MTV's Live 8: More Blather, Less Music, Say Critics

U2Girl1978 · 07-07-2005, 12:02 PM

Taken from imdb.com

MTV's coverage of the Live 8 concerts was being assailed by TV critics today (Monday), even as they bestowed high praise on America Online for its Internet presentation. As Beth Gillin put it in the Philadelphia Inquirer: "If Live Aid helped launch MTV as a media powerhouse two decades ago, Live 8 not only dethroned the music channel yesterday but made it seem quaintly old-fashioned. The Internet left cable in the dust. To put it bluntly, MTV sank and AOL soared." Los Angeles Times pop music critic Robert Hilburn called the MTV broadcast "beyond embarrassing. It was pitiful." He added: "I was warned long ago to avoid overkill as a critic, but bear with me this time. Add 'pathetic' to the list." Particularly galling to the critics were the cable network's frequent cutaways from live performances to its hosts and/or commercials. Jim Derogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times commented: "Cutting confusingly between cities, interrupting constantly for inane commentary from idiot VJs, and running a full slate of commercials ... MTV's coverage was an endurance fest. Thank God for the digital video recorder's ability to fast-forward." (Barry Garron of the Hollywood Reporter exempted Jo Jacobs of MTV UK from his criticism of the announcers.) The Associated Press's entertainment writer David Bauder said that by contrast, "AOL's coverage was so superior, it may one day serve as a historical marker in drawing people to computers instead of TV screens for big events."

barlowdog · 07-07-2005, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by U2Girl1978
Taken from imdb.com

MTV's coverage of the Live 8 concerts was being assailed by TV critics today (Monday), even as they bestowed high praise on America Online for its Internet presentation. As Beth Gillin put it in the Philadelphia Inquirer: "If Live Aid helped launch MTV as a media powerhouse two decades ago, Live 8 not only dethroned the music channel yesterday but made it seem quaintly old-fashioned. The Internet left cable in the dust. To put it bluntly, MTV sank and AOL soared." Los Angeles Times pop music critic Robert Hilburn called the MTV broadcast "beyond embarrassing. It was pitiful." He added: "I was warned long ago to avoid overkill as a critic, but bear with me this time. Add 'pathetic' to the list." Particularly galling to the critics were the cable network's frequent cutaways from live performances to its hosts and/or commercials. Jim Derogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times commented: "Cutting confusingly between cities, interrupting constantly for inane commentary from idiot VJs, and running a full slate of commercials ... MTV's coverage was an endurance fest. Thank God for the digital video recorder's ability to fast-forward." (Barry Garron of the Hollywood Reporter exempted Jo Jacobs of MTV UK from his criticism of the announcers.) The Associated Press's entertainment writer David Bauder said that by contrast, "AOL's coverage was so superior, it may one day serve as a historical marker in drawing people to computers instead of TV screens for big events."

agreed. The tv coverage was awful.

u2popmofo · 07-07-2005, 01:59 PM

Yes, it was horrendous. I seriously dont think half the VJs even knew what they were doing there. Embarrassing is right.

Lila64 · 07-07-2005, 04:57 PM

Has anyone at VH1 or MTV responded to any of the criticism yet? Why hasn't someone at those 'networks' been fired yet?

corianderstem · 07-07-2005, 05:54 PM

Yes, they sure have. THere was an article in the LA Times today, as linked to on tvtattle.com.

WinnieThePoo · 07-07-2005, 05:54 PM

why they should be fired ?
they no longer play the freakin music anyways ( except for early / late hours )

AOL music chanel rocks beyond any words
i know , maybe it's a cheap trick from their part
but man
london-paris-rome-berlin- toronto - phillys
almost any track to watch and listen
any moment

ShellBeThere · 07-07-2005, 09:05 PM

I agree..the coverage was beyond bad and moved into endurance-fest. I kept thinking they *must* have been cutting away as a favor to the DVD release, since there wasn't a single performance they allowed to run its full course. The Philly coverage was appallingly bad...and it seemed to me they showed us the same bits over and over as well, it was horribly done.

cheers all...

dipster · 07-08-2005, 06:16 AM

Last night on Showbiz Tonight which is on CNN, they had two critics talking about Live 8. They did say that MTV was bombarded with complaints, and that they plan on re-airing the concert at some point.

07-07-2005, 12:02 PM	#1
U2Girl1978 Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: At the altar of the dark star Posts: 19,374 Local Time: 04:00 PM	MTV's Live 8: More Blather, Less Music, Say Critics Taken from imdb.com MTV's coverage of the Live 8 concerts was being assailed by TV critics today (Monday), even as they bestowed high praise on America Online for its Internet presentation. As Beth Gillin put it in the Philadelphia Inquirer: "If Live Aid helped launch MTV as a media powerhouse two decades ago, Live 8 not only dethroned the music channel yesterday but made it seem quaintly old-fashioned. The Internet left cable in the dust. To put it bluntly, MTV sank and AOL soared." Los Angeles Times pop music critic Robert Hilburn called the MTV broadcast "beyond embarrassing. It was pitiful." He added: "I was warned long ago to avoid overkill as a critic, but bear with me this time. Add 'pathetic' to the list." Particularly galling to the critics were the cable network's frequent cutaways from live performances to its hosts and/or commercials. Jim Derogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times commented: "Cutting confusingly between cities, interrupting constantly for inane commentary from idiot VJs, and running a full slate of commercials ... MTV's coverage was an endurance fest. Thank God for the digital video recorder's ability to fast-forward." (Barry Garron of the Hollywood Reporter exempted Jo Jacobs of MTV UK from his criticism of the announcers.) The Associated Press's entertainment writer David Bauder said that by contrast, "AOL's coverage was so superior, it may one day serve as a historical marker in drawing people to computers instead of TV screens for big events." __________________

07-08-2005, 06:16 AM	#8
dipster Acrobat Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 300 Local Time: 03:00 PM	Last night on Showbiz Tonight which is on CNN, they had two critics talking about Live 8. They did say that MTV was bombarded with complaints, and that they plan on re-airing the concert at some point. __________________

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07-07-2005, 01:59 PM	#3
u2popmofo Blue Meth Addict Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utah Posts: 37,182 Local Time: 03:00 PM	Yes, it was horrendous. I seriously dont think half the VJs even knew what they were doing there. Embarrassing is right.

07-07-2005, 04:57 PM	#4
Lila64 Blue Crack Distributor Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: ♥Set List Lane♥ Posts: 52,894 Local Time: 01:00 PM	Has anyone at VH1 or MTV responded to any of the criticism yet? Why hasn't someone at those 'networks' been fired yet?

07-07-2005, 05:54 PM	#5
corianderstem Blue Crack Distributor Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 64,498 Local Time: 01:00 PM	Yes, they sure have. THere was an article in the LA Times today, as linked to on tvtattle.com.

07-07-2005, 05:54 PM	#6
WinnieThePoo Refugee Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New England Posts: 2,232 Local Time: 04:00 PM	why they should be fired ? they no longer play the freakin music anyways ( except for early / late hours ) AOL music chanel rocks beyond any words i know , maybe it's a cheap trick from their part but man london-paris-rome-berlin- toronto - phillys almost any track to watch and listen any moment

07-07-2005, 09:05 PM	#7
ShellBeThere War Child Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: ann arbor mi Posts: 935 Local Time: 04:00 PM	I agree..the coverage was beyond bad and moved into endurance-fest. I kept thinking they must have been cutting away as a favor to the DVD release, since there wasn't a single performance they allowed to run its full course. The Philly coverage was appallingly bad...and it seemed to me they showed us the same bits over and over as well, it was horribly done. cheers all...