Anand Mahindra Reflects On MTV's End And Its Role In Shaping Music, Taste And Popular Culture

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Industrialist Anand Mahindra has shared an emotional tribute to MTV following news of the iconic music television channel shutting down, reflecting on its cultural impact and the way it shaped generations of viewers around the world.

Anand Mahindra bids adieu to MTV

In a post on X, the Mahindra Group chairman spoke about the significance of MTV for those who grew up during its early years, describing the channel as a defining force in how music was experienced and understood.

He wrote, "The end of MTV hits differently for Baby Boomers like me. When it launched in 1981, it changed how we heard and saw music. It shaped tastes, icons, and the sense of what was cool. I guess this deserves one last chorus by Sting of:“I want my MTV (sic).”

His comments struck a chord with many users online, particularly those who came of age during the 1980s and 1990s, when MTV was at the centre of global pop culture.

More about MTV

MTV, which first went on air in the United States in August 1981, revolutionised the music industry by placing visuals at the heart of how songs were consumed. Its early days were marked by the constant rotation of music videos, turning artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince and Duran Duran into global icons and redefining celebrity culture.

For Indian audiences, MTV arrived later but left an equally lasting imprint. MTV India launched in the mid-1990s and quickly became a staple for urban youth, introducing international pop and rock alongside home-grown acts. The channel also helped popularise VJs, youth-centric programming and a distinctive visual language that influenced fashion, advertising and television more broadly.

MTV's final sign-off in several regions

Recent discussion around MTV has been sparked by the shutdown of a number of its music-focused channels towards the end of 2025. Reports from People and Rolling Stone said MTV ended broadcasts of several specialist channels on December 31 in regions including the UK, parts of Europe, Australia and Brazil.

The channels taken off air included MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live. In a nod to its own history, MTV Music played The Buggles' Video Killed the Radio Star as its closing video - the same song that marked the network's debut in the US in 1981 - underscoring the scale of change the brand has seen over more than four decades.

MTV has evolved, not disappeared

While online posts suggested MTV had shut down entirely, industry reports have clarified that this is not the case. Variety noted that the closures affected only certain international linear music channels, not the core MTV network. Flagship MTV channels in both the UK and the US continue to broadcast.

BBC reports added that in regions where the music-only channels have closed, viewers are now met with static screens directing them towards MTV's main channel and its digital platforms, reflecting the network's broader shift in how audiences consume music and entertainment.

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