I Want My MTV! - The Youthquake Begins (Part 1)

MTV launched on August 1st, 1981, as a joint venture between Warner Brothers and American Express, targeting an underserved 12-34 year old demographic. The concept seemed simple—rock radio on television—but faced massive obstacles. American record companies refused to make videos, calling the idea "fucking mind," and the first broadcast was plagued with technical problems including dead air and wrong song introductions that few people saw because it only aired in a small New Jersey market.

• MTV was created by Warner Amex to target the lucrative 12-34 year old demographic that was underserved by traditional television
• The original concept was 'rock radio on TV 24-7 jukebox' but American artists weren't making music videos yet
• Record company executives like MCA's Sidney Scheinberg initially refused, saying John Lack 'is out of his fucking mind'
• The first broadcast on August 1, 1981 was a technical nightmare with dead air and wrong introductions, only visible in a tiny New Jersey market

While American artists only produced concert footage, British bands had embraced music videos as an art form, driven by Top of the Pops and the economics of promoting bands internationally without expensive tours. MTV's first day featured overwhelmingly British content, with four of the first five videos from UK artists. The channel played Rod Stewart 16 times and Phil Collins 5 times that first day, with Russell Mulcahy's innovative videos defining the early MTV aesthetic.

• Britain was the only territory making proper music videos, largely because of Top of the Pops and the need to promote internationally without expensive tours
• The first video ever played on MTV was The Buggles' 'Video Killed the Radio Star' directed by Russell Mulcahy
• Four of the first five artists played were British, including Pat Benatar, The Who, and Rod Stewart
• MTV played Rod Stewart 16 times and Phil Collins' 'In The Air Tonight' 5 times on the first day
• British videos had plot lines and artistic vision, while American labels only offered repetitive concert footage