Bugger that contact MTV -- I am pretty sure Chris Rea and The Darkness will be peed off with this (mind you probably its the last channel they would not watch)

according to google - Chris Rea is well........pretty much alive and has a website too and supposedly The Darkness are making a comeback (again look on google) ... so pretty much VH1 are being lazy and I hope those that they aimed at have a right go at VH1 - VH1 RIP a channel that has losts in own integrity before the bells told for thee!

I prefer Heart to Magic.

There's some great classic tracks appear on Heart.

Would be terrible if one of them now kicked the bucket.

Someone at VH1 would the be the chief suspect.

I see Chart Show are currently showing an interview with Katie Price - are they showing this on the back of he single with Peter Andre all those years ago, as I don't class her as a musician?

Having not watched the interview, i'm imagining not much music is discussed.

Thats sick! OFCOM would only care if there was breasts being flashed in the videos, so contact MTV or even contact the performers on Twitter. Something like that would flash up on their radar.

Katie Price a musician? She should be sent to Siberia!

These music channels are a dying breed. I have been music TV free for three months now. Do not miss it at all.

Not really a music channel as much but "The Hits" radio station on Freeview has a VERY limited playlist. Rihanna had three songs on in an hour....two within in 10 mins! John Newman had two in an hour and one songs was played twice in an hour! Please!

The only way to get a response out of MTV is to contact a named person's email address. I don't think they ever read/reply to anything sent via their 'contact us" form. You could try Lindsay Wesker if he's still there. Email addresses are firstname.lastname@mtvne.com.

I doubt anyone at MTV listens to what viewers want (ie not ones into all this reality dirge filling the air) but MTV UK really need to get a grip on everything and basically overhaul all their channels ie close some down as if you look at most of the MTV sister stations apart from Rocks its the same playlists apart from the odd occasion you will see Base/Dance vary but as someone has said and would not surprise me if Music TV as we know it is dying off slowly even if it is they are going the wrong way out of it (reality shows .... can't wait for that to be killed off next)

I have to say. the Chris Rea debacle is hilarious, what on earth has happened to these channels?! Basic research would have told you he is still alive and well. Anyone told Rea yet? I can't see how it could fall under OFCOM's remit, really though I'm sure Rea wouldn't be best happy to be thought of as dead.


As a viewer of VH1 in the mid 90s, this is so, so sad to see. My question, really, is how and why is this happening? Is it simply lack of money/investment? How do VH1/MTV etc choose their music videos? I mean, do they have access to pretty much anything and everything or is it a specific list of record companies (which has slowly dwindled over the years)?

That will be a factor, yes. VH1 UK had a budget of several million when it launched in 1994. Now i'd be surprised if they have any budget whatsoever, as the only programming they have left is themed music video charts (often with errors).

These are still pay channels and should be so much better. Instead, they're arguably worse than most of the FTA music channels.

I know in a way it is hilarious but that is exactly the problem - VH1 was the "channel" that gave correct facts about musicians and even their own "themed" charts back then was from what I gathered properly researched and you had actual artists doing programming for the channel ie Paul King, Claire Grogan and Toyah Wilcox to name a few but now its a former shadow of itself - where errors can be found daily than weekly (weekly was what I thought first ... how wrong was I!) I still think VH1 has a budget somewhere but I presume its been eaten up to the talentless wonders over on MTV - which striking enough seems like they can either get rebranded quicker and we shall say "better" shows (I am using better loosely here) whilst VH1 has just had a rebrand from a green to a red one for Christmas and again still no new rebrand as displayed on the mtv.co.uk site for it

EDIT: but how the hell could VH1 go so wrong on TWO artists (so far) in that programme - Chris Rea/The Darkness? They do have access to the internet and its simple to LOOK first? When I read about it here about Chris Rea I had to check in case but obviously a big error and plus such a suitable programme to put them under "ghosts of christmas past .... artists no longer with us....." - seriously?

Maybe sky/cable should maybe cut them off from being under "pay" as why should they be even carrying "teleshopping" in this day and age?? I wonder if MTV is making a loss somewhere and this is the reason why but then again supposedly MTV Live is the only MTV station free from teleshopping for now.

All the non UK MTV channels broadcast from London are free from Teleshopping. MTV can't be that badly off if it can still afford to produce the EMAs each year.

Although not as good as it was (it has become a lot more pop orientated since October) VH1 Adria still manages to do a better job, and not a single Christmas song in sight yet!

So lets get this straight (not you Tom ) MTV in Europe is free from Teleshopping (I wonder why?) ... surprising that they can pull off EMA's every year thats one thing! Has VH1 Adria had a revamp or is VH1 there still the same state as UK?

So why is MTV UK really needing teleshopping in small hours and lets not say its down to "viewers" that is now complete utter bull ... they possibly can repeat Geordies or something on the main channel if they wished too (same goes with Dance etc) or is it just sheer laziness?

VH1 Adria uses the same graphic set as the main European feed but without the hideously oversized artist/song title text. It is similar to the UK channel graphic set but not identical. The VH1 logo regularly changes colour too unlike the UK channel. One big advantage of the Adriatic version is that there are no adverts or irritating MTV "moronic programming" trailers broadcast, just the occasional general musical promo for VH1 itself. The channel has its own themed weekends (no countdowns) but apart from this the schedule grid is identical to VH1 European's. Of course all the programming is still done locally in Belgrade rather than from London.

It would be entirely wrong to say the Teleshopping was introduced for the viewers' benefit. How could it be? Without the Teleshopping you'd likely have 3 hours of 'autopilot' playlists, interspersed with highly irritating trailers, but no ads. At least the channels would be doing what they're supposed to (how well is another argument we've been over countless times). It is my view that it is merely an extra revenue stream for MTV introduced by an accountant with no interest in the brand or channel quality. Some may disagree, but I think that Teleshopping should be banned from Pay TV channels.

Basically the genre specific MTV channels have been asset stripped to a point where they can be stripped no more, and Teleshopping was probably a last ditch attempt to increase revenue on the channels to make things look good on paper.

Some MTV Christmas Day listings have appeared on DigiGuide. There is no 3am-6am Teleshopping on Christmas morning.

VIVA is also teleshopping free, and has Christmas music from 6am-7pm then Scrubs and Fresh Prince. MTV Dance has an "All Day Christmas Party", and MTV Rocks is also making an effort with "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree Top 50".

MTV Live has a normal schedule with no Christmas specials, maybe because it broadcasts around the world.

Listings for Base/Hits/Music/VH1 are still to come.

The only time of year this lot actually give up on the teleshopping I wonder why??

I didn't know MTV Live is worldwide .... aah so thats why possibly no teleshopping is touching the station .. can see uproar if it did (MTV playing safe I guess for ONE channel)

So Europe VH1/MTV does alot better than us in UK - yep UK versions are basically dumbed down channels.

Teleshopping should only be on certain networks I think but certainly not "music" or whatever they are called its just lazy broadcasting and pretty well shows how dire this lot are! I could understand say have it on ONE or TWO at most but if you look at the MTV/Bauer range its teleshopping from 3am-9am! why not just properly close at 3am and throw up a testcard save all the bother!

They are bound to be making an income from teleshopping thats for sure but I presume budget is blown over on Moronic TV as you can pretty well see with us with VH1 its dire and nothing new (logo/programming)

Maybe time to pull the plug on "music" channels?? I am more convinced the whole lot may as well be gone - as it comes more across if your not in a certain demographic "we do not care" - but if we cater your music we like getting things wrong and got no shame in it

Noticed MTV Xmas advert
http://youtu.be/YNcD_JGQE4c

MTV Classic rebranded for Christmas season is nice idea. Someone of You mention that they have song titles with album and year provided. Hoping that from New year in all MTV channels this will be uploaded and VH-1 will get new look , graphics and seperate music programmer like on good old days.

Trouble is with MTV Xmas is that earlier. I seen some annoying X Factor has beens who have picked rubbish songs instead of Christmas music. MTV can't even do Christmas music right. All about annoying people with this lot instead of music.

I have to say on the "bauer" front bit naffed off on Heat they had to use the tagline for the infamous crap show TOWIE ... called The Only Way Is Christmas FFS can music of any sort not have as mentioned any in relation to wannabes its irritating as hell (yet we can not get through a year of this sh.t!)

Im pleased to see 49 Pages on the communist music channels. With high quality bit rates and limited playlist licencing .

Yet its the eastern block that has the best music channels!

Yep UK is pretty much sunk for music really

Chart Show and sister channels seem to insist on playing Beyonce Live In Vegas a number of times a day, every day for the past few weeks.

How much longer can they inflict this pain on us? Every time I switch the music channels on - there it is, or there it is due to be shortly! Chart Show, Buz, Flava.....how long until CS Dance, Bliss and Scuzz start playing it!!!

They already play Beyonce on both of these channels too so wouldn't surprise me if they did in the new year after when Blissmas becomes Bliss again.

Music TV today is lazy they can't be bothered to playlist unknowns anymore instead they just play the same artists that are already played far too much as it is now across many music channels that play the same songs over and over again and 2013 has been a terrible year for music in the mainstream.

Vintage logo is way to large, it is quite nice to see a different one but they need to reduce it significantly.

All the Xmas themed shows across the channels are playing X Factor hits.

I wish they would all avoid the X Factor/Westlife/Spice Girls songs and just play the Christmas songs, not songs at Christmas. Christmas Number One has meant very little for a long time. They rarely play Rage Against The Machine as it's not X Factor/Mainstream pop.


Oh i'm sure they will. Just one of a handful of artists who the channels adore.

2013 has indeed been an absolutely shocking year.