From January to December, 1981 was the prelude to what would be a decade of major events.
In these parts, the appointment of Flor Isava as the first female president of the International Olympic Committee was celebrated, as well as the audience impact of the telenovela. Elizabeth with Caridad Canelón and Orlando Urdaneta, the explosion of the Menudo phenomenon, the double win of Irene Sáez and Pilín León in Miss Universe and Miss World, in addition to visits from stars like Brooke Shields, Farrah Fawcett, Ryan O'Neal, Herve Villechaize (Tattoo de Fantasy Island), Lou Ferrigno (Hulk), Cheryl Ladd and Erick Estrada, to fulfill television commitments.
The Poliedro hosted, among others, The Police, Spyro Gyra and Queen, whose performance schedule was interrupted by the national mourning declared following the death of the founder of AD and former president of the Republic, Rómulo Betancourt.
The ban on advertising cigarettes and alcohol on radio and television also came into effect, despite the struggle of Venezuelan channels to prevent the elimination of their main source of income.
On the international stage, Gabriel García Márquez published A Chronicle of a Death Foretold Harrison Ford introduced Indiana Jones and Mel Gibson introduced Mad Max, and in the United States, two dramas were released that would have a significant impact on much of the world: Dynasty y Falcon crestAs happened with another event that marked a milestone on the small screen: the wedding of Prince Charles of England with Lady Di, broadcast on July 29, which reached a worldwide audience of over 750 million viewers.
Three days later, an event occurred that revolutionized the music industry. On August 1, 1981, MTV Music Television launched, with 24-hour programming dedicated entirely to music videos.
The climax
MTV Music Television was the brainchild of businessman Robert W. Pittman, supported by Warner and Amex Satellite Entertainment, part of the Paramount empire, and aimed at winning over young audiences.
The first video broadcast was Killed the Radio Star, directed by Russell Mulcahy and starring Geoff Downes, Trevor Horn, and Bruce Wolley, members of the London band The Buggles. The second was You Better Run by Pat Benatar.
From that moment on, the music video gave a face to the artists who had relied on radio as their indispensable ally for achieving success. It became the best promotional tool, motivating record labels to increase their budgets and for audiovisual productions to improve in quality.
The history of MTV is divided into before and after December 2, 1983, when it premiered Thriller Michael Jackson.
Lesson finish date
To adapt to the market, MTV ventured into reality television in the 90s. Its story ended on December 31, 2025, when executives decided to shut down, maintaining a streaming service for the United States, Japan, Israel, Taiwan, and India.
Regarding its relationship with Venezuela, in 1991, the video It's not enough, by Franco de Vita and director Abraham Pulido, was the first by a local artist to be awarded the homonymous prize, established in 1983.
It was also a sponsor, along with Amnesty International, of the Concert at La Base: Music for Your Rights, held on July 19, 1998, in La Carlota, within the framework of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
