While many complain about the lack of actual music on MTV, Canada's original music video network MuchMusic will not be allowed to scale back the number of music videos it plays on a daily basis. The network's owners at CTV recently applied to the CRTC to have its licence changed so they could scale back on the music videos and bring in more animated and "lifestyle" programming, but the request was denied.
As CBC News reports, the network's request to cut back music video air time from 50 percent to 25 percent was shot down, as was a request to cut back on Canadian content. However, the CRTC did allow for the network to cut down its operations from 24 hours to 18 hours a day, meaning MuchMusic can play reruns between midnight and 6 a.m.
Still, Brad Schwartz, CEO of Much MTV Group, insists that the CRTC needs to help the network adapt if it is going to stay afloat. "What the CRTC does in creating the nature of services and genre protections is to allow businesses to be special," he said. "And our problem is, music videos no longer make us special. When you look at a service like Vevo, which is owned by the record labels, we don't even get music video premieres anymore. All music video premieres are on Vevo."
From the looks of it, MuchMusic will be forced to keep playing music videos for now. This is welcome news for those of us who miss the station's glory days. Now, all we need is a return of Ed the Sock.
As CBC News reports, the network's request to cut back music video air time from 50 percent to 25 percent was shot down, as was a request to cut back on Canadian content. However, the CRTC did allow for the network to cut down its operations from 24 hours to 18 hours a day, meaning MuchMusic can play reruns between midnight and 6 a.m.
Still, Brad Schwartz, CEO of Much MTV Group, insists that the CRTC needs to help the network adapt if it is going to stay afloat. "What the CRTC does in creating the nature of services and genre protections is to allow businesses to be special," he said. "And our problem is, music videos no longer make us special. When you look at a service like Vevo, which is owned by the record labels, we don't even get music video premieres anymore. All music video premieres are on Vevo."
From the looks of it, MuchMusic will be forced to keep playing music videos for now. This is welcome news for those of us who miss the station's glory days. Now, all we need is a return of Ed the Sock.
