Editing MTV (section)

== Programming ==
[[File:Mtvmoon.png|thumb|The first images shown on MTV were a montage of the [[Apollo 11]] [[moon landing]].]]
{{See also|List of programs broadcast by MTV}}
As MTV expanded, music videos and VJ-guided programming were no longer the centerpiece of its programming. The channel's programming has covered a wide variety of genres and formats aimed at [[adolescence|adolescents]] and [[young adult (psychology)|young adult]]s. In addition to its original programming, MTV has also aired original and syndicated programs from Paramount-owned siblings and third-party networks.<ref name="mtvweekly">{{cite web |title=On-Air – MTV Week at a Glance |url=http://www.mtv.com/onair/schedule/mtv/weekly.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516214550/http://www.mtv.com/onair/schedule/mtv/weekly.jhtml |archive-date=May 16, 2007 |access-date=July 20, 2007 |website=MTV}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MTV schedule for the week of October 20, 2002 |url=http://www.mtv.com/onair/schedule/mtv/weekly.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021022001643/http://www.mtv.com/onair/schedule/mtv/weekly.jhtml |archive-date=October 22, 2002 |website=MTV}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Life As We Know It: Natural Disasters |url=http://www.tv.com/life-as-we-know-it/natural-disasters/episode/356411/summary.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225062204/http://www.tv.com/shows/life-as-we-know-it/natural-disasters-356411/ |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |access-date=August 3, 2007 |publisher=TV.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MTV.com – On-Air – MTV Week at a Glance |url=http://www.mtv.com/onair/schedule/mtv/weekly.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516214550/http://www.mtv.com/onair/schedule/mtv/weekly.jhtml |archive-date=May 16, 2007 |website=MTV}}</ref>

MTV is also a producer of films aimed at young adults through its production label, MTV Films, and has aired both its own theatrically released films and original made-for-television movies from MTV Studios in addition to acquired films.<ref>{{cite web |title=MTV Schedule for January 13, 2007 |url=http://www.mtv.com/onair/schedule/mtv/daily.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070113054935/http://www.mtv.com/onair/schedule/mtv/daily.jhtml |archive-date=January 13, 2007 |website=MTV}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MTV Schedule for July 18, 2007 |url=http://www.mtv.com/onair/schedule/mtv/daily.jhtml?day=07%2F18%2F07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016005656/http://www.mtv.com/onair/schedule/mtv/daily.jhtml?day=07%2F18%2F07 |archive-date=October 16, 2015 |access-date=July 21, 2007 |website=MTV}}</ref>

In 2010, a study by the [[GLAAD|Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] found that of 207.5 hours of prime time programming on MTV, 42% included content reflecting the lives of gay, bisexual and transgender people. This was the highest in the industry and the highest percentage ever.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Frazier |date=July 23, 2010 |title=Study: MTV leads in showing gay characters on television |work=silive.com |url=https://www.silive.com/entertainment/tvfilm/2010/07/study_mtv_leads_in_showing_gay.html |access-date=February 17, 2022 }}</ref>

In 2018, MTV launched a new production unit under the MTV Studios name focused on producing new versions of MTV's library shows.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2018 |title=MTV Launches MTV Studios with 'Daria', 'Made', 'Real World' & 'Aeon Flux' Revivals |url=https://deadline.com/2018/06/mtv-studios-daria-made-real-world-aeon-flux-revivals-1202414792/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901204011/https://deadline.com/2018/06/mtv-studios-daria-made-real-world-aeon-flux-revivals-1202414792/ |archive-date=September 1, 2021 |access-date=July 3, 2019}}</ref> It was later consolidated into [[MTV Entertainment Studios]]{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

=== Video Music Awards ===
{{Main|MTV Video Music Awards}}

In 1984, the channel produced its first [[MTV Video Music Award]]s show, or VMAs. The first award show, in 1984, was punctuated by a live performance by Madonna of "[[Like a Virgin (song)|Like a Virgin]]". The statuettes that are handed out at the Video Music Awards are of the MTV moon-man, the channel's original image from its first broadcast in 1981. {{as of|2012}}, the Video Music Awards were MTV's most watched annual event.<ref>{{cite web |title=MTV's Video Music Award Sponsors Push Cross-Platform Integrations |url=http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/157435/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801102159/http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/157435/ |archive-date=August 1, 2013 |access-date=June 22, 2012}}</ref>

=== Special, annual events ===
{{further|List of programs broadcast by MTV#Special events|l1=List of MTV special events}}

MTV began its 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. "Spring break is a youth culture event", MTV's vice president [[Doug Herzog]] said at the time. "We wanted to be part of it for that reason. It makes good sense for us to come down and go live from the center of it, because obviously the people there are the kinds of people who watch MTV."<ref>{{cite news |date=March 14, 1986 |title=MTV to Broadcast Spring Break Coverage Live |newspaper=[[Sun-Sentinel|South Florida Sun-Sentinel]] |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1986-03-14-8601160380-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=February 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130203185937/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1986-03-14/news/8601160380_1_task-force-fort-lauderdale-spring |archive-date=February 3, 2013}}</ref>

The channel later expanded its beach-themed events to the summer, dedicating most of each summer season to broadcasting live from a beach house at different locations away from New York City, eventually leading to channel-wide branding throughout the summer in the 1990s and early 2000s such as ''Motel California'', ''Summer Share'', ''Isle of MTV'', ''SoCal Summer'', ''Summer in the Keys'', and ''Shore Thing''. MTV VJs would host blocks of music videos, interview artists and bands, and introduce live performances and other programs from the beach house location each summer.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 22, 2000 |title=MTV takes over beach |agency=Associated Press |url=http://lubbockonline.com/stories/072200/ent_0722000064.shtml |url-status=dead |access-date=June 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703055259/http://lubbockonline.com/stories/072200/ent_0722000064.shtml |archive-date=July 3, 2017}}</ref>

MTV also held week-long music events that took over the presentation of the channel. Examples from the 1990s and 2000s include ''All Access Week'', a week in the summer dedicated to live concerts and festivals; ''Spankin' New Music Week'', a week in the fall dedicated to brand new music videos; and week-long specials that culminated in a particular live event, such as ''Wanna be a VJ'' and the ''Video Music Awards''.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 26, 1999 |title=MTV lands acts for new music week |newspaper=The Boston Globe |url=http://www.mcarchives.com/index.asp?id=97 |url-status=live |access-date=June 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225005612/https://www.mcarchives.com/index.asp?id=97 |archive-date=February 25, 2021}}</ref>

At the end of each year, MTV takes advantage of its home location in New York City to broadcast live coverage on New Year's Eve in [[Times Square]]. Several live music performances are featured alongside interviews with artists and bands that were influential throughout the year. For many years from the 1980s to the 2000s, the channel upheld a tradition of having a band perform a [[cover song]] at midnight immediately following the beginning of the new year.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 2, 2003 |title=MTV plans big New Year's Eve bash |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a12569/mtv-plans-big-new-years-eve-bash/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216031116/https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a12569/mtv-plans-big-new-years-eve-bash/ |archive-date=February 16, 2022 |access-date=February 15, 2022 |website=[[Digital Spy]]}}</ref>

=== Live concert broadcasts ===
Throughout its history, MTV has covered global benefit concert series live. For most of July 13, 1985, MTV showed the [[Live Aid]] concerts, held in London and Philadelphia and organized by [[Bob Geldof]] and [[Midge Ure]] to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. While the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] network showed only selected highlights during prime-time, MTV broadcast 16 hours of coverage.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |date=June 29, 2005 |title=Live Aid: A Look Back At A Concert That Actually Changed The World |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1504968/live-aid-a-look-back-at-a-concert-that-actually-changed-the-world/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216031113/http://www.mtv.com/news/1504968/live-aid-a-look-back-at-a-concert-that-actually-changed-the-world/ |archive-date=February 16, 2022 |access-date=February 15, 2022 |publisher=MTV News}}</ref>

Along with [[VH1]], MTV broadcast the [[Live 8]] concerts, a series of concerts set in the [[G8]] states and South Africa, on July 2, 2005.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 23, 2005 |title=Live 8 Concerts Will Air on MTV, VH1 |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1504578/live-8-concerts-will-air-on-mtv-vh1/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216031118/http://www.mtv.com/news/1504578/live-8-concerts-will-air-on-mtv-vh1/ |archive-date=February 16, 2022 |access-date=February 15, 2022 |publisher=MTV News}}</ref> Live 8 preceded the [[31st G8 summit]] and the 20th anniversary of Live Aid. MTV drew heavy criticism for its coverage of Live 8. The network cut to commercials, VJ commentary, or other performances during performances. Complaints surfaced on the Internet over MTV interrupting the reunion of [[Pink Floyd]].<ref name="Stung">{{Cite news |last=Boucher |first=Geoff |author2=Gaither, Chris |date=July 7, 2005 |title=MTV Stung by Live 8 Criticism |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jul-07-fi-mtv7-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=February 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216031110/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jul-07-fi-mtv7-story.html |archive-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> In response, MTV president Van Toffler stated that he wanted to broadcast highlights from every venue of Live 8 on MTV and VH1, and clarified that network hosts talked over performances only in transition to commercials, informative segments or other musical performances.<ref name="Defends coverage">{{Cite news |last=Ryan |first=Maureen |date=July 10, 2005 |title=MTV defends Live 8 coverage |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2005/07/10/mtv-defends-live-8-coverage/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111183710/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-07-10/news/0507100389_1_mtv-and-vh1-van-toffler-mtv-networks-music-group |archive-date=January 11, 2012}}</ref> Toffler acknowledged that "MTV should not have placed such a high priority on showing so many acts, at the expense of airing complete sets by key artists."<ref name="Stung" /> He also blamed the Pink Floyd interruption on a mandatory cable affiliate break.<ref name="Defends coverage" /> MTV averaged 1.4&nbsp;million viewers for its original July 2 broadcast of Live 8.<ref name="Stung" /> Consequently, MTV and VH1 aired five hours of uninterrupted Live 8 coverage on July 9, with each channel airing other blocks of artists.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 7, 2005 |title=MTV, VH1 to Air Live 8 Performances Uninterrupted |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1505406/mtv-vh1-to-air-live-8-performances-uninterrupted/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216031116/http://www.mtv.com/news/1505406/mtv-vh1-to-air-live-8-performances-uninterrupted/ |archive-date=February 16, 2022 |access-date=February 15, 2022 |publisher=MTV News}}</ref>