@ Music & Money: MTVN’s Van Toffler: Music Videos Still Have Value

Billboard's Bruno (left) and MTVN's Van Toffler

The other day, MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA) Judy McGrath was asked about the company’s image in the age of the Jersey Shore, and she talked about reality shows hooking younger viewers, which is the ultimate focus for the network. Today, at the Billboard Music & Money Symposium, Billboard’s Antony Bruno (image, on the left) asked Van Toffler (on the left), President, MTV Networks Music and Logo Group Is MTV a music network or a more general “youth network.” Both. We had a lot of bad metal hair bands, but over time, created reality shows, awards shows and reality and connected it to music. We play 600 music video hours across our networks and invest over $100 million in music each year through promotions. “Music video still has value, but they need to live on different platforms.”

The Conversation: Toffler said that MTVN will soon introduce a cross-platform program that will attempt to build careers for new artists called Push, which has a tagline, “Play until someone hears.” Toffler: “We have to invest in future stars, especially online. Social nets — Facebook, MySpace, Twitter — are the telephone and we’re the conversation. We’re not a technology company. We’re the content that lives on the technology platforms.”

Rock Band: MTVN has high hopes for Rock Band’s Green Day video game, but don’t compare it to The Beatles’ iteration. The Viacom unit paid hefty licensing fees to create a game around the Fab Four. Would he do it again? “There’s only one Beatles,” Toffler said.

Subscription business: Toffler thinks the online music subscription format has its appeal, but from the consumer’s perspective, “so does stealing.” But mobile, naturally, presents some opportunities in that area.

On MySpace: MTVN used to get a lot of grief about missing the opportunity to buy MySpace (NYSE: NWS). But as the social net has had some struggles and changes at the top lately, it also has attracted a number of former MTVN execs such as former MTVN digital head Jason Hirschhorn, as well former MTVN digital ad execs Nada Stirratt and Jason Witt. During the audience Q&A, Rafat asked Toffler how he thinks his former colleagues will do there now that they’ve assumed larger roles at the News Corp-owned social net. “I have a lot of faith in them and I’m hopeful [about his former colleagues’ ability to turn the social net’s fortunes around]. We have worked together on some stuff in the past and I’m sure we’ll continue to work together.” And if MTVN had bought MySpace when it had the chance. Toffler, half-jokingly, said, “It would be doing a lot better.”

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