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MTV launches online community to engage youth on issues that affect them

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think.jpgMTV, along with founding partners the Case Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Goldhirsh Foundation and MCJ Amelior Foundation, today launched a new movement in youth activism: Think.MTV.com. Born from MTV’s long-standing commitment to inform and engage young people on issues that affect them most, the Think Community aims to be the definitive online resource and rally point for young change makers. Launched in beta today, Think.MTV.com is a place where everyone from sunny day volunteers to die hard activists can Get Educated, Get Connected, Get Heard, Get Active and Get Rewarded.

The seminal ThinkMTV study “Just Cause” revealed that young people care deeply about activism: 80 percent say that taking action to help their community and others is important and the right thing to do; yet only 19% percent describe themselves as “very involved.” Respondents were very concerned about the challenges that face their generation – from personal issues like sexual health, discrimination, and education, to global concerns such as the environment, terrorism, poverty, and immigration – but many weren’t sure where to turn or how to get involved. Think.MTV.com will help mobilize these young people with new tools of engagement (mobile phones, online forums, broadband video, digital cameras, etc.), thereby narrowing the “activation gap” and making it much easier to become informed and take action.

Originally posted on September 20, 2007 @ 12:02 pm

MySpace, MTV announce details of first presidential candidate dialogue with John Edwards

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myspace.jpgMySpace and MTV announced details of their first Presidential Candidate Dialogue featuring former Senator John Edwards. The inaugural event will take place on September 27, at 12:00 pm ET on the University of New Hampshire campus – an affiliate in mtvU’s network of more than 750 colleges and universities – and will be moderated by MTV News Correspondents SuChin Pak and Gideon Yago as well as WashingtonPost.com political reporter, Chris Cillizza. Industry-leading pollsters John McLaughlin and Geoffrey Garin will oversee the real-time polling data and audience questions being submitted via MySpaceIM and MTV.com. The kick-off event also marks the first Flektor application integration since its acquisition by Fox Interactive Media in May 2007.

For the first time, users at home or anywhere online are empowered to immediately respond to candidate discourse with a new online polling widget powered by Flektor. Online viewers on MySpace.com or MTV.com will be able to access a simple ratings meter to indicate their approval or disapproval of a candidate’s responses as they watch the Dialogue live with instant results displayed on the screen. A “popular vote” function will allow viewers to compare their opinions against those of the entire viewing community. Poll results will be available online live during each event and archived for future viewing.

The MySpace/MTV Presidential Candidate Dialogues also mark the first time in history where at home viewers will be able to submit questions in real-time to the candidates. As the world’s fastest growing instant messaging client, MySpaceIM will provide the platform for users to submit questions throughout the duration of the event on both MTV.com and MySpace. Additionally, questions will also be asked by a live audience comprised of UNH students.

Additional candidates confirmed to participate in the MySpace/ MTV Presidential Candidate Dialogue series include: Sen. Sam Brownback, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Chris Dodd, Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Rep. Duncan Hunter, Sen. John McCain, Sen. Barack Obama, Rep. Ron Paul, and Gov. Bill Richardson

Originally posted on September 19, 2007 @ 10:40 am

MTV launches social network tonight

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So the buzz is true, MTV is indeed launching a social network in the form of Flux.com and it’s going to be launched, surprise surprise, tonight.

While MTV already has various networks across the web, the Flux.com technology will connect them all together in one platform, allowing members to create one single profile page for all their MTV accounts. Flux.com is developed by Tagworld.

Much is still yet to be seen, but it won’t be long before MTV reveals how they’ll go about this new social network. Let’s see. Tonight.

Originally posted on September 14, 2007 @ 4:53 am

Filed Under: MTV

MTV Networks presents development slate of forthcoming websites

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comedycentral.jpgMTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, announced a development slate of two dozen targeted websites that will allow users to get closer to their favorite music, entertainment, comedy and pop culture content.

Debuting in Q3 and Q4 2007, the websites will hail from across MTVN’s stable of brands and include such titles as COMEDY CENTRAL’s TheDailyShow.com; MTV’s Dances From Tha’ ‘Hood; Nickelodeon’s iCarly.com; VH1’s VH1EyeCandy.com; GameTrailers.com’s WikiCheats.com; Logo’s Alien Boot Camp and MTVN International’s MTV European Music Awards & COMEDY CENTRAL Germany’s Comedy Blackboard, among others.

The move furthers MTVN’s commitment to its vertical entertainment strategy, through which the company is launching hundreds of websites that provide rich entertainment experiences and increase engagement among its core demographic audiences.

“Our strategy is to keep moving beyond our core branded sites to invite fans to go as deep as they’d like with our content, and the interests they’re most passionate about,” said MTVN Chairman and CEO Judy McGrath.

To get full details, read this

Originally posted on September 7, 2007 @ 7:22 am

MTV, RealNetwork, merge online music service to compete with iTunes

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MTV and RealNetworks are set to merge to launch a joint online digital-music site an attempt to compete with Apple’s iTunes store.

MTV is reported to be closing its existing online music service Urge, to venture with RealNetwork’s Rhapsody.

The two music companies were supposed to announce this at a press conference tomorrow, 11am EST. News about the merger, however, slipped out because of failure to put journalists to a non-disclosure agreement. Details of the joint venture will be revealed tomorrow.

Originally posted on August 21, 2007 @ 4:08 am