I am totally excited for next weeks episode of MTV's The Hills. Lauren finally confronts Jen about hooking up with her ex. and we learn this isn't the first time Jen chases Lauren's guy. She kissed Jason, Lauren's ex-boyfriend, before they started dating! Lauren celebrates her 21st birthday and it looks like she and Heidi reconcile. But will Heidi still ditch Lauren and move in with her sketchy boyfriend? Find out Monday…
MTV struggles to capture an online audience. Photo: Taylor Herring Public Relations
I write on my friends' blogs or Facebooks about MTV's The Hills rather than go to mtv.com. The stations' efforts to increase its web popularity struggles after recent internet applications steal youthful audiences' attention. Ten years ago, Napster was introduced and can be considered, in the words of Don McClean, the day the music died- at least on MTV. The popularity of YouTube and music blogging also adds to MTV hardships, especially as the channel moves away from music and towards reality television and selling to advertisers.
MTV aggressively advertises mtv.com to its television viewers, prompting them to visit after each show concludes. The site offers exclusive interviews, "after shows," interactive games, discussion boards, news updates, music video and show previews and sneak peaks.
MTV explores new ways of capturing kids attention online but still aren't piquing as much interest as it'd like. One new offer is a virtual world based on characters and places from MTV shows where you can create your own stories. Creepy though, since it is based on people from reality shows...
MTV needs to not half-ass its efforts in catching up to and surpassing its competitors or it'll be left in the dirt. It needs to take the rebellious vigor it started with in the '80s and bring it to the Web. For the last 16 years, MTV has had kids saying, "I want my MTV." Now they need to get them to say, "I want my mtv.com."
It's interesting to look at how MTV has changed in the last 25 years. It's a combo of how the music industry is under economic crisis by one new tech nology and the cable TV under attack from a second, but related, technology.
MTV has always been a forerunner but now is struggling to catch up. It's no longer the only place to find music, like mentioned in the blog, but now its also not the only source to watch real, everyday young people being themselves. They first sparked this public interest with the Real World reality series, starting in the early 90s. With YouTube and My Space, kids can make themselves reality t.v. stars (like Lonelygirl15 or the The Breakup couple from USC).