MERGED-->Complain about mtv's coverage here + Commercials?

[JOFO]

Complain about mtv's coverage here

are you kidding me?

the biggest music event ever and they have commercials every 2 minutes?
if they were going to interupt the performance halfway through every song, they could've at least done more info spots on the plight in africa.
and to take the camera off a band just to interview jimmy fallon (why is he even there? does he have an album coming out?) is disrespectful to the artists and really makes it more a media event than a musical message.

don't get me wrong; the fact that they even aired it for 8 hours is impressive. (and then they run "pimp my ride" right after it, so I can see an african american rapper show off his 19 mercedes and bel air mansion, meanwhile what has he donated?)

whatever; I have signed the one campaign and am horrified by the plight in africa (did you see the video of those kids starving to death? good lord...)
but mtv and vh1 let me down today by:
1. handling the programming terribly
2. by not addressing the issue at hand enough

and by the way....brad pitt in his armani white shirt and jeans can go snap his fingers elsewhere; I need HIM of all people to make me feel like I'm not doing enough...f-you brad, what have you contributed?


on a postive note, u2 and paul mccartney together, richard ashcroft and coldplay together, pink floyd back together....bravo folks.


sorry, just had to vent.

 

[kellyahern]

Re: Complain about mtv's coverage here

and to take the camera off a band just to interview jimmy fallon (why is he even there? does he have an album coming out?) is disrespectful to the artists and really makes it more a media event than a musical message.

That's when I knew, "Oh, this is not good. Why are they interviewing Jimmy Fallon? "

 

[BonosBaby12]

I eventually gave up on Mtv got really old after awhile. If I were an artist performing I know I would be pissed off if I had known what was going on!

 

[The OOTS]

That was absolutely the worst coverage of a major event I have ever seen.

 

[kellyahern]

I feels like I'm seeing more music on ABC's two hour clip show than I did on MTV. It may not be true, but it feels like it

 

[Lila64]

Originally posted by Lila64
MTV/VH1 = PATHETIC, APPALLING. I woke up, turned the tape on, and after reading the posts here for a few moments, sat at my computer for the rest of the day. I did get up for food & bathroom breaks. Each time I caught the TV it was commercials. I sat down for 5 minutes to eat, and 4+ minutes were commercials. Came back to the computer to see The Who come onstage. I logged into VH1 and posted my 'comments', and in the setlist thread, someone had a link to post a comment as well on one of the 2 sites. I would suggest protesting the advertisers who paid money to advertise during the broadcast as well. Maybe send them a letter. Guess they didn't grasp the concept of the event whatsoever... Doesn't even matter if they were a corporate sponsor or not. Fg greedy corporations.

 

[Lila64]

 

[Mirrorball Man]

Soulless, unthinking, cold and bureaucratic state of mind.

The BBC were better. But why they interrupted REM for a pointless interview is beyond me.

 

[kellyahern]

This is from the www.televisionwithoutpity.com forums:

"Another especially classy moment was VJ Damien ending this emotional, powerful, moving broadcast about children starving in Africa by saying, 'Alright, MC Lyte, time to go get a cheesesteak!' "



Did anyone else see this? I had given up on MTV probably by this point.

 

[2Hearts]

I appreciate what coverage MTV/VH-1 did give to the crisis in Africa. I don't remember if they aired this or not, but the video shown right before Madonna's performance was more moving than any musical performance I saw.

Showing "Pimp My Ride" after an 8hr broadcast to RAISE AWARENESS of the problems in Africa is totally STUPID. I think it would have been appropriate to show some serious programming the rest of the night on Africa. It's no wonder that people will wake up tomorrow and go on about their lives. The media are SCREWING AFRICA b/c they never educate or remind the public of what is going on. If people turned on their TV every night and saw that video (w/ "Who's Gonna Drive You Home" backing), people's desire to help would be increased 100x. The occasional news story is not enough. Yahoo! should add "30,000 Africans Died Today" as a permanent headline until the trend is reversed. I sponsor a child in Kenya, but still I feel like there's more to do.

It's quite apparent that Viacom took the advertising dollars and the ratings and ran with them. They did Africa no service today.

 

[kellyahern]

Already an article is up on MSNBC comparing the tv coverage to the online coverage (guess who comes out better ) :

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8446006/

 

[JOFO]

I thought some people here would feel the same.

I haven't even watched mtv in years, but for christ's sake, they are just the lowest common denominator, aren't they?

and the vj that said "let's get a cheesesteak..." , just abhorant.

does mtv or vh1 even contribute anything in terms of money?

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

I am glad I was only able to see and hear highlights of a few bands today in only Philly and London.

*Throws MTV, VH1, ABC in to a flamming reject box*

 

[jphelmet]

I haven't even watched mtv in years, but for christ's sake, they are just the lowest common denominator, aren't they?

my thoughts exactly.

mtv is absolutely awful.

the vj's are the most moronic group i've seen in a long time.

 

[corianderstem]

I guess I'm not all that shocked, considering how little MTV is about music these days, but it's so disappointing.

There's got to be an email address or something on their web site, and I'm going to go find it.

 

[cmb737]

Absolutely ridiculous. Words cannot describe.

After the first hour, I turned it off and decided to wait for the DVD.

 

[VertigoGal]

it sucked that i couldnt get the live feed to work, but it's not the end of the world, i signed the petitions and everything.

but that coverage really was appalling. i only watched for like half an hour (of which i predict 16 minutes were commercials, 9 were interviews/reports, and 5 were music-related)...but i saw bits and pieces of it throughout the day, and it was really pathetic.

and the sad thing is if there were any MTV-demographic type people watching (whatcha lookin at me for, I don't watch MTV ) I seriously doubt they'll even remember it tomorrow or take action.

 

[2Hearts]

The audience is chanting:
'Na na na na, na na na na, Hey-Hey, Snoop Dogg'

And Bono has an ego-problem? Somehow, I can't imagine him leading the crowd in a chorus of 'Na na na na, na na na na, Hey-Hey, Bono'

 

[U2DMfan]

commercials are commercials.
I can deal with the big corporation wanting to make their cash.
After all they aren't required to show jack shit.

The problem was with the actual broadcast itself.
Cutting from songs to talk to assholes.
showing 3 minutes of U2 and 30 of Linkin Park

basically a lack of music, music, music.
and when they did offer some music, it was one song abbreviated or cut off so we could listen to Sway talk "def".

It was so bad, it's as almost worse than if they had not shown anything. I mean, it was terrible.

MTV has used this format for big concerts for awhile.
They did the same thing at Woodstock 99, i believe. or as far back as 1997 Rockfest, which was fairly big.
Not letting anything play, commercials out the ass, cutting off songs, talking over songs, not showing certain acts AT ALL and letting other acts play several mintues longer than the norm.

Just a fuckign botched job.
If someone could find the proper email to send to. I say let's let them fucking have it.

It's too bad one network couldn't have broadcast it all the way through wiht no bullshit. But then you have FCC problems in addition to advertisement money problems.

 

[trojanchick99]

I am just pissed that U2 didn't get the respect they freaking deserve. If it weren't for Bono, this concert wouldn't have happened.

At least there will be a DVD.

 

[Val]

It was terrible coverage. They did a much better job 20yrs ago. Who ever was in charge of taping the event should be fired. This statement comes from a person who doesn't wish any wrong on anyone. Fire the moron!

 

[U2DMfan]

somebody should find an email address.

I would at the very least be interested in what their strategy was.

 

[trojanchick99]

ABC's coverage has been far superior. Oh and I cried during One.

Again.

 

[corianderstem]

Me too! That was the best version of One I've heard in ages.

I went to MTV.com and didn't find an email address, but found a "tell us what you think" section. So I told them what I thought. Doubt anything will come of it, since when I clicked to see what other viewers were saying, it was all about how sad it was how many people were dying.

I'm not meaning to be glib, because it's nice to see the viewers getting the message of the day, but I highly doubt my two cents are going to be posted up there amongst the other comments.

But whatever. I'm sure they don't give a rat's ass about what I think anyway.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

ok folks here is the contact info for MTV Networks (owned by Viacom Int'l)

Here is a snail mail address for MTV:
Cable Television
MTV Networks
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
(212) 258-8000

Viacom Int'l
Snail Mail address:

Viacom
1515 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
(212) 258-6000


Also, if you want to email Viacom (which I am gonna do) here is the email address for media relations: press@viacom.com


Hey we need to bombard these people with email and letters and phone calls and let them know what a travesty they made of this event.

Bob Geldof must be furious at the outcome of this tv coverage.!

 

[corianderstem]

Just sent my email. Thanks for the info!

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

you are welcome!


I was hell bent and determined to find an appropriate contact so that I (as well as everyone here) can give those morons at viacom a piece of my/our mind/s.

 

[Lila64]

ABC's coverage has been far superior. Oh and I cried during One.

Again.

Far superior? I think you spoke too soon...

 

[Lancemc]

Pathetic. All that can describe MTV and VH1 these days.

 

[Gen. Chat]

If somehow I could get the presale, ticket scammers, U2.com, and the lame MTV/VH1 coverage incarnated into an individual I would give them an ass kicking of biblical proportions.