mtv

Viacom's MTV ready to take risks on Web

In some tech circles, Viacom is the symbol of botched digital strategies and old-media thinking.

There's little doubt that operating under Viacom's umbrella has hurt MTV's hipster cred with some tech-savvy music fans. MTV managers, however, are trying to dispel the notion that the company is technology backward, fearful of sharing its content online, and has missed out on the Internet age.

On Tuesday, Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music and Logo Group, and some of his top managers met with CNET News.com at San Francisco's Hotel Vitale to outline the company's digital … Read more

Tech issues a no-show at MTV-MySpace candidate event

NEW YORK--Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was the fourth and final presidential candidate to appear at the youth-focused "Closing Arguments" question-and-answer session, co-hosted by MySpace, MTV, and the Associated Press. And as with her predecessors--Republican candidates Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul and Democrat Barack Obama--Clinton, a senator from New York, was not asked to touch upon technology policy.

Net neutrality, piracy, and online privacy were barely mentioned (UPDATE: Ron Paul did briefly allude to his opposition to restrictions on Net use and online government snooping), and environmental and energy issues were only addressed peripherally as the vast majority … Read more

The MySpace generation's got a crush on Obama

NEW YORK--Right before Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama addressed the MySpace-MTV "Closing Arguments" event via videoconference from Minneapolis, one of the young studio audience members whispered, "He's the whole reason why we're here."

And those of us inside the studio could hear enthusiastic cheers from outside in Times Square, where dozens of Obama supporters had gathered before the event.

Obama might not have the online cult following that Republican candidate Ron Paul does, but he has arguably amassed the most significant online following out of all the Democratic candidates; he was MySpace users' favorite … Read more

Ron Paul: I'm the Republican who 'gets' young voters

NEW YORK--Texas Rep. Ron Paul was the second of four presidential candidates answering questions at the MTV-MySpace "Closing Arguments" event on Saturday evening, and there was probably a whole lot of people tuning in online to the live-streamed event.

Paul and his libertarian leanings have proven hugely popular on the Web; the long-shot Republican candidate actually won MySpace's mock Republican primary. Unfortunately for tech enthusiasts, technology policy wasn't brought up at all; subjects like Net neutrality and online copyright law didn't seem to be hot-button issues among the Gen-Y crowds in the audience.

One question … Read more

In MTV-MySpace talk, Huckabee focuses on economy, taxes

NEW YORK--MTV's "Choose or Lose" pre-Super Tuesday event, co-hosted with MySpace and the Associated Press, marked my first time in a live studio audience. It sure has been a trip; there are cameras just about everywhere, and MTV packed us all in like sardines. Right above my head is a giant flashing red-and-blue lightning bolt; I've been trying to make sure I don't smack against it.

MTV News anchor Gideon Yago introduced the candidates, all of whom were dialed in via videoconference from around the country: Barack Obama from Minneapolis; Hillary Clinton from Tucson, Ariz.; … Read more

Inside MTV Studios, getting ready to 'Choose or Lose'

NEW YORK--There are red, white, and blue lights flashing everywhere and I think I might be the oldest person in the room; I'm in the Uptown Studio at MTV's Times Square headquarters for the "Closing Arguments" event co-hosted by MTV, MySpace, and the Associated Press.

Presidential candidates Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul will be videoconferencing in to answer questions from the studio audience, as well as questions submitted online.

Outside, a huge crowd has amassed outside MTV Studios, primarily student groups in support of Obama, though a number of Clinton supporters were … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 651: No more duper

EPISODE 651

MTV steps it up for Super Tuesday primaries

With primaries in more than 20 states next week, MTV has announced "Super Tuesday" coverage plans for its hand-picked citizen journalism corps.

In each state with a Super Tuesday primary, a member of the "Street Team" will be streaming live coverage from the video camera of a Nokia N95 handset; N95s can upload video directly to the Web, and this will be the first time that MTV has experimented with live mobile-to-Web coverage.

The content can be accessed on the MTV News site and on MTV's "Choose or Lose" election site. An online … Read more

Clinton, Huckabee confirmed for final MySpace-MTV election 'dialogue'

As "Super Tuesday" on February 5 approaches, MTV and MySpace.com have announced the final installment of their ongoing "presidential dialogue" series. Co-presented by the Associated Press, the event will take place at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday, February 2; all candidates from both parties have been invited to participate, and so far, Democratic contender Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Mike Huckabee have confirmed that they will be part of it.

The remaining presidential candidates--Democrats Barack Obama and John Edwards, and Republicans John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Rudy Giuliani--have been invited but have not yet … Read more