If you’re watching these ads right now and thinking to yourself what in the heck is this? I’ve never heard of the Cable Music Channel, don’t feel bad. Until now I hadn’t heard of it either, and not just because I was 4 years old when it launched on October 26th, 1984. I’m pretty sure the main reason I hadn’t heard of it is because I was also 4 years old when it shut down a mere 36 days later.
If you’re wondering what sort of doofus could have mismanaged such a winning concept as music videos on TV in the 1980s so badly, the answer is Ted Turner. Yes, that Ted Turner. the Ted Turner who created stations like CNN, TBS and TNT that changed the face of television and are still around to this day.
How’d he do it?
For starters, he could have injected a little excitement into launch day by doing radical things like having any excitement at all. I mean good lord, just look at this thing!
It’s MTV, but for lame ass old cranks! Come now, children. Let us both rock and roll in simultaneous fashion!
The official launch perhaps hinted that the writing was always on the wall. Whereas MTV had lifted off in 1981 with a hip and happening blend of space shuttle footage, colorful graffiti-style graphics, and an original garage rock theme, CMC kickstarted with bone-dry press conference speeches (including one from the distinctly un-rock and roll 13th District Councilwoman Peggy Stevenson) and a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
In fact, the only remarkable aspect of the whole shebang was Turner’s continued vendetta against his new rival. He talked of wanting to “influence music in a positive, loving, and kind way,” then called out MTV’s apparent fondness for “degrading clips” before declaring “Take that MTV!” and pressing the giant red button that launched CMC.
Things didn’t get much more exciting when attention switched to the actual programming. While The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star” instantly proved MTV had a sense of humor, CMC’s first play was Randy Newman’s rather earnest hometown love letter, “I Love LA.” And instead of on-camera hosts injecting the channel with some personality, its VJs Raechel Donahue and Jeff Gonzer were only ever heard and not seen.
Some of the channel’s problems were out of his control, because you can’t create dial space where there is none. Cable back then was a lot different than it is now, remember. Space was much more limited, and with plenty of systems already running a full slate, it was hard for CMC to find distribution. Even the operators that could have accommodated it weren’t super keen, because they already had MTV and weren’t sure about the viability of a direct competitor. Oh, and some of them didn’t really want to help Turner out when they didn’t have to, choosing instead to stick it to a guy who didn’t always have the best reputation when it came to doing business. I suppose that second one could have been well within his control, but whatever.
Then there was MTV doing some monopolistic shit to protect its position, which was easy for it to do considering its subscriber numbers. MTV was in 24 million homes as opposed to CMCs 350,000.
Turner got a taste of his own medicine when MTV allegedly started playing dirty. The network quickly put a stranglehold on the Hot 100, signing exclusivity deals with several major labels that kept videos from a number of popular artists from being played elsewhere for up to 12 months. While that didn’t particularly affect The Nashville Network and BET—two existing stations that catered to country music and hip hop audiences—it proved to be a major stumbling block for those trying to muscle in on MTV’s mainstream rock and pop territory.
Stumbling block is one way to put it, sure. Perhaps death blow might be more appropriate.
“We simply have not had enough support from the cable industry for it to become a viable part of our business,” he explained in a statement about its unprecedentedly quick fall from grace. On November 30, the network said its final farewell, bringing things full circle by playing the same Newman song it had opened with.
Turner sold the assets of his dead station to MTV for $1 million. MTV, in turn, eventually used them to launch VH1, which has worked out just a little bit better than CMC did.
So I guess old Ted still made some history after all, even if it wasn’t how he drew it up.