Videomusic

Last updated
Videomusic
Videomusic1.jpg
Country Italy
Programming
Language(s) Italian
History
LaunchedApril 2, 1984
ClosedJune 1, 1996

Videomusic was an Italian music channel and one of the first music channels in Europe. It was launched in early 1984 and was owned by Marialina Marcucci and Pier Luigi Stefani (VM's Managing Director). It used to air from a location called "Il Ciocco", near Castelvecchio Pascoli, a frazione of Barga in the province of Lucca (Tuscany). A second studio was later opened in Corso Monforte in Milan with the scope of spreading its terrestrial signal to most of the Italian regions. The first music video transmitted was Lionel Richie's "All Night Long". [1] During the first four years of its existence, the Videomusic brand became very popular among young people. The first four VJs were Rick Hutton, Clive Griffiths, Johnny Parker and Tiziana Cappetti. In 1985 they were joined by Claudio De Tommasi.

In 1988, Videomusic's owners bought 90% of pan-European TV channel Super Channel, while the remaining 10% was taken over by Virgin. Between 1989 and 1990, Videomusic also produced some English language music shows for Super Channel. Most of these shows were produced in Italy and were considered amateurish by European viewers who were used to watching high-quality music shows from Music Box, a separate company which also broadcast on Super Channel until the end of 1989.

In September 1993, the Marcucci family sold Super Channel to the US's NBC, which rebranded it as NBC Super Channel. At the same time, logo and graphic set of Videomusic were changed to a new one due to its similarities with the MTV logo.

In 1994 Videomusic was sold to Film producer Vittorio Cecchi Gori, who at the time owned another TV station, Telemontecarlo. In 1996 Videomusic was rebranded as TMC2 (Tele Monte Carlo 2) and its schedules changed to include broader subjects such as sport, news and films. However, the channel also retained music as its most important content as well as the use of the Videomusic logo during music programmes.

In 1997, the Videomusic logo disappeared, but music programmes were increased more. The intention of rebranding the channel again as Videomusic failed when Cecchi Gori sold it to Telecom Italia Media, a Telecom Italia affiliate. The station was later permanently closed down and the Italian speaking MTV purchased its assets and frequencies.

Related Research Articles

ACF Fiorentina Italian association football club based in Florence, Tuscany founded in 1926

ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina, is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 following bankruptcy. Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A seasons.

Television broadcasting in Greece began in 1966, preceded in 1951 by statute 1963 permitting television broadcasting.

Digital on-screen graphic Watermark-like TV station logo

A digital on-screen graphic, digitally originated graphic is a watermark-like station logo that most television broadcasters overlay over a portion of the screen area of their programs to identify the channel. They are thus a form of permanent visual station identification, increasing brand recognition and asserting ownership of the video signal.

Sky Italia Italian satellite pay-television platform

Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian satellite television platform owned by the American media conglomerate Comcast. Sky Italia also broadcasts three national free-to-air television channels: TV8, Cielo and Sky TG24. As of 2018, following an agreement with Mediaset, Sky Italia also operates a series of subscription-based terrestrial channels offering sports, entertainment and movies. Sky Italia is also the major sports broadcaster in Italy.

MTV (European TV channel) Pan-European pay TV network

MTV is an international pay television network launched as MTV Europe on 1 August 1987. Initially, the channel served all regions within Europe being one of the very few channels that targeted the entire European continent. The channel has been regionalised since 1997.

NBC Europe Former pan-European cable and satellite television network (1987–2005)

NBC Europe was a satellite television network based in the United Kingdom that broadcast across Europe, and it was picked up by various European cable systems where available.

La7 Italian television channel

La7 is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned by Cairo Communication. Until 2013 it was owned by Telecom Italia Media and operated by Telecom Italia.

Paramount Networks Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia (EMEAA) is a division of Paramount International Networks which is fully owned by Paramount Global. The unit's main headquarters are in Madrid, with additional offices in Lisbon, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Milan, Dubai, Johannesburg & Lagos, Budapest, Warsaw, Singapore, Moscow, Stockholm, Tokyo, Beijing, Manila, Copenhagen, Prague, Helsinki, and Hong Kong SAR. The company was originally founded under the name MTV Networks Europe in 1987.

MTV (Philippines) Defunct Philippines Television Channel

MTV Philippines was a 24-hour music/entertainment television network owned by All Youth Channels, Inc., through a partnership with MTV Networks Asia Pacific. The network originally started its broadcast on January 1, 2001. Two other MTV-branded networks carrying domestic its final broadcast on March 20, 2011, content have since struggled to stay on the air through the 2010s, neither lasting more than four years.

TV8 (Italian TV channel) Italian television station

TV8 is a digital-terrestrial free-to-air Italian general entertainment TV channel owned by Sky Italia through its subsidiary company Nuova Società Televisiva Italiana S.r.l. The channel is allocated at number 8 of the Italian virtual channel list.

Pier Luigi Stefani is a producer of programs for the first Italian Private TV is taken care of international relations for co-productions and realizes the first independent TV News in Italy. Both Director and founder of Videomusic. With a French Company (NBDC) realizes videoclips and a weekly program, released to the most important European TV : RAPIDO, directed by Jean Baptiste Mondino and with the profitable consultancy of Jean Paul Gautier and Azzedine Alaya.

Television in Italy was introduced in 1939, when the first experimental broadcasts began. However, this lasted for a very short time: when fascist Italy entered World War II in 1940 all transmissions were interrupted, and were resumed in earnest only nine years after the end of the conflict, on January 3, 1954.

MTV Classic (British and Irish TV channel) Television channel

MTV Classic was a British pay television music channel from Paramount Networks UK & Australia. The channel was launched in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 1 July 1999 as VH1 Classic.

MTV (British and Irish TV channel) MTV channel in the UK and Ireland

MTV is a British pay television channel focusing on reality TV and music programming operated by Paramount Networks UK & Australia.

MTV Music (Italian TV channel) Italian television channel

MTV Music is an Italian pay television music channel operated by Paramount Networks EMEAA.

This is a list of Italian television related events from 2000.

This is a list of Italian television related events from 2001.

MTV Africa Television channel

MTV Africa is an African pay television from Paramount Networks EMEAA. It focuses mainly on rebroadcasting MTV US content as well as airing local-produced reality series. Founded by Alex Okosi and launched as 'Africas MTV' alongside founding members Jandre Louw, Dudu Qubu and Maya Padmore.

MTV (Italian TV channel) Television station

MTV is an Italian pay television network, owned by Paramount Networks EMEAA and operated by Sky Italia.

Club MTV (British and Irish TV channel) British and Irish television channel

Club MTV was a 24-hour electronic dance music channel operated by ViacomCBS Networks UK & Australia launched on 20 April 2001. Available in the United Kingdom and Ireland on subscription satellite and digital television services. The channel played dance, EDM, trance, house, rave, club, Eurodance and sometimes urban music.

References

  1. "TANTI AUGURI VIDEOMUSIC FESTA GRANDE IL PRIMO APRILE - la Repubblica.it". 24 March 1994.