| AMTV | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Format | Music videos |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Running time | 5 hours on Monday, 9 hours Tuesday-Friday, 2 hours on Saturday-Sunday) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | MTV |
| Original run | March 30, 2009 – present |
| Status | Current, still in production. |
AMTV (logo styled AMtv) is a television program on MTV in the United States, first aired unofficially as a sneak preview on March 26, 2009, and launched officially on March 30, 2009. MTV is positioning the daily, six-hour program as its primary and only source of music videos and music-related programming.
AMTV was scheduled to air Monday through Thursday mornings on MTV (and MTV2) from 3 a.m. until 9 a.m. Eastern time (Friday from 3:00 am to 6:00 am) but as of sometime in December 2009 the AMTV video block started to air from 3AM to 8AM.[1].
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AMTV signals the newest return of music programming on MTV. The channel had gone without any music video programming during the first few months of 2009, after it ceased broadcasting FNMTV, a similar friday night themed block that consisted of short clips of music videos. The cancellation of MTV's flagship music program, Total Request Live, in November 2008 was also seen as the end of an era for MTV, leading critics to insist MTV's music brand is "irrelevant" and to conclude that the Internet has replaced television as the preferred medium for watching music videos[1][2].
Throughout its five hours each morning, AMTV combines music videos with news updates, interviews, and live music performances [1]. Unlike the FNMTV morning programming block that preceded it, AMTV features many full-length music videos, including some older videos that have been out of regular rotation for many years on MTV, a segment called "Throwback". During the program, the channel promotes related features on its music-based web site, MTVMusic.com. The bumpers in between a video and commercial break feature songs from the 80's and 90's including Olivia Newton John's Physical and Chumbawumba's "Tubthumping".
MTV has resurrected its Unplugged series by airing individual acoustic performances during prime time hours, then placing the full episode on MTV.com and also playing many of the performances during AMTV over the next few days [1]. MTV has also referred to AMTV as a "laboratory for advertising partnerships," meaning that an individual company could be the sole sponsor of the program on specific mornings, inserting its brand into the program in ways other than traditional TV commercials [1].
As of August 18, AMTV began airing weather. The video sequence which runs before commercials starts with a rooster holding an AMTV microphone, a ding, then "An Now For Weather" playing an acoustic or softer version of songs that are popular on AMTV. Forecasts are described in ways that are not usually seen with weather such as "Run for the A/C" or "Bring your umbrella?" AMTV Weather is powered by AccuWeather
Since mid August 2009 the music video programming on AMTV has began to become more repetitive and predictable, less older music videos are played and only the top 15 music videos tend to be played from hour to hour.
At some point, AMTV added a top 10 countdown that started to air in the 8AM hour. The countdown ceased sometime in December 2009 but returned in its new 7AM time slot on January 6, 2010. Its previous 8AM timeslot is now reserved for re-airings of music specials such as Unplugged, Behind the Music and other live sets. In addition to the video countdown, the entire AMTV block has had its rating lowered to TV-PG from TV-14. Notably, there has been no decrease in the amount of sexual content in the videos since the adjustment. "Classic" videos have also returned to the mix and MTVMusic.com is no longer promoted on screen during videos; music.mtv.com now is displayed.
Reported by its Twitter feed on 1/12/10, the 8AM hour for AMTV will return sometime in February.
Reported by its Twitter feed on 2/26/10, AMTV will be extending its programming until 11AM ET/PT and be on Saturdays and Sundays 6AM-8AM ET/PT. The extra two hours will be video playlists or countdowns, per MTV.com's TV Schedule page. Those include, for the week of 3/1/10, re-airings of the Sucker Free Countdown and 10 Artists to Watch in 2010.
Starting 3/9/10, AMTV is scheduled to start at 1AM ET/PT but has not been announced as a permanent programming extension via Twitter, AMTV's standard avenue for such announcements. For the week of 3/8/10, AMTV aired Sucker Free Countdown (Tues 1AM), Lady GaGa Artist Collection and Beyonce: Latest and Greatest (Wednesday 1AM, 1:30AM), 10 Artists to Watch in 2010 for Thursday 1AM and Friday 1AM. These types of playlists appear daily on MTV Hits. Also, the recently announced programming extension for 9AM and weekends at 6AM continue.
On 3/9/10, MTV.com updated its TV schedule page and shows AMTV now scheduled for Friday. AMTV now airs daily on MTV, marking the first time in a couple of year original MTV has had music videos scheduled to air daily.
On the week of 3/15/10, AMTV's Today's Top 10 became Today's Top 20 (8AM-10AM ET/PT), which showcases the top 20 videos of the day. It is still unclear how the top 20 list is determined, as no MTV web property gives this information.
Also for the week of 3/15/10, The 1AM-3AM block for AMTV that debuted on the week of 3/8/10 now starts at 2AM ET/PT. The 2AM block and the 10AM block continues to showcase special playlists.
Sister network MTV2 runs a similar program known as "AMTV2" AMTV2 runs typically from 4AM-9AM Monday-Thursday, per MTV2's official schedule on MTV.com. In reality, AMTV2 begins at 3AM ET/PT even though their schedule shows Rock the Deuce slated at 3AM ET/PT. All videos in hour 1 of AMTV2 (3AM) are all rock-oriented. Musically, the videos on AMTV2 are limited to alternative rock, indie rock and hip hop, the genres that MTV2 originally focused on.
In the 8AM hour, AMTV2 runs a top 10 countdown much like AMTV does in the 8AM hour. These videos are also limited to hip hop and rock.
  | MTV to Put a Bit More Music Back, in the A.M. - The New York Times > Log In |
| | The Fall Of 'TRL' And The Rise Of Internet Video - The Fall Of 'TRL' And The Rise Of Internet Video : NPR Music |
| | MTV.com - New Music Videos, Reality TV Shows, Celebrity News, Top Stories | MTV |
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