Entertainment For Lively Minds
Satellite Music Channels - What's The Model and How About a Word Music Channel?
Posted by Pinmonkey on 18 October 2009 - 10:43pm.
Perusing Sky today I note that there are almost 30 music channels available. As far as I am aware these are not subscription channels and viewing figures must be so low as to generate minimal advertising revenue.
CMT (Country Music Channel sadly missed although its American parent is a pale version of what it once was) used to have a presence on Sky many years ago but pulled out because it was uneconomic demonstrating that some financial clout is needed.
So does anybody know how the music channels work and could Word run a channel as Q and Kerrang do?
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Dunno about the business model in 2009
but I can tell you the music on offer on Sky is a sodding disgrace.
Funnily enough, up until 13 years ago, I could quite happily spend an entire evening watching either VH1 or MTV.
Nowadays, if you catch something worth 10 seconds of your attention (after wadding through 30 channels of R&B bling dross, crap "dance" and boy bands) - then it's an utter fluke.
Why on earth don't the BBC have a Music TV Channel?
I don't think Word TV would be very successful if it existed...
Seeing as viewing figures are low for even the most commercial of channels, a mix of Pentangle, Richard Thompson and Dr Strangely Strange might not pull in the required numbers.
"and after a little Hot Tuna
- three more from Brinsley Shwarz"
What I have seen from the channels that show R&B (new) and Grime etc - seems pretty much an opportunity for teens to watch near-pornographic videos and exchange suggestive texts/dating messages.
Hang on a minute - maybe there is a niche
Gent, betweeen "old lady" gigs seeks "old lady" to "hang" with. You don't have to be actually,like old, man - and not a man preferably - (but hey that's cool too - if that's your "thing"). Anyway, if you like Quicksilver Messenger Service and a glass of wine and a "smoke" - then give me a call or a text - although not very good with all this "new tech" - and maybe we can make like Bob and Suzy on the cover of "BIABH"? Suzy that's the name of my ex. Left me for a surveyor. Anyway, rambling now - that's the "smoke" ha ha. Ok cool, Swindon area. Although do have "wheels". Preferably not too far afield? Petrol? Like blame "the Man" right?. Interested?
I've never been able to
I've never been able to understand why, with the huge amount of material out there, a serious music channel on SKY doesn't exist.
But then I look at the state of music radio and the film channels and perhaps it's just too much hard work and effort for somebody to do it.
That Springsteen song has dated; now it's '557 Channels and nothing on'.
Or maybe the vast majority of people just don't remember when pop music was good......it's been a long, long, long time now.
Some of the r'n'b stuff makes me want to weep.
The Sky Arts channel
is very good. Good on all forms of music including Jazz and Rock. It re-ran the Classic Albums series a little while back. Also v. good shows on Blue Note records and Miles Davies recently.
Also has a great show with Clive James sitting in a library and nattering away to the great and good of contemporary culture.
Sky "culture"
Tell you what annoys me. That Sky advert with the woman who is now an anthropologist, I think. She is flogging the natural history package on Sky. She talks about how she was inspired as a kid by nature shows on telly. That would be thanks due to ITV and BBC then, so support THEM girl !
"What's the model?"
The model has changed massively since cable channels arrived. MTV used to be able to charge carriers for the privilege of having their channel available. Nowadays it's more likely to be the other way around. The music channels have discovered that music programming doesn't really rate, which is why they put all their money into reality formats and the networks know that they can package music video shows themselves. A lot of the music channels are just one computer running a number of different feeds under different brand names.
US Model
VH1 - great channel, Storytellers, original programming and a "proper" VH1 Classics channel.
In the UK - wall to wall 80's videos (Collins, Eurhythmics, Michael etc) and adverts. Why the difference?