MTVNI to Launch First HD Service

LONDON/NEW YORK/WARSAW,
September 2: MTV Networks International (MTVNI) is set to launch its first
high-definition channel dedicated to music and kids, MTVNHD, which will
premiere September 15 at noon.

The new 24-hour,
English-language service will be available in Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
Norway, Poland and Sweden, with plans to extend the offering to France,
Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the U.K., Argentina, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela by year’s end. MTVNHD will be operated by
MTVNI’s emerging markets group, which will produce and broadcast the channel 24
hours a day from its Warsaw hub.

The channel’s lineup will
be a mix of music-based and kids’ programming that is original, acquired and
from MTVNI’s multi-branded library. Music content includes series such as MTV
Unplugged and VH1 Storytellers, along with the MTV Video Music Awards and the MTV
Europe Music Awards. A Nickelodeon programming block will broadcast on Saturday
and Sunday mornings, with shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Legend of Aang, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Tak & the Power of Juju and Mr. Meaty. Original HD programming includes Charblast, an hour-long weekday countdown show; Uncompressed, a weekly hour-long show that looks at different
themes in music; and HD Extreme,
a half-hour extreme-sports magazine show. The network will also feature
acquired titles like Eric Clapton, Crossroads, Matchbox Twenty: Live in Atlanta and Meatloaf Live.

Robert Bakish, the
president of MTVNI, commented: “Entering the high-def universe is a natural
next step in our growth as a premier global media company. MTVNHD further
deepens our audience connection as we continue to refine and expand the way we
develop, package and deliver quality content. This initiative strengthens our
global portfolio of assets across our brands as we cater to our targeted
audience in a format we are confident they will embrace.”

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski