A Crazy Viacom Idea for MTV, VH1, and other networks (long post)

[D-Oradio]

For a while now, I've been pondering a thought about the Viacom networks. Call me crazy, but I would just like to share a few of the things I wish could happen. I know these days it's all about the money, and MTV and VH1 wouldn't make as much money as they do now reverting back to uh, MUSIC, but it's a nice gesture. Here we go...Bare with me.

MTV-revert back to a full-fledged Top 40 mainstream music video channel. Include daily countdowns, VJ shows, etc. (specialty music shows for Rock, Rhythm, and Dance formats too)

VH1-the HOT AC/Adult Contemporary answer to MTV playing the best videos from the 80's, 90's and now.

CMT-24/7 country music videos

Nickelodeon-change to Nick TV, a channel formatted for youths between the age of 12-24.

Noggin-the pre-teen, kids entertainment network 24/7. Shows from "The N" will move to Nick TV, so Noggin can return to their original idea.

TVLand-the new home for reality/mainstream lifestyle entertainment hitting the female demos. (All of the famous hit shows from MTV, VH1, and even CMT will be presented here. (Flavor of Love, Real World, Osbournes) I know all classic TV lovers would NOT like this at all, being that TV Land now showcases old series. But, it would be in my opinion all those shows can be released into syndication again. :

Spike TV-lifestyle entertainment network for men with more original programming. MTV2's shows can have a new home here. (Jackass, Wildboyz, Viva La Bam, Celebrity Death Match, Beavis and Butt-Head, etc)

BET-all original programming, with new reality, talk shows, etc. Music videos will be shown in morning hours, but will showcase the best in Soul/Adult R&B videos.

Now for the sub channels...

MTV2-flip to MTV Classic, all classic videos from MTV's early years. (showcase classics like 120 Minutes, Alternative Nation, and more specialty music video shows)
MTV Hits-flip to MTVX, a former channel with an active rock format.
MTV Jams-flip to BET Jams, providing a complement to their main channel. New home for Rap City.

VH1 Classic-revert back to the original concept of the channel back in 2000, and play everything from the 50's to the 70's. (Classic rock, soul, disco)
VH1 Soul-flip to VH1 Variety, TV's first Jack-FM like channel playing a diverse, eclectic mix of music. (Much like the old M2, or some of VH1 Classic's genre-oriented music video shows)

BET Jams-see above
BET Jazz-flip to BET Classic Jams (classic R&B, hip-hop videos)

CMT Pure Country-flip to CMT Classic, playing classic country videos.

I know I may have left some things out. This was just for fun, I am sorry if anyone is offended. If anyone wants to join along and drop some insight, let's hear it. Take care.

Neil

 

[KML0224]

Love the sound of it. Obviously, Viacom would never go for it.

 

[Braves2005]

You haven't offended anyone on here. You made some great points. Viacom has really gone to the dogs the past few years. The chances of some of the channels going back to the way they were before are slim to none right now. Some examples:

CMT: Hardly see very many music videos on there. All you see on there now are half naked women(Inside The Coyote Ugly),people working on trucks(Trick My Truck),reruns of VH1's programs(Hulk Hogan's show,Ted Nugent,etc),showing the Miss America Pageant,showing movies which have no connection with country music,the list goes on. They even tried this month in showing Hee Haw but I believed that it failed and besides that,they edited most of the shows.

Nick at Nite: As a whole has become in recent months,the Roseanne,Fresh Prince,Full House channel. I know that they are trying with other shows.(A Different World,Newsradio,and Designing Women coming in September) But mostly it is now a channel that shows late 80's to mid 90's shows now.

I would however like to see the reality shows like The Osbournes,JA,etc. to go to Spike instead of the shows going to TV Land.

 

[anotherguyTN]

I like the ideas for Nick and Noggin. My 3 year old daughter loves Noggin, and I've always wondered why they couldn't go 24/7 and put the teen shows on the N as a separate channel, and moving them to a Nick channel geared toward teens would have the same effect.

I also like the idea of getting the networks that started as music networks back to their original formats.

On the other hand, I don't like the idea for TV Land. All the "reality" shows should go to Spike. What needs to be done to TV Land is to launch separate networks for different eras. Have TV Land Classic for 50's and 60's shows, then TV Land 70's, 80, and 90's.

 

[radiolives]

Sounds good to me but MTV, VH-1, and CMT can show some shows going with that format. Such as CMT shows Dukes of Hazard which is country. VH-1 doesn't need to show any shows or movies just Hot AC and AC hits like you said. And MTV I don't know maybe all day long music videos but at 10pm the nightime shows start. One thing I didn't like is what you did with TV Land. I would have TV Land become shows from the 50s to late 70s and then make a TV Land 2 showing shows from the 80s to mid 90s. Other then that I like your thinking.

 

[LowTideNumber6]

Your ideas make a great deal of sense, which, of course means they have no chance of
ever actually being carried out.

 

[clichemoth]

A TV Land split would make too much sense and has been needed for quite a while. They own the rights to so many shows and simply don't have room for them all. Putting the pre-1975(arbitrary cutoff date) shows on one network and the more recent stuff on another would make sense, and do we really need every single one of those VH1 subchannels anyway?

 

[arnoldevns]

The number of networks that they have under their control is ridiculous. TV Land is successful with it's current format of old shows. To me, it would be better to flip one of the other MTV branded networks to a "reality" type of channel instead of messing with TV Land.

 

[anotherguyTN]

After seeing Clichemoth's post suggesting 2 TV Land channels with 1975 as the dividing point, I've decided that would be a better idea, since most cable systems probably won't ever do 3 or 4 TV Land channels. But then again, it would make too much sense, so Viacom will probably never do it.

One other question: If this scenario actually ever happened, what would be the best thing to do with classic shows that started before 1975 and ran until some time after then? There would be several classic shows that would be this way, like All in the Family, and the Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart shows.

I also think a separate reality show channel would make sense.

 

[clichemoth]

After seeing Clichemoth's post suggesting 2 TV Land channels with 1975 as the dividing point, I've decided that would be a better idea, since most cable systems probably won't ever do 3 or 4 TV Land channels. But then again, it would make too much sense, so Viacom will probably never do it.

One other question: If this scenario actually ever happened, what would be the best thing to do with classic shows that started before 1975 and ran until some time after then? There would be several classic shows that would be this way, like All in the Family, and the Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart shows.

I also think a separate reality show channel would make sense.

I don't see why they haven't done a reality channel yet myself. With Survivor, Big Brother, TAR, Top Model, Ultimate Fighter, and the gazillion shows on MTV/VH1, they have the programming. And people would watch. I remember hearing that such a thing was in the planning stages a few years ago, but nothing ever came of that.

 

[Morgan Wick]

I can't imagine why you think you would have offended somebody. Some troll, maybe. We probably don't care if Viacom gets offended, and Viacom probably doesn't care themselves. They probably know what you say is all too true...

I also like the idea of getting the networks that started as music networks back to their original formats.

Which isn't what was done with Spike, which started as TNN, The Nashville Network, and was the original country channel before it became a corporate sibling to CMT. Then Viacom moved all the country stuff to CMT and made TNN "The National Network" en route to becoming Spike. Then they MTV-ified CMT. But don't worry, they now have GAC to deal with.

On the other hand, I don't like the idea for TV Land. All the "reality" shows should go to Spike. What needs to be done to TV Land is to launch separate networks for different eras. Have TV Land Classic for 50's and 60's shows, then TV Land 70's, 80, and 90's.

I agree. I like Ken's idea below; the only change I'd make is to flip the script and make the original TV Land for the more recent, 80's-era shows. This follows the pattern with Nick at Nite showing hella recent 90's shows (how soon before we see Friends on there?)

Splitting TV Land, though, isn't likely to happen, and not just because the folks at Viacom are idiots with dollar signs in their eyes; there are more channels on the air now than there is space for cable carriers to show them, and a Darwinian soap opera results, playing out on the digital cable portion of countless channel lineups. On Demand is the wave of the future, and it may be so especially for TV Land.

One other question: If this scenario actually ever happened, what would be the best thing to do with classic shows that started before 1975 and ran until some time after then? There would be several classic shows that would be this way, like All in the Family, and the Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart shows.

Go by the midway point of their runs.

After seeing Clichemoth's post suggesting 2 TV Land channels with 1975 as the dividing point, I've decided that would be a better idea, since most cable systems probably won't ever do 3 or 4 TV Land channels. But then again, it would make too much sense, so Viacom will probably never do it.

One other question: If this scenario actually ever happened, what would be the best thing to do with classic shows that started before 1975 and ran until some time after then? There would be several classic shows that would be this way, like All in the Family, and the Mary Tyler Moore and Bob Newhart shows.

I also think a separate reality show channel would make sense.

I don't see why they haven't done a reality channel yet myself. With Survivor, Big Brother, TAR, Top Model, Ultimate Fighter, and the gazillion shows on MTV/VH1, they have the programming. And people would watch. I remember hearing that such a thing was in the planning stages a few years ago, but nothing ever came of that.

Same as the reason you won't see a TV Land 2 anytime soon.

Doesn't Fox have a reality channel now?

Like the ideas, some changes though:
Nick: Why the name change? Do you think teens will think Nickelodeon is for little kids?
TV Land: Same as others.
BET Jazz: Keep as a jazz channel. Don't piss off the jazz fans.
Others: Make MTV Hits into MTV Classic. Keep MTV2 as a place to merge the rock, country, and "jams" formats. That frees up MTV/BET Jams and CMT Pure to become reality and TV Land 2 networks.

Another question: As more time passes and more TV comes on, do we add more TV Land networks ad infinitum?

 

[Kenny Atkinson]

MTV, VH1, CMT play music videos. ARE YOU NUTS. Why would "Music Television, Country Music Television, and Video Hits One" play music videos.
TV Land from what I was reading awhile back in thier chat rooms was that they are rebranding themselves and are going to soon have a spin-off channel one channel I'm guessing 50's 60's and early 70's. One channel 70's 80's and like early 90's and N at N mostly crappy new reruns. Don't hold me to that but I think that is where they are going.

As for reality, FOX has FOX Reality channel. They show COPS,American IDOl etc...

I don't have a problem with CMT airing country related shows or re-runs. HEE HAW might be a disaster for them but I would nt see harm in them adding shows like "ALICE or "BJ and the Bear" after they kill the "Dukes of Hazzard" I don't think they are airing more than 30 episodes. The same ones are on all the time.