Tampabay.com
FEBRUARY 09, 2010

End of an era: MTV drops "Music Television" from new logo

Mtv_logos
MTV has officially changed its logo for the first time in 30 years, dropping the words "Music Television" while retaining the big block M and drippy TV letters.

Granted, it's been about 20 years since any actual "music" appeared on MTV, but it still sorta hurts.

“The people who watch it today, they don’t refer to MTV as music television. They don’t have the same emotional connection that, say, the people who are writing about [the logo change] do,” MTV’s head of marketing Tina Exarhos told the L.A. Times.

The Wrap blog first reported the news, citing an MTV press release: "It represents a new visually defined MTV, stimulating its past, present and future and embracing its diversity. Everything from Jersey Shore, to the VMAs to collaborations with the MoMA. The logo is part of MTV’s re-invention to connect with today’s millennial generation and bring them in as part of the channel.”

MTV_logo_refresh_0Check out one of the new logos, many of which feature their reality TV stars inserted into the M. You gotta be freaking kidding me: "Music Television" lost out to Jersey Shore? (Yes, The Situation and Snooki actually appear in versions of the new logo.)

So the big question: Does the new logo mean no music at all? "Absolutely not," Exarhos told the L.A. Times. Yeah, right.

Oh the irony: Turns out video killed the radio star ... and MTV killed the video star.

MTV, we may never forgive you.

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Relive the '80s music, movies and culture with Tampa Bay Times entertainment news editor Steve Spears. A teen during the greatest decade ever, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.

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