MTV celebrates 30th birthday

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Media / Entertainment

Ben Hall

July 28, 2011

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1 minute

MTV celebrates 30th birthday

MTV brought music to TV 30 years ago with the Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star". Since then, it has quizzed heads of state, fought discrimination and created a new genre of television - the scripted reality soap.

01-MTV.jpg
Madonna
Bill Clinton
Cindi Lauper
Robert Dole
Beavis and Butthead
Britney Spears and Madonna
Kurt Cobain

Since it burst onto the scene in 1981 broadcasting music videos, the network has grown with a catalogue of programmes encompassing reality TV, news and documentaries that are tailored to its audience of young people.

From The Real World (1992) to The Hills (2006) via Laguna Beach (2004), MTV has defined the genre of "reality" drama.

MTV, owned by Viacom, has also long championed young people - in its 'Choose or Lose' drive to encourage political engagement through to its weekly documentary series 'True Life' touching on youth issues.

Scroll (left to right) through the timeline below to see the highlights of the last 30 years.

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Media

Television