Mtv - Hardcover

Mc Grath

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1561387037 ISBN 13: 9781561387038

Publisher: Running Press, 1996

Synopsis

Chronicles the growth of the cable TV station, from its humble beginnings in a Columbus, Ohio warehouse to its current status as a cultural megapower

About this title

Review:

Since MTV is a purveyor of primarily ahistorical and context-free broadcasting, it is easy for media aficionados (and certainly sophisticated business people) to turn their noses up at a book with this title. But in fact, this is a great book about the building of one of the world's most successful businesses. Replace the names of the various rock-stars with "respectable" commodities (like automobiles, chicken parts, bits or widgets), and there are great lessons to be learned about how innovative businesses generally, and innovative broadcasting specifically, are created in this millennial era. Recommended.

From Booklist:

More vilified than any other medium since 1950s comic books, MTV is a pervasive contemporary cultural force. McGrath examines the cable channel that changed TV, pop music, and movies alike as it rose from an experiment in narrow-casting to a multimillion-dollar business alleged to be capable of making or breaking music acts. MTV has endured many controversies over racism, morality, decency, and crass commercialism that played out in public, as everything involving MTV must, and besides the issues per se, McGrath covers the more important stories of how MTV's movers and shakers handled them. He introduces John Lack, Jack Schneider, and the enthusiasts who made up the original MTV staff, and he covers the staff upheaval when the tenor of the operation changed as success made the business inevitably bigger. Ultimately, this is the story of the war for MTV's corporate soul as told through the travails of its creators. Will the brash rebel of broadcasting remain a vibrant, unpredictable market force or settle into safe, profitable mediocrity? For now, read McGrath and stay tuned. Mike Tribby

About this edition

• Publisher: Running Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 1561387037
• ISBN 13: 9781561387038
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208