1981

MTV's countdown to launch at midnight, August 1, 1981 began with footage of a space shuttle countdown--a common sight on TV during the early 1980s, though not late at night. It then cut to the Top of the Hour promo that would become so familiar, again utilizing free footage from NASA, but this time one of the Apollo rocket launches and moon landing. This one time, there was a different voice that could be heard: "Ladies and gentlemen, rock-n-roll." This is John Lack, one of MTV's creators. This promo would be seen thousands of times before its updating in 1984 and retirement a couple years later.

After The Bungles' music video for "Video Killed the Radio Star," this promo was the first thing to air on MTV when it launched on August 1, 1981. In it, VJ Mark Goodman describes how MTV will realize the promise of cable television by promising a new alternative, a unique marriage of television sight and sound. The promo shows how MTV utilized strategies of appropriation as fundamental to its branding and production strategies. Free public domain films are intercut with footage from music videos to introduce this new media experience, on cable, in stereo.

These three thirty-second promos taken from MTV’s first night on the air in 1981 are prototypical examples of the format adopted to address viewers throughout each hour. They edit together clips from music videos with voiceover narration, ending with one of the “promises” to viewers defining MTV. In two out of the three, black and white public domain film footage is also used. Promises include: “Your favorite music”; “In stereo”; and “the first video music channel”.

There was plenty of REO Speedwagon on MTV in the early years, and in the first night's programming 4 REO videos in 4 hours, plus several promos for an upcoming concert. This was an example of how MTV could use content besides music videos for content, and that content was another marketing opportunity for the record label. In this case, the concert was announced ahead of launch as a way to show labels what kind of partner MTV could be. A home video was also planned. Here REO Speedwagon shows up in a performance video after a video from Iron Maiden, who has a very, very different stage presence.