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IN RECOGNITION OF MTV'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY
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HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, July 29, 2021
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize MTV, on its 40th anniversary for the cultural imprint it has left on our country and the work it continues to do as one of the world's leading global youth brands. Throughout MTV's 40 years, the brand has created reality television, expanded the creative mediums of the music industry, and inspired our nation's youth. Today, this New York-born and bred brand reaches 180 countries and 1.8 billion people around the world.
In August 1981, MTV exploded onto the airwaves with the release of the first-ever music video, ``Video Killed the Radio Star'' by The Buggies. Shortly after, MTV began to define popular culture and the music industry in an unprecedented manner with popular music becoming more visual and dance and clothing styles garnering a greater importance to the whole experience of music. MTV's popularity grew to such heights that in 1984 it hosted the network's first Video Music Awards--known as the VMAs--ceremony at Radio City Music Hall in the great city of New York.
In 1985, MTV began to air safe sex Public Service Announcements
(PSAs), making it one of the first television networks to do so. These safe-sex initiatives continued over the years through MTV's It's Your Sex Life campaign and more, helping to educate our nation's youth on the importance of safe sex practices. MTV was a pioneer in the nascent efforts to ensure our nation's teens and young adults had the knowledge to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and infections, contributing to lowering the rates of such diseases in the following decades.
Continuing its work in this type of educational programming, in February 1992, MTV launched Choose or Lose during the 1992 presidential election. The awareness campaign successfully engaged young people by demystifying the political process, encouraging registration, stressing the importance of voting, and highlighting issues of daily importance to Americans. The Choose or Lose campaign contributed to a twenty percent increase in youth turnout during the 1992 general election and remains a model for encouraging youth voter engagement.
In 1996, MTV grew Choose or Lose to include a bus that toured 80,000 miles between forty-eight states to engage even more young Americans in the political process and shed light on the issues impacting them. During this time, MTV devoted more than 100 hours of airtime to policy issues affecting young people. The campaign was successful in registering 30,000 new young voters, and when President Clinton signed the Voter Registration Act of 1993 into law, he cited MTV and Rock the Vote's role in making such a landmark law possible. MTV used its voice to promote the bill, educate the public on the bill on MTV News, and provide a platform for the bill's sponsors and proponents. In addition, MTV provided $20 million worth of airtime for Motor Voter PSAs, directing viewers to call their representatives in support of the legislation.
In March 2008, MTV broadcast an hour-long special event that brought together presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama, as well as eight young veterans for an intimate discussion on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war.
MTV also built a coalition of 3,000 partners in 2020 to launch the first-ever Vote Early Day. This new civic holiday and day of action aims to keep younger Americans informed and assist them in exercising their right to vote. Through these actions, MTV has shown the power of popular culture in motivating our younger generations to vote by using its influence to encourage millions of young people to ``Choose or Lose'' and ``Vote Early.''
In addition to its civic education work, MTV also has a longstanding history of mental health advocacy. They were awarded a Peabody Award in 2007 for their work on mtvU: Half of Us, a multiplatform campaign that includes a thorough website and numerous public service spots to help college students deal with stress and depression. And earlier this year, they launched a new multi-year initiative, ``Mental Health is Health,'' which will harness the power of storytelling to destigmatize mental health.
Inspired by the spirit of youth--from escapism to activism--MTV's impact has transcended the entertainment industry and pop culture reaching audiences and driving social change all around the world.
I ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing MTV for its contributions to society and culture. Happy 40th anniversary, and we can't wait to see what the next 40 bring.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 133
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
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