'A nostalgic memory' Does MTV's channel turnoff ring a death knell for pop videos?

The launch of MTV, in 1981, ushered in a new era of music. Showing music videos 24 hours a day, the television channel launched the careers of Madonna as well as Michael Jackson as a solo star, whose public images became inseparable from the gripping, frequently controversial clips they made to be played on the channel.

- Shaad D'Souza

Now, that chapter of music history appears to be drawing to a close, with MTV’s parent company Paramount announcing last week that its five dedicated music channels in the UK - MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live - will cease broadcasting after 31 December. (The flagship MTV channel, which broadcasts reality programmes such as Catfish, The Hills and Geordie Shore, will remain in operation.)

For some, it represents the end of an era. Others, such as the musician Hannah Diamond, suggest that the era may have closed some time ago. “I feel like MTV hasn’t been part of the conversation for such a long time that it really doesn’t surprise me that they’re ending it,” she says. “It’s more of a nostalgic memory.”

YouTube, she adds, for her work as an independent artist, has always been the primary platform for music video releases.

Yet, the closure of the platform raises questions about where music videos sit in today’s industry, and whether they remain a viable outlet for expression and promotion.

Jennifer Byrne, head of development at Academy Films - which launched the careers of filmmakers such as Jonathan Glazer and Walter Stern through their music video work - says that “labels aren’t as willing” to invest heavily in videos as they once were.