On Saturday, August 1, 1981, at 12:01 am eastern, MTV launched with the words "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll”. “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles would be the first video that aired on MTV, followed by “You Better Run” by Pat Benatar. Nearly thirty years later on that same channel, viewers watched in delight and horror as Snooki misplaced her bra in a used pizza box on the hit reality show ‘The Jersey Shore’. In between, the channel gave birth to popular specialty shows such as “120 Minutes” and “Yo! MTV Raps”, as well as the daily interview and video countdown show ‘Total Request Live’.
The MTV Video Music Awards still get handed out annually and the channel continues to focus on youth-oriented pop culture.
Mark Goodman is one of the five original VJs on MTV, along with Nina Blackwood, Martha Quinn, Alan Hunter, & the late J.J, Jackson.
As the station turns 39 on Saturday, Mark Goodman called into the Morning Breeze to talk about how the VJ's felt the moment the station launched, he shares a GREAT story about a Madonna interview he did and he talks about the biggest video debut of all time in 1983.
Listen below!