MTV Australia Launches Two New Music Channels

In a bid to reinvigorate their Australian programming and cement it as part of their global structure, MTV Australia have announced the launch of two new music channels, MTV Dance, and the somewhat redundantly named MTV Music, set to begin broadcasting this December.

As part of a larger push towards centralisation, the broadcasting duties for the two new channels will be based out of London and broadcast to Australian and New Zealand subscribers, with editorial content and marketing operating out of MTV Australia HQ in Sydney.

As Stoney Roads reports, MTV Music will be a curated pop and rock channel, while MTV Dance will focus on the more urban side of the music scene, with a focus on EDM and hip-hop. The trailer for the latter features clips from Daft Punk, Macklemore, Kesha, David Guetta and Avicii.

MTV’s Senior Vice President and General Manager, Kerry Taylor, is enthusiastic about the launch, telling The Music Network:

“MTV has a long and successful history in Australia and it remains a very important market for us internationally.

“In response to huge demand for dance music in Australia as well as around the globe, we’re excited to be introducing the first ever dedicated around the clock dance music channel down under.”

At the turn of the millennium, MTV’s focus shifted from music videos to reality programming, finding success in shows like Jersey Shore, The Hills, and Teen Mom. The advent of the internet and video streaming sites like YouTube have proved disastrous for MTV’s status as a music station.

UPDATE: Contrary to previous reports, MTV Australia’s headquarters have not shut down, nor is the company in the midst of financial troubles. The headquarters, located in East Sydney, are still going strong and the company is reportedly in the best shape it’s been in some time, with the launch of the network’s two new channels a testament to the health of the company.

As reported by The Music Network, a centralisation push in the company — which will see broadcasting operations moved to Europe, with editorial content operating from their Sydney HQ — could see up to fifteen job losses, but will ensure MTV Australia’s operations are more aligned with how MTV run internationally.

(Via Stoney Roads)

Watch: MTV Music Trailer

Watch: MTV Dance Trailer

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