Several preexisting conditions made the MTV venture creatively, commercially and economically feasible. MTV was produced in the wake of the 1970’s music industry drought (Williams 21). At the time, the future of the music industry, in particular the rock and pop genres, was uncertain. Teen record sales were down. However, teens did have throwaway income and they watched a great deal of television. Consequently, John Lack and Robert Pittman, conceived of an all music video-network. Kevin Williams states, Lack and Pittman sought to create something different, new, exciting; something, moreover that would capture the elusive audience, the young generation (21).
Early MTV did not look or sound like other television networks. MTV’s arrangement of programs was different indeed, it could be argued that MTV was television without programs. Television networks typically program particular shows that are punctuated by commercials, promotional announcements, news updates and so on (Williams 42). Williams states, “the television broadcast day is usually considered in terms of segments of thirty-, sixty-, and one hundred twenty-minute programs separated by fifteen-, thirty-, and sixty-second commercials (43). MTV, however, was initially, structured less like television and more like radio.
