MTV: our music portfolio is changing

Story from MTV UK: 

We are making some changes to our music portfolio to make sure that the biggest contemporary acts and classic hits reach the biggest possible audiences. 

On March 31st 2022, MTV 80s and MTV 90s will launch to provide a dedicated home for era-defining hits across all genres. They will join our flagship music brand MTV Music and MTV Hits, both of which will continue to be destinations for contemporary music releases. 

We have made these changes to reflect our audience’s current viewing patterns, and it means we are saying goodbye to our MTV Classic and MTV Base brands. MTV Base, in particular, will be remembered fondly for its contribution to raising the profile of music of Black origin.

Since its launch in 1999, MTV Base has been a fantastic platform for introducing and establishing some of the biggest acts in RnB, rap, grime and more into UK contemporary culture at a time when these genres were still considered ‘niche’. 

Music of Black origin now holds a broad appeal for a variety of fans across the UK, so we have refined our music channels to reflect how these genres have been integrated into mainstream playlists more generally. 

Contemporary Black music and artists will continue to be showcased on our flagship channel, MTV Music and on MTV Hits. We’re also bringing back YO! MTV Raps: Rated hosted by Poet and Snoochie Shy as a new bi-weekly show on MTV Music. 

Early 21st century content from MTV Base will find a new home on MTV Hits, alongside chart-toppers across all genres, while old skool 90s content will move to the MTV 90s channel, showcasing a golden age of RnB and hip-hop. 

Our commitment to representing music of Black origin remains unchanged – these changes will see the Black music genres popularised by MTV Base feature more prominently across our entire music portfolio.