I’ve had MHD, the MTV Networks-powered high-definition channel, for a few months now, and its offerings at present seem to be a hodgepodge of electronic press kits, recent material from the vaults, stuff that’s shown on MTV’s European outlets, and concerts and movies that are available on DVD. (The movies, it probably should be noted, are interrupted by ads for either the channel itself or local businesses.) Between 3 a.m. and 9 a.m., MHD shows six hours of music videos–which would be great if any of the clips in rotation had come out in 2008, and if there were more than 50 videos in the running for airtime. (I mean, I appreciate the chance to see a three-year-old video by the Click Five now and again, but every day is a bit excessive.) Well, today MTV Networks announced that it would be rebranding the channel and getting more aggressive about actually programming the thing. Behold: Palladia!
Effective September 1, MHD will become Palladia, reflecting the state-of-the-art channel’s rich and varied musical offerings to viewers eager for an immersive, high-definition home entertainment experience. The term Palladia conveys a sense of spectacle — a grand stage, a vast arena and the excitement of live musical performances.
The Palladia name solidifies the channel’s position as the premier music channel in the growing high-def universe. The channel’s additional exclusive programming will also help distribution partners meet consumer demand for music in HD whether it’s on a high-definition tier or on a VOD platform.
“It’s a bigger, more distinct name for a channel that has grown in size as well as satisfaction among music HD fans,” said Tom Calderone, Executive Vice President and General Manager of VH1 who also oversees Palladia. “We’re also reinforcing that the channel is THE home for an increasingly broad range of musical styles and artists in high-def performances that can’t be seen anywhere else. We believe these changes will help our distributor partners as they continue to sell HD and strive for the best content.”
The rebranding will begin with an airing of this year’s Glastonbury highlights on Sept. 1, and continue through the week with other live-music broadcasts like Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, footage from this year’s Rothbury Music Festival, and the HD broadcast premiere of Monterey Pop. (I certainly hope those movies are sans commercial interruption, otherwise the HD flow will be kind of upset.) You’d think that the channel would launch with an HD simulcast of the Video Music Awards, which will take place only a few days after the Sept. 1 launch, but said simulcast isn’t even on the docket–so anyone who wants to see the Jonas Brothers-Tokio Hotel cage match in HD as it happens will have to wait, alas. As long as I see a video from this year in the overnight programming block, though, I won’t mind too much.
MTV Networks’ MHD: Music High-Definition Channel Kicks Into High Gear With New Programming and a New Name - Palladia [PRNewswire via Marketwatch]
Some of the concerts they show on MHD are pretty sweet (The Rock Honors were nice), but do they have to show so much CMT in HD?
As long as it remains my go-to outlet for Trace Adkins’ masterpiece “Swing Batter Batter”, I’ll be fine.
@Hyperion: OH NO NOT THAT TRACE ADKINS SONG NOOOOOOOOO
Wow. Did I just see a mentioning of the Click Five? Whoa! When’s the last time you’ve heard their name come up in a conversation (or heard a Click Five track while shopping in a drug store)? I only watch MHD for the concerts, so I had no idea they were “kicking it old school” like that on the music video tip. Are they playing videos by The Calling as well? What about Lit?
Nice name, except too many people will pronounce it Pal-uh-dee-uh, making it sound like a urethral infection.
[blog.newsok.com]
As long as they don’t screw around with MTVu’s lineup to turn it into a clone of MTV Jams or MTV Hits (I day I shall loathe), i’m ok.
So you’re saying I won’t get to see that John Fogerty concert again?
Great. Now that they’ve turned their attention to this channel, it’s only a matter of time before all the music is gone and it’s just an outlet for crappy reality shows in high definition.
Seriously, where can one go for videos or concert material? Don’t tell me the MTV Hits station counts. What if you want to see soemthing other than tween crap or hip-hop?
I am fascinated by MHD. It’s such a flasjback to MTV’s 80s birth–full of weird animation, concerts by artists people haven’t cared about in years (so much Bon Jovi and DMB), and the occasional surprise, like FNMTV Premiers, which I can’t believe I watch every week now.
I wish the channel would be more daring with its music programming, however. The nightly video block seems to run on an endless loop, cycling the same material over and over again.
Maybe the rebranding will give the channel a shot in the arm. Hopefully, it will stay music-centered rather than become an outlet for ANTM reruns.