how out of touch the station is with the music buying public here. Fortunately Independent Local Radio, similar to what you have in the States, has a more rounded policy and that primarily helped the single get the airplay it required to achieve this.

The point is, if Kylie can't get on the radio over here Journey might as well forget it!
Something I posted on the 'Ask Journey' part of their website a while ago was this issue and how to get round it in the UK.

As for VH-1, I never watched it anyway, and MTV is just so far up it's own ass I can't stand that either. So, who is going to break this trend? Who is going to be brave enough to set up a source for people to hear/see music for people who don't fit into a 'yoof' demographic but arn't 'old'? I believe it's one of the reasons for the decline in music sales today in the UK. There's a whole group of working people with expendable income not being catered for and no one seems to have noticed including the record companies.

And that's why melodic rock, as we knew it, will never be huge again.
]]> Surfpunk NoticeboardSun, 02 Jul 2000 19:58:24 +1000 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2693#msg-2693 http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,2693,2693#msg-2693Well, looks like the extremely intelligent boys & girls over at VH1 have decided to make a cheap attempt at ratings by losing the identity they had as a channel from the very start (ie, a music channel for 20 + age viewers) and become an imitation of MTv, to kiss the asses of the Backstreet Boys & Eminem!

Congratulations, fuckwits! You're going to run it into the ground....the image of VH1 has no appeal for teeny-boppers, who already have MTV, and we won't watch it anymore because again, if we liked Dr Dre, we'd watch MTv instead of you....

Well, her'es the article.

Cheers,
jack.


VH1 Shifts Away From Rock

Jun 30, 2000 — Rock 'n' roll is here to stay? Apparently not on VH1. Due to the growing popularity of other music genres — specifically rap, hip-hop and lightweight pop offered by the likes of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys — the cable music channel will shift its programming away from rock-music videos, according to the New York Post.
In addition, VH1 will also concentrate on more substantive programming.

"Music is certainly a continuing strategy for us," VH1 programming chief Jeffrey Gaspon told the Post. "That is who we are and what our brand is about. But we are trying to evolve [VH1] into a more long-form-oriented music channel. We've learned from our 14-year history that music videos can only take you so far. There is this drought at the moment, and that just adds to the fact that we made the right decision."

VH1's focus on creating its own music-themed movies and shows, which have taken the place of the videos, started about three years ago, says Gaspon. Behind the Music, its hugely successful biography series, is a network staple. Other VH1-produced programming include biography movies — most recently Daydream Believers, about the 1960s pop group the Monkees. Upcoming rock 'n' roll films include To Hell and Back, about iconic rocker Meat Loaf.

The impetus for this trend seems to be based on teenage viewers, an audience that VH1 didn't start out aiming for. TV programming analyst Bill Carroll told the Post that artists such as Carlos Santana and Tony Bennett are still big draws, but added, "The majority of the music scene today is much, much younger." Carroll then cited the popularity of nonvideo programming on VH1's sister station MTV, pointing out that VH1's taking the same slant makes a lot of sense.

VH1 has four new weekly series on its summer slate: Sound Affects, in which people recount how songs significantly affected their lives; Rock's Greatest, a countdown series; VH1 Confidential, a probe into the unexplained, mythical and legendary aspects of rock 'n' roll; and Don't Quote Me, similar to the network's already successful Pop-Up Video. —Jenny Higgons, Gist TV Staff

]]> Jack NoticeboardSun, 02 Jul 2000 15:02:15 +1000