For the past 20 years, MTV spin-offs have dominated the television music scene with MTV, MTV2, VH1 and CMT. But, with competition by Fuse, a new music channel launched last spring, MTV is fighting back for videos with a vengeance.
When Fuse first hit the air, MTV showed no fear of the rival music competition. At the time, MTV general manager David Cohen told Rolling Stone, “I’m not sure anybody’s that fussed about it.”
But last month, MTV initiated a turf war when the channel started forcing artists to sign contracts that would ensure videos are not played on Fuse. Videos that are currently under contract for exclusive MTV play include Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love,” Radiohead’s “There, There” and Linkin Park’s video “Numb.”
Matt Zokai, a business senior, criticized MTV’s ego over the video wars.
“MTV doesn’t play many music videos anyway,” Zokai said.
Fuse was able to get around the exclusive contracts by filming live performances of artists like P.O.D. and Puddle of Mudd in the Fuse studios.
“Given the current crisis in the music industry, it’s a shame that anyone would seek to prevent the work of today’s artists from getting to as many people as possible,” Fuse Network President Mark Juris told The Los Angeles Times.
Some students like Kim Bell, a psychology senior, agree that another music channel is a good idea.
“I think it’s a good thing MTV is getting competition. We need some variety,” Bell said.
With unorthodox tactics, Fuse tries to distinguish itself from MTV. The spokesperson for the channel is Sally Struthers, the big blonde woman in the “Feed the Children” commercials, but now she asks music watchers to “Help Save Music Videos.”
The new music channel’s campaign to play more music than other channels is apparent on the Web site www.fuse.tv, with slogans like “More music than the leading brand,” “More music, less crappy TV” and “Kicking ass and taking names.”
Fuse offers variety in their programming by including many genres of music.
“Uranium” is the heavy metal show featuring artists like Damage Plan and Nine Inch Nails. Alternative Latin music has a voice with the show “Marcha.” And authentic hip-hop is featured on the program appropriately named “Authentic Hip-Hop.”
A setback for the channel is its exclusive availability on digital cable and satellite providers. According to Rolling Stone, Fuse reaches 34 million households, but MTV more than doubles that number by reaching 87 million homes through basic, extended and digital cable and satellite services.
In the Baton Rouge area, 180,000 households subscribe to Cox cable, said Sharon Kleinpeter, a Cox Communications representative. Kleinpeter said more than 30 percent of Cox subscibers have digital cable and access to Fuse on channel 238. Access to the channel does not guarantee viewers; even after being on the air for over six months, people have never heard of Fuse. “I have digital cable and a million and one channels, and I had no idea that such a channel existed,” said Lorraine Couvillion, an accounting freshman. “I don’t understand why MTV is so nervous.”
With nearly three times as much viewer potential and withstanding success, students like Couvillion are baffled by the corporation’s action toward Fuse.