MM Television
Encyclopedia
MM Television was a Bulgaria
n cable
and satellite
music television
channel which operated between 1997 and 2010. During its existence, especially in the early 2000s, MM had a profound impact on the Bulgarian music industry and popular culture
with its annual music awards becoming one of the most important events on the modern Bulgarian music scene.
's. Several months after the launch of the television channel, the famous Bulgarian TV producer and comedian
Kamen Vodenicharov
became part of the television team. Under his management, MM Television expanded into a nationwide cable television channel.
By the early 2000s, MM Television was broadcast by more than 160 cable
and satellite operators
in Bulgaria reaching a potential audience of 4.3 million people. In 2003, it started a sister channel
- M2, which purpose was to play only music videos performed by Bulgarian bands and artists. In 2005 MM Television also founded its own record label
- MM Records.
In 2005 Apace Media Group UK acquired 66% of the television channel for €660,000. The media company planned to upgrade the TV studios and to continue developing the music-orientated programming. Actually very little of this happened. MM Television once again changed its ownership in 2007 becoming part of the Balkan Media Group (a joint venture of Apace Media Group UK and Modern Times Group
). 2007 saw major cuts in the television channel's finances as many of the TV shows were discontinued as well as its sister channel M2. In the beginning of 2009 MM Television dropped all its shows from its programming and started only to broadcast music videos.
With its revenues continually falling after the restructuring of MM Television's programming, in 2010, after 13 years of existence, the channel owners decided to discontinue it as 'it operates in an over-saturated niche market
with many other music channels available in the country, while the potential audience tends to change their way to consume music' (according to the channel's executive director Jacob Anderson's statement in April 2010). After ceasing transmission on 30 April 2010, MM Television was replaced by the newly founded sports television channel Nova Sport
.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n cable
Cable
A cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry...
and satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
music television
Music television
Music television is a type of television programming which focuses predominantly on playing music videos from bands, usually on dedicated television channels broadcasting on satellite or cable. Music TVs may host their own shows charts, award prizes. Examples are VIVA, Scuzz, MTV, JBTV, MuchMusic,...
channel which operated between 1997 and 2010. During its existence, especially in the early 2000s, MM had a profound impact on the Bulgarian music industry and popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
with its annual music awards becoming one of the most important events on the modern Bulgarian music scene.
History
MM Television was created by Krasen Karaychev and Toni Tanov in 1997 as the first Bulgarian television channel to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs with a television programming similar to MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's. Several months after the launch of the television channel, the famous Bulgarian TV producer and comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Kamen Vodenicharov
Kamen Vodenicharov
Kamen Vodenicharov is a famous Bulgarian actor, showman, singer, and businessman. He hosted Survivor BG.Vodenicharov graduated from NATFIZ specializing in Puppetry.- References :*...
became part of the television team. Under his management, MM Television expanded into a nationwide cable television channel.
By the early 2000s, MM Television was broadcast by more than 160 cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
and satellite operators
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
in Bulgaria reaching a potential audience of 4.3 million people. In 2003, it started a sister channel
Sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
- M2, which purpose was to play only music videos performed by Bulgarian bands and artists. In 2005 MM Television also founded its own record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
- MM Records.
In 2005 Apace Media Group UK acquired 66% of the television channel for €660,000. The media company planned to upgrade the TV studios and to continue developing the music-orientated programming. Actually very little of this happened. MM Television once again changed its ownership in 2007 becoming part of the Balkan Media Group (a joint venture of Apace Media Group UK and Modern Times Group
Modern Times Group
Modern Times Group is a Swedish media company. MTG was formed out of the media holdings of investment company Kinnevik, which in 1997 was distributed to the company stockholders. Among the assets were Viasat and Metro International...
). 2007 saw major cuts in the television channel's finances as many of the TV shows were discontinued as well as its sister channel M2. In the beginning of 2009 MM Television dropped all its shows from its programming and started only to broadcast music videos.
With its revenues continually falling after the restructuring of MM Television's programming, in 2010, after 13 years of existence, the channel owners decided to discontinue it as 'it operates in an over-saturated niche market
Niche market
A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact...
with many other music channels available in the country, while the potential audience tends to change their way to consume music' (according to the channel's executive director Jacob Anderson's statement in April 2010). After ceasing transmission on 30 April 2010, MM Television was replaced by the newly founded sports television channel Nova Sport
Nova Sport (Bulgaria)
Nova Sport is a Bulgarian television channel, part of "Nova Broadcasting Group", owned by Modern Times Group. The channel started on 2010 and replaces the music channel MM Television. The television is created as resemblance to the Scandinavian channel Viasat Sport, who shares the same graphic...
.
MM Television Annual Music Awards
In 1998 MM started organising its own MM Television Annual Music Awards. The show soon became one of the most respected events on the modern Bulgarian music scene that gathered the most popular Bulgarian bands and artists each year. The annual music awards were presented until 2007 when a MM Television Decennial Music Awards were organised. The event marked the ten-year anniversary of MM Television but eventually turned out to be the last show of this kind to be organised by the television channel.Notable programs and VJs
During most of its existence, MM Television had always kept its formula of VJ-guided music video programming. Some of the most distinguished programs and VJs are listed below:Notable programs:
|
Notable VJs:
LiLana LiLana is a Bulgarian singer and ex-TV host. She is best known for her appearance in the celebrity spin-off of the reality show Big Brother - VIP Brother.... |