Pay television , also known as subscription television , premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel , refers to subscription -based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, but also increasingly via digital terrestrial and streaming television . In the United States, subscription television began in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the form of encrypted analog over-the-air broadcast television which could be decrypted with special equipment. The concept rapidly expanded through the multi-channel transition and into the post-network era . Other parts of the world beyond the United States, such as France and Latin America have also offered encrypted analog terrestrial signals available for subscription.
82-440: MTV Classic (formerly VH1 Smooth , VH1 Classic Rock , and VH1 Classic ) is an American pay television network owned by Paramount Media Networks . It was originally launched in 1998 as "VH1 Smooth", an adult contemporary and smooth jazz channel. It was relaunched as "VH1 Classic Rock" in 1999 (later renamed "VH1 Classic" until 2016), with an emphasis on classic rock . On August 1, 2016, in honor of MTV 's 35th anniversary,
164-477: A Caligula -esque set, with Prince dressed in a yellow mesh outfit which infamously exposed his buttocks. His trousers were parodied numerous times throughout the following year, on the sketch comedy TV series In Living Color , and even at the following year's VMAs by radio shock jock Howard Stern . It also marked the final TV appearance of Kiss with Eric Carr prior to Carr's death in November 1991. 1992 : in
246-533: A standing ovation from the audience and artists. For the second year in a row, the Backstreet Boys took the Viewer's Choice Award for " I Want It That Way ", a song they performed during the broadcast. Before presenting the final award, a group of drag queens paid tribute to Madonna wearing her most iconic outfits with a medley of her hit songs. Madonna herself then appeared onstage and remarked, "All I have to say
328-469: A trial period , often one to three months, though there have been rare instances of free trials for pay services that last up to one year for newer subscribers to that provider's television service. Pay television has become popular with cable and satellite television . Pay television services often, at least two to three times per year, provide free previews of their services, in order to court potential subscribers by allowing this wider audience to sample
410-457: A commercial that would predominantly feature the world premiere of "Like a Prayer"; the commercial, titled "Make a Wish", depicted Madonna drinking Pepsi and watching a home video of her eighth birthday. The tone that the commercial sought to convey sharply contrasted with the music video. When Pepsi executives saw the video, they yanked the advertisement after only two airings, in an attempt to dissociate themselves from Madonna. She also gave one of
492-406: A crude decrypting of the over-the-air television signal and a decoding box, but never caught on for use at that time. It took another four decades when cable broadcasters started using pay-per-view on a widespread basis. "Free" variants are free-to-air (FTA) and free-to-view (FTV); however, FTV services are normally encrypted and decryption cards either come as part of an initial subscription to
574-560: A dramatic historical reinterpretation of "Vogue" as well as her dramatically becorseted breasts. 1991 : during the award show the MTV Video Vanguard Award was renamed to the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award from then on, in honor of his contributions to the culture of music videos by changing them from a mere promotional tool featuring musicians playing instruments and singing, to a "short film" with
656-627: A focus on their parent companies' libraries, with HBO Now replaced by HBO Max (now Max) in 2020 (which adds content from other Warner Bros. properties and third-parties, and would also be included with existing HBO subscriptions via television providers), and Showtime formally merging with Paramount+ in 2023. Canadian premium service The Movie Network similarly merged with the CraveTV service owned by parent company Bell Media in 2018. Pay-per-view (PPV) services are similar to subscription-based pay television services in that customers must pay to have
738-513: A lower subscription fee. These are called "mini-pay" channels (a term also used for smaller scale commercial-free pay television services) and are often sold as a part of a package with numerous similarly priced channels. Usually, however, the regular pricing for premium channels ranges from just under $ 10 to near $ 25 per month per suite, with lower prices available via bundling options with cable or satellite providers, or special limited offers which are available during free preview periods or before
820-417: A main flagship channel is accompanied by secondary services with distinct schedules focusing on specific genres and audiences (such as multiplexes focusing more on "classic" films, or family-oriented programming), time shifting , or brand licensing deals (such as channels focusing specifically on Disney films , or content from U.S. pay television brands if they do not specifically run their own network in
902-535: A mix of original series, films, and specials. The shift towards SVOD has resulted in increasing competition within the sector, with media conglomerates having launched their own services (such as Disney+ , Paramount+ , Peacock , and Disney's acquisition of the majority of Hulu ) to compete, and existing premium networks such as HBO ( HBO Now ) and Showtime launching direct-to-consumer versions of their existing services to appeal to cord cutters . HBO and Showtime later absorbed their DTC offerings into wider services with
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#1733084938206984-443: A pay television bouquet – in other words, an offer of pay-TV channels – or can be purchased for a one-time cost. FTA and FTV systems may still have selective access. ABC Australia is one example, as much of its programming content is free-to-air except for National Rugby League (NRL) games, which are encrypted. MTV Video Music Award " Anti-Hero " " Fortnight " The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as
1066-472: A rebroadcast of MTV's first hour on the air , which was also simulcast on MTV and online via Facebook live streaming, branded as "MTV Hour One" (the channel, as VH1 Classic, had recently aired it to mark the network's 30th anniversary in 2011). Several VH1 Classic programs were retained in the existing schedule, albeit in late night hours. Three days leading up to December 30, 2016, MTV Classic aired 24-hour block "Decade-a-thons" consisting of music videos from
1148-689: A restriction as a few providers optionally sell that service without requiring a Showtime subscription. Unlike other cable networks, premium services are almost always subscribed to a la carte , meaning that one can, for example, subscribe to HBO without subscribing to Showtime (in Canada, there are slight modifications, as most providers include U.S. superstations – such as WAPA-TV – with their main premium package by default). However, subscribing to an "individual" service automatically includes access to all of that service's available multiplex channels and, in some cases, access to content via video-on-demand (in
1230-425: A seasonal package. They are typically the most expensive type of pay services, generally running in the range of $ 35 to $ 50 per month. Some pay services also offer pornographic films ; Cinemax was well known for carrying a late-night block of softcore films and series known as "Max After Dark"—a reputation that led to the network often being nicknamed "Skinemax" by viewers. Cinemax phased out this programming in
1312-540: A short time during the 1980s, and unlike other general-interest pay services accepted outside advertising for broadcast during its sports telecasts), Preview , SelecTV and ON TV in the late 1970s, but those services disappeared as competition from cable television expanded during the 1980s. In Australia , Foxtel , Optus Television and TransACT are the major pay television distributors, all of which provide cable services in some metropolitan areas , with Foxtel providing satellite service for all other areas where cable
1394-401: A specific market). Typically, these services are bundled together with the main channel at no additional charge, and cannot be purchased separately. Depending on local regulations, pay television services generally have more lenient content standards because of their relatively narrower distribution, and not being subject to pressure from sponsors to tone down content. As a result, programming
1476-450: A storyline. His video " Thriller " influenced and changed music videos into what it is like today. A conflict between Poison 's Bret Michaels and C.C. DeVille culminated in a fistfight at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards . DeVille was fired and replaced by Pennsylvanian guitarist Richie Kotzen . Paul Reubens had his first public appearance, during the opening montage, following an arrest for lewd-conduct earlier that year. Taking
1558-459: A theme) and ended with Trent Reznor screaming "Tried to save myself, but myself kept slipping away" and the word "ninetynine" in the trademark NIN reversed-N font. This was only shown once during the original broadcast, was edited out of all repeats. Geri Halliwell attended the event, one of her first public appearances since she left the Spice Girls . At the red carpet, actress Rose McGowan
1640-558: A varied line-up of music-themed programs. This included themed music video compilation blocks (with categories such as Heavy Metal music, or popular music of the 1980s), full-length concerts, music documentaries such as the Classic Albums and Behind the Music series, music-oriented films (such as Prince's Purple Rain and The Blues Brothers ), and an original talk show, That Metal Show . It also re-broadcast programs first aired on
1722-481: Is Canal+ and its scrambled services, which operated in France from 1984 to the 2011 closedown of analogue television, Spain from 1990 to 2005 and Poland from 1995 to 2001. Some U.S. television stations launched pay services (known simply as "subscription television" services) such as SuperTV , Wometco Home Theater , PRISM (which principally operated as a cable service, only being simultaneously carried over-the-air for
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#17330849382061804-701: Is not available. Austar formerly operated as a satellite pay service, until it merged with Foxtel and SelecTV . The major distributors of pay television in New Zealand are Sky Network Television on satellite and Vodafone on cable. In the 2010s, over-the-top subscription video on demand (SVOD) services distributed via internet video emerged as a major competitor to traditional pay television, with services such as Amazon Video , Hulu , and Netflix gaining prominence. Similarly to pay television services, their libraries include acquired content (which can not only include films, but acquired television series as well), and
1886-717: Is typically aired with limited to no edits for time or, where applicable, mature content such as graphic violence , profanity , nudity , and sexual activity . As premium television services are commonly devoid of traditional commercial advertising, breaks between programming typically include promotions for upcoming programs , and interstitial segments (such as behind-the-scenes content, interviews, and other feature segments). Some sports-based pay services, however, may feature some commercial advertising, particularly if they simulcast sporting events that are broadcast by advertiser-supported television networks. In addition, most general interest or movie-based pay services do not adhere to
1968-417: The 1992 show , MTV requested Nirvana perform " Smells Like Teen Spirit ", while the band itself had indicated it preferred to play new songs " Rape Me " and " tourette's ". Network executives continued to push for "Teen Spirit" but finally offered the band a choice to play either "Teen Spirit" or " Lithium ", which the band appeared to accept. At the performance, Nirvana began to play, and Kurt Cobain played
2050-426: The 1995 MTV Video Music Awards , Hole perform the song " Violet " from their major-label debut album Live Through This . This was one of the first major televised performances given by frontwoman Courtney Love following the death of her husband Kurt Cobain and the death of her band's bassist Kristen Pfaff in 1994. Before beginning the song, Love dedicated the performance to her husband and different people in
2132-448: The 1997 MTV Video Music Awards , Pat Smear announced that he was leaving Foo Fighters halfway through their performance and presented his replacement, Franz Stahl , who had been a member of the band Scream with Dave Grohl . The Spice Girls , who won the best dance video award to the for their music video " Wannabe ", who wore a black strap on their left arms as a sign of grief because of Diana, Princess of Wales 's death prior to
2214-524: The 1998 MTV Video Music Awards , during the original broadcast of the show, a commercial faded in the Nine Inch Nails NIN logo on a black screen while playing a combination of music that started as a solo piano piece and morphed into an electronic/industrial beat (which would later found out to be the songs "La Mer" and " Into the Void ", which share many melodic components and can be considered variations on
2296-465: The 1999 MTV Video Music Awards with an entire breast exposed and only a small pasty over the nipple. Kim's outfit became even more controversial later when she appeared on stage with Diana Ross and Mary J. Blige to present the Best Hip-Hop Video award, and Ross reached over, cupped her hand under Kim's exposed breast and jiggled it while Kim laughed. During the following acceptance speech by
2378-482: The Beastie Boys , group member Ad-Rock addressed the instances of rape and sexual assault that occurred in the crowd at the recent Woodstock 1999 concert event. He pleaded to other musicians in the room to make a change in the way they treat fans at concerts; to pledge to talk with promoters and security to ensure "the safety of all the girls and the women who come to our shows". Afeni Shakur and Voletta Wallace,
2460-614: The VMAs ) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category), the annual MTV Video Music Awards ceremony has often been called the Super Bowl for youth, an acknowledgment of the VMA ceremony's ability to draw millions of youth from teens to 20-somethings each year. By 2001,
2542-591: The Wimbledon tennis tournament. Specialty pay sports channels also exist—often focusing on international sports considered niche to domestic audiences (such as, in the United States, cricket ), and are typically sold at a higher expense than traditional premium services. Out-of-market sports packages in North America are multi-channel pay services carrying professional or collegiate sporting events which are sold in
MTV Classic (United States) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2624-482: The ballad " November Rain " won the MTV Video Music Award for best cinematography. During the show, the band performed "November Rain" with singer Elton John . Because of the dispute Rose had with Cobain, moments before the "November Rain" performance, Cobain spat on the keys of what he thought was Axl's piano. Cobain later revealed that he was shocked to see Elton John play on the piano he had spat on. During
2706-555: The business cycle , some broadcasters try to balance them with more stable income from subscriptions. Some providers offer services owned by the same company in a single package. For example, American satellite provider DirecTV offers the Encore channels along with the Starz multiplex (both owned by Lionsgate 's Starz Inc. ) in its "Starz Super Pack"; and The Movie Channel , Flix and SundanceTV (the latter of which continues to be sold in
2788-483: The 1980s leading up to the 2000s. Afterwards, MTV Classic unveiled a new automated all-music video schedule, with all of the older MTV and VH1 Classic series content removed. Since then, the only deviation from the automation has been "roadblock" simulcasts of the annual MTV Video Music Awards and MTV Movie & TV Awards to remove any competition from other Paramount networks, as well occasional marathons of older MTV shows to promote new series or season launches (as
2870-454: The 1981 Top of the Hour animation created by Fred Seibert and produced by Alan Goodman and Buzz Potamkin at Buzzco Associates . The statue is now made by Society Awards , a New York City-based firm. Since the 2006 ceremony , viewers are able to vote for their favorite videos in all general categories by visiting MTV's website. Taylor Swift is the most awarded solo artist in the history of
2952-586: The 2010s, citing that it did not align with its current focus on action programming, and that internet porn and the amount of sexual content in other mainstream premium series (such as Game of Thrones ) made a specific block for such content redundant. Specialized channels dedicated to pornographic films also exist, that carry either softcore adult programs (such as Playboy TV ), or more hardcore content (such as The Erotic Network and Hustler TV ). Pay television channels come in different price ranges. Many channels carrying advertising combine this income with
3034-545: The 35th anniversary of the original MTV 's launch, the network would rebrand as MTV Classic . The channel's programming continues to focus on classic music videos and programming (including notable episodes of MTV Unplugged and Storytellers ), but skews more towards from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. The rebranded network schedule also included reruns of past MTV original series such as the 2011 Beavis and Butt-Head revival and Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County . The network's relaunch took place at 6:00 a.m. ET with
3116-587: The Best R&;B Video award with Dr. Dre and George Clinton . At the time, Snoop was wanted in connection with the week-old drive-by murder of an L.A. gang member. Janet Jackson closed the show with her performance of " That's the Way Love Goes " & " If ". 1994 : at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards on September 8, months after a profanity-laced appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman , Madonna
3198-467: The DirecTV package despite Showtime Networks no longer owning Sundance, that channel is now owned by AMC Networks ) along with Showtime in its "Showtime Unlimited" package; Cinemax and its multiplex networks, in turn, are almost always packaged with HBO (both owned by Warner Bros. Discovery ). Though selling premium services that are related by ownership as a package is common, that may not always be
3280-474: The VMA had become a coveted award. The annual VMA ceremony occurs before the end of summer and held either in late August or mid-September, and broadcast live on MTV, along with a "roadblock" simulcast across MTV's sister networks since 2014, which is utilized to maximize the ceremony's ratings. The first VMA ceremony was held in 1984 at New York City 's Radio City Music Hall . The ceremonies are normally held in either New York City or Los Angeles . However,
3362-525: The VMAs, having won 30 trophies between 2009 and 2024, which includes record-breaking five Video of the Year VMAs (" Bad Blood ", " You Need To Calm Down ", All Too Well: The Short Film , " Anti-Hero " and " Fortnight "). 1984 : at the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984 , Madonna performed her hit " Like a Virgin " wearing a combination bustier / wedding gown , including her trademark "Boy Toy" belt. During
MTV Classic (United States) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3444-421: The addition of the seven Entertainment Studios Networks to Nielsen monitoring at the end of 2017, alongside a decline in beIN Sports's ratings, it would have been the lowest rated English-language network in 2017 with a 14,000 viewer/night average. Since then, it has steadily remained the fourth-to-last ranked network, behind beIN Sports and ESN's Comedy.TV and its five-network cumulative "ESN Lifestyles" entry for
3526-733: The aforementioned leniency in content standards, they too can contain content that is more mature than those of other cable channels or television networks . These series also tend to be high-budget and aim for critical success in order to attract subscribers: notable premium series, such as HBO 's Curb Your Enthusiasm , Game of Thrones , Sex and the City , and The Sopranos , and Showtime 's Dexter , Homeland , and Weeds , have achieved critical acclaim and have won various television awards. Some premium channels also broadcast television specials , which most commonly consist of concerts and concert films , documentaries , stand-up comedy , and in
3608-671: The beginning of Billie Jean". This performance was voted by the public as the Best VMA Pop Performance and Most Iconic VMA Performance in 2011 with more than half the votes. TLC was the big winner of the night won four awards, including "Viewer's Choice", "Best Group Video", and "Video of the Year" (Waterfalls). 1996 : at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards , the four original members of Van Halen received 20-second standing ovation when they made their first public appearance together since their break-up in 1985 . Several weeks later,
3690-419: The broadcast decrypted for viewing, but usually only entail a one-time payment for a single or time-limited viewing. Programs offered via pay-per-view are most often movies or sporting events, but may also include other events, such as concerts and even softcore adult programs. In the U.S., the initial concept and technology for pay-per-view for broadcast television was first developed in the early 1950s, including
3772-509: The ceremonies have also been hosted in Miami , Las Vegas , and Newark, New Jersey . The statue given to winners is an astronaut on the Moon, one of the earliest representations of MTV, and was colloquially called a "moonman", though it has been called a "moon person" by MTV since the 2017 ceremony . The statue was conceived by Manhattan Design , who were also designers of the original MTV logo, based on
3854-479: The channel was a cover of " Makin' Whoopee " by Branford Marsalis . Relaunched on August 1, 1999 as VH1 Classic Rock , the channel primarily featured a mainstream rock / adult hits -formatted mix of music videos and concert footage from the 1960s to the 1980s, though it originally included a wider range of genres and time periods. The channel name was quickly changed to VH1 Classic in 2000. The network played only music videos upon launch, but quickly expanded to
3936-521: The channel was rebranded as "MTV Classic", and now exclusively displays music videos from all genres from the 1980s to the early 2000s. As of December 2019, MTV Classic is available to approximately 39,000,000 pay television households in the United States. VH1 Smooth launched on August 1, 1998 as a part of the "Suite" digital package, delaying the initial launch date of July 31, 1998. The channel that focused on smooth jazz , new age , and adult contemporary music. The first music video to play on
4018-482: The commercial break, the Alien 3 Pepsi commercial was shown. Radio host Howard Stern appeared as Fartman , Stern's radio superhero, wearing a buttocks-exposing costume obviously inspired by Prince's outfit from the previous year. Stern was a presenter for best hard rock/metal performance with actor Luke Perry (after several other celebrities turned him down). 1993 : at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards , Madonna opened
4100-428: The common top and bottom of the hour scheduling of other cable channels and terrestrial broadcasters. As such, programs often air using either conventional scheduling or have airtimes in five-minute increments (for example, 7:05 a.m. or 4:40 p.m.); since such channels broadcast content without in-program break interruptions, this sometimes leads to extended or abbreviated breaks between programs, depending on when
4182-404: The end of May 2017, its numbers have slipped even further to an average of 14,000 viewers per night, only ahead of the moribund Esquire Network and beIN Sports , which at that time of the year is in its non-prime sports season. Even those low numbers were halved by the end of July 2017, as that month's ratings showed it averaging 7,000 viewers per night, ahead of only the beIN networks. If not for
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#17330849382064264-466: The entertainment industry who had recently died: "This is for Kurt, and Kristen, and River , and Joe , and today Joni Abbott, this is for you." Abbott worked in the Talent Relations department at MTV and had recently committed suicide. The song ended with Love throwing her guitar, knocking the microphone stand into the crowd and pushing over speaker-boxes with bandmate Eric Erlandson before exiting
4346-402: The event. While accepting the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist Video that year for " Sleep to Dream ", Fiona Apple appealed to her audience not to be enamored of celebrity culture . She proclaimed, "this world is bullshit" and quoted Maya Angelou , saying "go with yourself". Though her comments were generally greeted with cheers and applause at the awards ceremony, the media backlash
4428-406: The first few chords of the song, "Rape Me", much to the horror of MTV execs, before continuing their regular performance of "Lithium". Near the end of the song, frustrated that his amplifier had stopped functioning, bassist Krist Novoselic decided to toss his bass into the air for dramatic effect. He misjudged the landing, and the bass ended up bouncing off of his forehead, forcing him to stumble off
4510-610: The first time. A pre-recorded live performance of Bad was shown." He was also awarded the Video Vanguard Award , which was later renamed in his honor. 1989 : Comedian Andrew Dice Clay appeared at the 1989 Video Music Awards to promote his new movie, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane , earning a "lifetime ban" from the network when he introduced Cher with some of his recently notorious nursery rhymes that contained vulgar language and references. After performing with Tom Petty , Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin
4592-644: The form of a conventional VOD television service, and in some cases, a companion on-demand streaming service as well). Most pay television providers also offer a selection of premium services (for example, the HBO, Showtime and Starz packages) in one bundle at a greatly reduced price than it would cost to purchase each service separately, as an inducement for subscribers to remain with their service provider or for others to induce subscribers into using their service. Similarly, many television providers offer general interest or movie-based premium channels at no additional charge for
4674-454: The launch of a network's prestige series. However, some other channels, such as sports and adult networks may ask for monthly pricing that may go as high as near $ 50 a month. There are also premium television services which are priced significantly higher than the mini-pay channels, but they compensate for their higher price by carrying little or no advertising and also providing a higher quality program output. As advertising sales are sensitive to
4756-485: The main VH1, including Pop-Up Video and I Love the '80s . From January 28 until February 15, 2015, VH1 Classic aired a 19-day marathon of NBC's Saturday Night Live in celebration of the series' 40th anniversary. As a result, the network broke a previous record for the longest continuous marathon in television history set by FXX 's twelve-day marathon of The Simpsons . In July 2016, Viacom announced that on August 1,
4838-467: The majority of pay television services rely almost solely on monthly subscription fees paid by individual customers. As a result, pay television outlets are most concerned with offering content that can justify the cost of the service, which helps to attract new subscribers, and retain existing subscribers. Many pay television services consist of multiple individual channels, referred to as " multiplex " services (in reference to multiplex cinemas ), where
4920-408: The most memorable performances of her hit " Express Yourself ", as a preview of what would become her Blond Ambition World Tour . 1990 : at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards , Madonna performed her single " Vogue ", which featured Madonna and her backup dancers dressed in an 18th-century French theme, with Madonna bearing great resemblance to Marie Antoinette . The performance consisted of both
5002-469: The mothers of the recently deceased Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. , met for the first time at the ceremony. Britney Spears made her debut appearance on the show, performing her single " ...Baby One More Time " and later introducing NSYNC for " Tearin' Up My Heart ". Ricky Martin took the stage of the ceremony to perform his singles " She's All I Ever Had " and " Livin' la Vida Loca ". TLC won Best Group Video for " No Scrubs ", receiving
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#17330849382065084-494: The original term of license agreements with a distributor may also be broadcast as "sub-runs", in which a service holds rights to film long after the conclusion of a distribution agreement (under this arrangement, the pay service that originally licensed the rights to a particular film title, or one other than that which had held rights, may hold the broadcast rights through a library content deal). Many general interest premium channels also produce original television series . Due to
5166-587: The past, theatrical plays . Sports programming is also featured on some premium services; HBO was historically known for its broadcasts of boxing , while Showtime and Epix also carry mixed martial arts events. Some general interest premium channels have aired other professional sporting events in the past: HBO for example, carried games from the National Hockey League (NHL), National Basketball Association (NBA) and American Basketball Association (ABA) in its early years, and from 1975 to 1999 aired
5248-552: The performance, she rolled around on the floor, revealing lace stockings and a garter . Cyndi Lauper spoke in " Exorcist -esque gibberish" to explain the VMA rules right before winning the Best Female video for " Girls Just Want to Have Fun ". David Bowie , the Beatles and director Richard Lester were rewarded with the first ever Video Vanguard Awards for their work in pioneering the music video . The Cars' " You Might Think " won
5330-521: The previous program concludes and when the start time of the next program is. The only universal variation to this is prime time , where the main channel in each pay service's suite usually schedules films to start on the hour. Films comprise much of the content seen on most pay television services, particularly those with a general entertainment format and those that focus exclusively on films . Services often obtain rights to films through exclusive agreements with film distributors . Films acquired during
5412-528: The public learned that Van Halen would not reunite with Roth. Roth released a statement apologizing to fans, stating that he was an unwitting participant in a publicity stunt to sell more copies of the greatest hits album, Best Of Vol. 1 , and that he had been led to believe that he was rejoining Van Halen. The following day, Eddie and Alex Van Halen released a statement, stating that they had been honest with Roth, and never led him to believe that he had been re-hired. During British band Oasis ' performance at
5494-429: The remainder of its networks. Occasionally, the channel interrupts regular music video programming to air specific music videos in tribute to a recently-deceased musician. Following Tony Bennett 's death on July 21, 2023, MTV Classic exclusively aired Bennett's music videos and live performances for the subsequent weekend, regardless of whatever block was scheduled. Some musicians or performers, such as Steve Harwell of
5576-610: The rock band Smash Mouth , have their music videos broadcast periodically throughout the day of their death, mixed into regular programming. Pay television The term is most synonymous with premium entertainment services focused on films or general entertainment programming such as, in the United States, Cinemax , HBO , MGM+ , Showtime , and Starz , but such services can also include those devoted to sports , as well as adult entertainment . In contrast to most other multichannel television broadcasters, which depend on advertising and carriage fees as their sources of revenue,
5658-578: The service for a period of days or weeks; these are typically scheduled to showcase major special event programming, such as the pay cable premiere of a blockbuster feature film, the premiere (either a series or season premiere ) of a widely anticipated or critically acclaimed original series or occasionally, a high-profile special (such as a concert). Subscription services transmitted via analogue terrestrial television have also existed, to varying degrees of success. The most known example of such service in Europe
5740-467: The show in a gender-bending performance of her song " Bye Bye Baby ", in which Madonna and her two backup singers, dressed in tuxedos and top hats, danced with women in corsets in a choreographed, highly sexual routine. RuPaul and Milton Berle , who had conflicts backstage, presented an award together. When Berle touched RuPaul's breasts, RuPaul ad-libbed the line "So you used to wear gowns, but now you're wearing diapers." Rapper Snoop Dogg presented
5822-525: The show, lead vocalist Liam Gallagher made rude gestures at brother Noel as he was playing his guitar solo, then spat beer all over the stage before storming off. Alanis Morissette performed "Your House", a hidden track from her bestseller album " Jagged Little Pill ". The recently reunited Kiss closed the show with a special concert aired from the Brooklyn Bridge . Tupac Shakur made his final public appearance before his murder. 1997 : at
5904-465: The situation: for example, in the United States, Cinemax and Encore are optionally sold separately from or in a single package with their respective parent networks HBO and Starz, depending on the service provider. The Movie Channel and Flix meanwhile, are usually sold together with Showtime (all three channels are owned by Paramount Global ); though subscribers are required to purchase Showtime in order to receive Flix, The Movie Channel does not have such
5986-439: The stage in a daze. Backstage and before the show, Guns N' Roses vocalist Axl Rose challenged Cobain to a fight after he, his wife, Hole lead singer Courtney Love , and Nirvana bandmates Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl egged him on. At the end of Nirvana's performance, while Cobain was trashing the band's equipment, Dave Grohl ran to the microphone and shouted "Hi, Axl! Where's Axl?" repeatedly. Guns N' Roses' video for
6068-404: The stage in costume as Pee-wee Herman , he received a standing ovation, after which he asked the audience, "Heard any good jokes lately?". After his appearance, Van Halen made their television debut, performing " Poundcake ". Metallica was another highlight of the performances with " Enter Sandman ". Prince and The New Power Generation performed their sexually charged song " Gett Off " on
6150-494: The stage. Love also caused a stir when she interrupted a post-ceremony interview with Kurt Loder and Madonna by throwing her make-up compacts at the singer as they broadcast outside the awards venue. Michael Jackson performed for over 15 minutes to a medley of his main songs, including " Scream ", and danced his signature moves, including the robot, moonwalk and the relatively unknown " Bankhead Bounce ". While Slash accompanied Jackson and played guitar on " Black or White and
6232-421: The very first video of the year, beating out Michael Jackson 's "Thriller" and Herbie Hancock 's "Rockit". 1987 : At the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards , Peter Gabriel won ten awards, including the Video Vanguard Award and Video of the Year for his video " Sledgehammer ", holding the VMA record for most Moonmen in a single night. 1988 : At the 1988 MTV Video Music Awards , Michael Jackson appeared for
6314-526: Was announced to present the award for Best Video of the Year. She came out, arm-in-arm with an unannounced David Letterman , to a wild ovation. At the microphone, Letterman told her "I'll be in the car. Watch your language", and left. Recently betrothed couple Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley received a standing ovation as they walked on stage hand-in-hand. After turning to the audience and proclaiming, "And just think, nobody thought this would last", Jackson grabbed Presley and kissed her. 1995 : at
6396-451: Was assaulted by Mötley Crüe lead singer Vince Neil , leading to a verbal battle between Neil and Guns N' Roses lead singer Axl Rose . Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora turned out a stripped-down acoustic performance of the Bon Jovi hits " Wanted Dead or Alive and " Livin' on a Prayer ", and in the process possibly provided the inspirational spark for MTV Unplugged . Paula Abdul
6478-463: Was done with The Hills to promote The Hills: New Beginnings ), As of the end of the year 2016, the channel was the least-watched English-language channel on most American subscription providers, averaging only 30–35,000 viewers on an average night in primetime (a decline of nearly a third from the already-low numbers VH1 Classic had netted in 2015), which was likely a factor in the network quickly abandoning their new format after five months. As of
6560-402: Was huge. Some considered her remarks to be hypocritical, however she was unapologetic: "When I have something to say, I'll say it." Shock-rocker Marilyn Manson performed the song " The Beautiful People ", as the grand finale, and the video for this song was nominated for "Best Rock Video" and "Best Special Effects", marking one of the most significant performances for the band. 1998 : at
6642-408: Was nominated for six awards, picking up four wins. She performed a seven-minute medley of her singles " Straight Up ", " Cold Hearted ", and " Forever Your Girl ". When Madonna won the Viewer's Choice Award (sponsored by Pepsi-Cola) for her " Like a Prayer " video, she thanked Pepsi-Cola in her acceptance speech "for causing so much controversy". Pepsi-Cola had paid Madonna $ 5 million to appear in
6724-465: Was wearing a see-through dress, no bra, and a thong, while Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston poked fun at their rumored rift by wearing lookalike chocolate brown dresses by Vera Wang . In an attempt to outdo each other, the singers tore off pieces of their dresses to reveal minidresses then staged a faux catfight that left the audience in disbelief. "People thought Whitney and I had some kind of beef", explained Carey. 1999 : Lil' Kim showed up at
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