Rebecca Manzi With the closure of MTV music channels in Europe, only entertainment remains. Music videos thus become a memory of an era that marked entire generations
For those who grew up in the Nineties and early 2000s, MTV wasn’t just a television channel—it was a true cultural phenomenon. Music television allowed viewers to watch music videos, discover new artists, and experience the energy of music directly from their bedroom. Today, however, this era is coming to a close: Paramount has decided to withdraw several music channels from the linear market in Europe by December 31, 2025, starting with Great Britain, leaving only MTV HD on air, now dedicated to reality shows and entertainment.
The reason? The advent of social networks—first YouTube and now TikTok—has shifted music consumption away from traditional television. Channels like MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live will go dark, symbolically marking the end of an era when music flowed through the television screen.
The beginnings and iconic moments
MTV’s story began in 1981 with the first video broadcast, Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles. The channel exploded rapidly, bringing iconic moments over the years like the premiere of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the MTV Video Music Awards, and the 16 hours of Live Aid concerts in 1985. It arrived in Europe in 1987 via satellite, while in Italy MTV Europe was only seen in the early Nineties, with the official launch of MTV Italia in 1997, inaugurated by the first MTV Day with a U2 concert.
VJ personalities like Victoria Cabello, Andrea Pezzi, and Alessandra De Siati accompanied generations of viewers, while programs like Total Request Live, hosted by Giorgia Surina, Marco Maccarini, and Alessandro Cattelan, made MTV a reference point for young audiences. Even reality shows like The Osbournes transformed the channel, progressively shifting attention from music to entertainment.
A legacy that remains
Despite the closure of music channels, for now in Italy MTV will continue to be available on Sky channel 131, streaming on Now, and on Sky Glass channel 122. Music on television may be a memory, but the emotional connection with that generation remains intact. The nostalgia for music videos, VJs, and major live events cannot be erased, and the cry of a generation continues to echo: “I want my MTV!“
The era of music videos in linear rotation seems finished, but the memory of those years lives on, bearing witness to a cultural phenomenon that profoundly marked music, television, and the adolescence of millions of people.
Source: BBC
