The “M” in MTV stands for music, or does it?

-SDH I want my MTV. Do you still want your MTV? Many have been complaining that the cable network lost the “M” many years ago when it dropped it’s mostly music related programming for reality programs like “The Real World”, “Road Rules", “The Hills” and a slew of others. But take a good look at the programming. Has MTV really lost the “M”? A big chunk of the reality shows the network airs or aired were based on individuals in music. Shows like “The Osbournes”, Meet the Barkers”, Making the band 1 2 3 & 4 and more recently the hit “Run’s House”. So based on this, isn’t MTV maintaining the “M”? Some artist have been calling on the network to play more videos, but come on who are we kidding? With today’s many portable media devices, one can watch videos whenever wherever they want. I am a music video fan and I have to say that I don’t sit around to watch videos on shows like “TRL” I head straight for the web where I can watch unlimited music videos of my favorite artists as many times as I want. CONTINUED... Perhaps MTV got wind of millions of other viewers like me, and decided to cut back on the music videos and focus more on original programming. Artist like Justin Timberlake, 50 Cent and others always go out of their way to send MTV public messages to play more music videos but come on, it’s not like they’re watching, and its not like if MTV hardly plays their videos it’s going to hurt their sales. Maybe a few years back but that has changed drastically thanks to people like Steve Jobs. MTV is rolling with what works for them at this stage of their existence, and that's reality programming, after all they are one of the first to start the craze. The company recently revealed that their ratings have jumped for the first time in about 2 years. This jump isn’t due to airing some of today’s crappy music videos, it’s due to the very programming many have publicly reprimanded them for. Shows like “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila," You know you watch it! To be honest I would rather sit in front of my television and watch interesting and entertaining shows like this than to watch a rock video with the cliché set up with the band in the center of an abandoned warehouse pretending to rock out. Or a cliché rap video, which today is just a 4 minute commercial for Bentley’s, and a 3 minute audition for some scantily clad chick shaking her unmentionables. Some of MTV’s music programming like the once mighty, “Video Music Awards” have fallen off big time. This could be due to their insistence on moving the show from state to state, BIG mistake! Come on guys what the movie business is to Hollywood, the music business is to New York. Can you see the Oscars being broadcasted from Madison Square Garden? I didn’t think so. Two of the worst shows were done in Miami, Followed by one I think in Vegas. The shows home base is here in New York City at the “Radio City Music Hall” or “The Met” During these times the show was a hit. So could this be taken as a sign that even though some viewers are calling on MTV to air more music videos, they really don’t care about music videos? At the end of the day, majority rules and it looks like the majority want’s their reality. Advertisers are more likely to buy ad time around shows like “Tequilla” and “Runs House” than around that stupid “Superman” video being aired via TRL which died when Carson Daly left. My 14 year old cousin watches all his music videos on his video iPod whenever he wants, get my drift? Perhaps some of us are too hung up on the "M" RELATED: SOME WANT THEIR MTV [NYP]