# After 44 Years, MTV Is Officially Dead \[outside North America\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2026, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242 "2026-01-01T13:51:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/1 "2026-01-01T13:51:37Z")
> **[MTV's Music-Only Channels Are Going Dark Once and For All](https://rockcellarmagazine.com/mtv-music-channels-going-off-air-details-2025/)** > > It's the end of an era for MTV. Today, Dec. 31, brings about not only the end of 2025, but the end of MTV as it's been known: The remaining handful of dedicated music channels under the MTV brand will go dark at the start of the new year. Sad to see it end, but it was past it’s time for more than a decade. Curious to notice that on Sirius radio, the old time DJs of MTV show up on the 80s Sirius channel; fun for nostalgia, but I have to say that Nina Blackwood sounds more like **Nana** Blackwood nowadays… Stations ended the transmission with the song that started all: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/W8r-tXRLazs/maxresdefault.jpg "The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8r-tXRLazs&t=0) ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/2 "2026-01-01T14:23:38Z")
Well, I’m glad that they finally saw the writing on the wall. It’s probably been at least two decades since I’ve watched more than a few minutes of any MTV owned/affiliated channel. Even when they were showing music videos, there just wasn’t much point in watching ten videos I didn’t care to see in the hope of catching one I did want to see. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/3 "2026-01-01T14:52:12Z")
MTV was a trailblazer in that most media tries to keep their existing audience so they end up aging along with them. MTV was one of the first to decided to let their audience age out and consistently chase young viewers, morphing and adapting as the generations progressed to cater to their tastes. It was way ahead of its time in that. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/4 "2026-01-01T14:53:55Z")
I didn’t know that MTV was still around in any fashion. The 80s wouldn’t have been the same without them. A big thanks to MTV for broadcasting The Young Ones into my American living room! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/5 "2026-01-01T14:55:35Z")
Sad, but I buried MTV in my head about 30 years ago. I remember what it was when it was something, And it wasn’t always all that when it was at its peak. Maybe I miss the _ideal_ of MTV more than the reality. “Some people just don’t get it.” ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/6 "2026-01-01T15:27:05Z")
♫Streaming services killed the video star…♫ ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/7 "2026-01-01T15:29:36Z")
MTV is my first memory of hearing about the internet outside of tech stuff. I think it was Adam Curry signing off from a show, with a comment along the lines of “If you haven’t heard about the world wide web, check it out.” ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/8 "2026-01-01T15:37:51Z")
We’ll always have _Ridiculousness_… (in reruns) ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/9 "2026-01-01T15:44:47Z")
I think it was Youtube. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/10 "2026-01-01T15:53:34Z")
♫Wardrobe malfunction killed the video star…♫ One of the creators of youtube stated nipplegate was an inspiration for starting youtube because there was no obvious place to find footage of the incident online. ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/11 "2026-01-01T16:05:41Z")
It follows that MTV Splitsvilla won’t be coming back.It wasn’t at all cerebral but did show a little Indian culture. Oh well - too bad. ☺ ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/12 "2026-01-01T16:34:56Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Curious to notice that on Sirius radio, the old time DJs of MTV show up on the 80s Sirius channel; fun for nostalgia, but I have to say that Nina Blackwood sounds more like **Nana** Blackwood nowadays I’ve never been able to stand her voice. I know some guys find the whole raspy voice thing sexy. I find it grating and irritating! Those VJ’s talk wayyyy too much on Sirius. Introduce the song and STFU. I don’t care what happened to the singer from Big Country. Play the music I paid for. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/13 "2026-01-01T16:56:25Z")
MTV is still going to exist. They just shut down their music channels. This feels like a soldier’s family having a reserved funeral after their remains are returned years later. We all moved on, but we should at least acknowledge the music channel’s death at least a bit. I used to watch Paulie Shore daily. What a different time. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/14 "2026-01-01T17:00:32Z")
“Spotify killed the video star!” ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/15 "2026-01-01T17:42:54Z")
Our city first got MTV in 1982, when they rolled out nationally. I was already 32, hardly their target audience, but my interest in music instantly rekindled after the Top 40 disaster that was the 70s. All those quirky yet melodic and catchy British groups still are favorites. Others were already doing music videos and those would have taken off regardless, but MTV’s 24-hour barrage at the precise moment changed the music culture in ways scattered programs never would. Everybody in the industry thought they were crazy to do this. They won and we won. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/16 "2026-01-01T17:46:39Z")
Empty-V is gone just now? It sure has been a long goodbye. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/17 "2026-01-01T18:01:04Z")
Uh, is VH-1 doing any music? I haven’t had cable in a long time. They were like the soft-pop version of MTV. What’s up with them? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/18 "2026-01-01T18:08:55Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > MTV is still going to exist. They just shut down their music channels. They should change their name now to Mayhem TeleVision… ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/19 "2026-01-01T18:10:44Z")
They needed to go in on talented DJs/VJs and presenters that could showcase and educate you about music (established genres plus bleeding edge stuff). I would not tune in just to stream a particular song that I already had in mind. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242/20 "2026-01-01T18:11:57Z")
It’s funny that a shit-ton of people claim they were watching when MTV opened with that video and, for the vast majority of them, it just isn’t so. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-44-years-mtv-is-officially-dead-outside-north-america/1026242.md?page=2)