MTV
At 12:01 a.m. on the 1st of August 1981, the first image to appear on the new cable channel was not a music video but a montage of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The footage showed still images acquired directly from NASA before cutting to an American flag planted on the lunar surface. That flag then transformed into the MTV logo, which rapidly changed colors and patterns several times per second as a guitar-driven jingle played for the first time. This extended network ID concept came from creative director Fred Seibert and was executed by Buzz Potamkin and Perpetual Motion Pictures. The station ran this specific hour-long introduction more than 75,000 times each year until early 1986 when it was scrapped following the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. The only constant elements remained the general shape and proportions of the block letter M while everything else stayed dynamic.
MTV launched with a format guided by television personalities known as video jockeys or VJs who introduced music videos and related entertainment programming. The very first video played on the channel was Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles. Between 1981 and 1984, very few black artists appeared in the rotation despite the presence of Michael Jackson, Prince, Eddy Grant, Tina Turner, Donna Summer, Joan Armatrading, Musical Youth, The Specials, The Selecter, Grace Jones, John Butcher, and Herbie Hancock. The Specials became the first act with people of color to perform on MTV since their song Rat Race aired as the 58th video on the station's first broadcast day. MTV refused other black artists' videos like Rick James Super Freak because they did not fit the carefully selected album-oriented rock format at that time. David Bowie questioned this lack of representation during an on-air interview with VJ Mark Goodman in 1983. Carolyn B. Baker served as the original head of talent and acquisition for the network and later stated that the research used to justify excluding black music was based on ignorance.
Walter Yetnikoff, president of CBS Records, denounced MTV in a strong profane statement threatening to remove all rights to play any music from his label if they continued ignoring black artists. He declared I am pulling everything we have off the air and will go public about the fact you do not want to play music by a black guy. This pressure led to the decision to air Michael Jackson Billie Jean video without direct pressure from CBS according to Les Garland who was then acquisitions head. The video reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart before entering medium rotation which meant two to three airings per day. In the final week of March it moved into heavy rotation just one week before the debut of Jackson Beat It video. Prince Little Red Corvette joined both videos in heavy rotation at the end of April while Electric Avenue by Eddy Grant appeared at the beginning of June. When Jackson Thriller released late that year raising the bar for what a video could be the network support became total. Subsequently more pop and R&B videos began playing on MTV though Rick James later claimed tokenism in interviews.
MTV's logo was designed in 1981 by Manhattan Design under the guidance of original creative director Fred Seibert. Frank Olinsky, Pat Gorman, and Patty Rogoff formed the collective responsible for the block letter M sketched by Rogoff with the scribbled word TV spraypainted by Olinksky. The primary variant featured the M in yellow and the TV in red but unlike most television networks logos at the time it was constantly branded with different colors patterns and images on various station IDs. Examples included 1988 ID Adam And Eve where the M is an apple and the snake is the TV plus 1984 ID Art History showing the logo in different art styles. From the late 1990s to early 2000s MTV updated its on-air appearance every year and each summer creating consistent branding across all music-related shows. This style ended as the channel drastically reduced its number of music-related shows in the early to mid-2000s introducing a static single color digital graphic mainly grey during on air programming. Starting with FNMTV Friday Night MTV in 2008 MTV used an updated cropped version of its original logo for thirty years before making it official on the 8th of February 2010.
In 1984 the channel produced its first MTV Video Music Awards show punctuated by a live performance by Madonna of Like a Virgin. The statuettes handed out are of the MTV moon man which remains the channel's original image from its first broadcast in 1981. These awards became MTV's most watched annual event for many years. The network began annual Spring Break coverage in 1986 setting up temporary operations in Daytona Beach Florida for a week in March broadcasting live eight hours per day. Vice president Doug Herzog stated at the time that spring break is a youth culture event and they wanted to be part of it because people there were the kinds who watch MTV. Later expansions included beach-themed events dedicated to summer seasons such as Motel California Summer Share Isle of MTV SoCal Summer Summer in the Keys and Shore Thing. VJs hosted blocks of music videos interviews artists and bands while introducing live performances from these beach house locations each summer. At year end the channel broadcasts live New Year's Eve coverage in Times Square featuring several live music performances alongside interviews with influential artists.
MTV edited numerous music videos to remove nudity references to drugs sex violence weapons racism homophobia and advertising. In the 1980s parent media watchdog groups like the Parents Music Resource Center criticized MTV over certain videos claimed to have explicit imagery of satanism leading to strict policies against Satanism or anti-religious themes. This policy resulted in bans on videos like Jesus Christ Pose by Soundgarden in 1991 and Megalomaniac by Incubus in 2004 despite Marilyn Manson being among the most popular rock bands during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in 2004 sparked a nationwide debate after Justin Timberlake tore off part of Janet Jackson's outfit revealing her right breast during Rock Your Body. Federal Communications Commission chairman Michael Powell ordered an investigation the day after the broadcast which led to fines and self-censorship waves on American television unrivaled since the McCarthy era. In April 2008 the Parents Television Council released The Rap on Rap targeting hip hop and R&B music videos rotated on programs shown on BET and Sucker Free on MTV urging advertisers to withdraw sponsorship.
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Common questions
When did MTV first launch and what was the very first image shown on air?
MTV launched at 12:01 a.m. on the 1st of August 1981 with an Apollo 11 moon landing montage as its opening image. The footage displayed still images from NASA before transitioning to an American flag planted on the lunar surface.
Who designed the original MTV logo and when was it officially updated in 2010?
The original MTV logo was designed in 1981 by Manhattan Design under creative director Fred Seibert with contributions from Frank Olinsky, Pat Gorman, and Patty Rogoff. An updated cropped version became official on the 8th of February 2010 after being used since FNMTV Friday Night MTV started in 2008.
What was the first music video played on MTV and which artist broke racial barriers early on?
Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles was the first music video played on the channel upon its 1981 launch. The Specials became the first act with people of color to perform on MTV when their song Rat Race aired as the 58th video on the station's first broadcast day.
Why did MTV face criticism for excluding black artists and how did Michael Jackson change that policy?
MTV faced criticism because very few black artists appeared in rotation between 1981 and 1984 despite the presence of stars like Michael Jackson and Prince. Pressure from CBS Records president Walter Yetnikoff led to the decision to air Michael Jackson Billie Jean video without direct pressure from CBS according to Les Garland who was then acquisitions head.
When did MTV start producing the Video Music Awards and what is the name of the statuettes given out?
The channel produced its first MTV Video Music Awards show in 1984 punctuated by a live performance by Madonna of Like a Virgin. The statuettes handed out are known as the MTV moon man which remains the channel's original image from its first broadcast in 1981.
Which regions still carry music videos on MTV as of January 2026 after UK channels stopped broadcasting?
As of January 2026 MTV only carries music videos in five regions: United States Japan Israel Taiwan and India. Parent company Paramount announced on the 10th of October 2025 that UK and Ireland channels including MTV Music MTV 80s MTV 90s Club MTV and MTV Live would stop broadcasting after the 31st of December 2025.