MTV Networks' MHD: Music High-Definition Channel Kicks Into High Gear With New Programming and a New Name - Palladia

High-Definition Channel Boosts Original Programming With Premieres and Theme Weeks Including September's 'Outdoor Music Week' Featuring 10 Superstar Concert Telecasts


NEW YORK, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV Networks' elite high-definition music channel MHD is upping the ante for HD television viewers with a heavy influx of premier, high-definition music programming and a new name: 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."


Palladia Boosts HD Music Offerings With More Premier Programming

As part of its evolution, the channel is also moving forward with a roster of additional programming exclusive to Palladia that reflects the expanding brand's wide array of music genres.

The channel will premiere a different concert every Saturday at 9:00 p.m.** In addition, Palladia is curating the finest collection of seminal rock movies ever in one place. These movies will air on Palladia every Thursday at 9:00 p.m.

Palladia will also employ themes around programming to heighten awareness about the channel and its offerings. The channel will kick off the first week of September with "Outdoor Music Week," a roster of outdoor music concerts including superstars such as Madonna, Usher, Dave Matthews Band, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, Green Day, Genesis, Jay-Z, Amy Winehouse, Foo Fighters, Kanye West, David Bowie, Snoop Dogg, Sugarland, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dierks Bentley, Hank Williams Jr., Queen, Will Smith, and The Rolling Stones.

Monday, September 1:

"Glastonbury 2008," debuting at 9:00 p.m., is the U.S. television premiere of England's best-known and most anticipated music festivals. Headliners include a controversial performance by Jay-Z, as well as Amy Winehouse, KT Tunstall, Duffy, Panic At The Disco, Vampire Weekend, James Blunt, The Ting Tings and Kings of Leon.

Tuesday, September 2:

"Dave Matthews Band: Live From Piedmont Park" airs at 9:00 p.m., capturing the beloved band last September in Atlanta.

Wednesday, September 3

"Green Day: Bullet In A Bible" airs at 9:00 p.m. Special showcases the band supporting its biggest tour in its career, the Grammy-winning, quadruple-platinum, #1 charting "American Idiot" release. Based on two performances filmed in June 2005 before 65,000 fans at the Milton Keynes National Bowl in England.

"BBC RadioOne Highlights" premieres at 10:30 p.m. featuring the best performances from BBC Radio's outdoor concert series, including Madonna, Usher, Nelly, The Raconteurs, and OneRepublic.

Thursday, September 4

"Dave Chappelle's Block Party" premieres at 9:00 p.m. The gifted and elusive comedian presents a Brooklyn neighborhood with its very own once-in-a-lifetime free block party. In addition to Chappelle, the roster of artists includes Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, the Roots, Cody ChesnuTT, Big Daddy Kane, and -- reunited for their first performance in over seven years -- the Fugees.

The seminal concert film "Monterey Pop" airs at 10:30 p.m. The documentary, telecast in HD for the first time ever, contains memorable performances by Jimi Hendrix, The Who and The Mamas & The Papas.

Friday, September 5

"Rothbury Music Festival 2008": Inaugural western Michigan festival held this past July with Dave Matthews Band, Snoop Dogg, John Mayer, Widespread Panic, Rodrigo & Gabriela and Primus. Premieres at 9:00 p.m.**

Saturday, September 6

"Isle of Wight 2008," shot live at the beautiful remote English location, features The Police, The Sex Pistols, Iggy and The Stooges, Kate Nash and N.E.R.D. and premieres at 9:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 7
"Duran Duran: Live At Wembley Stadium" airs at 9:00 p.m.

"Everest Rocks" airs at 10:00 p.m. with performances by members of such classic bands as The Alarm, Stray Cats and Squeeze from a breathtaking concert on Mount Everest.

Every month, Palladia will offer a special program collection celebrating a different aspect of HD music performance. In addition to September's "Outdoor Music Week," other planned packages include:

"Hip Hop Weekend" on October 4 and 5 with the channel premiere of "Usher: Live Evolution 8701" and encores of "Jay Z: Fade To Black," "Storytellers," starring Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg, "Soulstages" featuring The Roots, Wyclef Jean, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, "Unplugged" with Keyshia Cole, "$2 Bill Presents" with Kanye West and Fat Joe, and "Life & Rhymes" with LL Cool J, Ludacris and 50 Cent.

"Classic Rock Movie Week" airs Monday, November 10 through Sunday, November 16 with first-time-ever HD telecasts of Led Zeppelin's "Song Remains The Same," "Pink Floyd: The Wall" and The Rolling Stones' "Let's Spend The Night Together" as well as channel premieres of "U2: Rattle and Hum" and "Tommy."

The "Best of 2008 Week" on Monday, December 22 through Sunday, December 28 will present the biggest MHD and Palladia premieres of the year as well as MTV Network programs such as MTV's VMAs 2008, VH1 Hip Hop Honors 2008 and CMT Music Awards 2008.

** All times ET/PT.

http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/news/2008/08/mtv_networks_mhd_music_high-definition_channel_kicks_into_high_gear_with_new_programming _and_a_new_name_-_palladia.php

Hopefully a lot more programming will be part of the transition.

I would guess that the new name is also meant to differentiate the channel from the forthcoming MTV-HD.

Also hopefully this corresponds with some actual HD programming on MTV HD and CMT HD...

Those bastards. The best they could come up with was changing an 'N' to an 'A' ????? Why didn't they just call it 'Bat Mastersa', 'Cheyenna' or the Lone Rangea?

That's the problem with the younger generation, just can't come up with anything original. :mad: ;)

______________________________________________________
Palladin

Chance favors the prepared mind

MHD has been a pretty sad excuse for a channel. Maybe this will help.

Last week I tivo'd a block of high def music videos and was surprised they were basically the exact same videos I had watched on the channel 9 months earlier. Nothing new whatsoever.

Those bastards. The best they could come up with was changing an 'N' to an 'A' ????? Why didn't they just call it 'Bat Mastersa', 'Cheyenna' or the Lone Rangea?

That's the problem with the younger generation, just can't come up with anything original. :mad: ;)Ha! You're funny.....

The term Palladia conveys a sense of spectacle -- a grand stage, a vast arena and the excitement of live musical performances.Umm...no it doesn't. It doesn't convey anything. I don't understand why they didn't choose a name that, well, actually does convey to the viewer that the channel has something to do with music...

Umm...no it doesn't. It doesn't convey anything. I don't understand why they didn't choose a name that, well, actually does convey to the viewer that the channel has something to do with music...

Well sure it conveys something. Palladia is the plural of Palladium which is a soft, ductile, steel-white, tarnish-resistant, metallic element occurring naturally with platinum, especially in gold, nickel, and copper ores. Because it can absorb large amounts of hydrogen, it is used as a purification filter for hydrogen and a catalyst in hydrogenation. It is alloyed for use in electric contacts, jewelry, nonmagnetic watch parts, and surgical instruments. Atomic number 46; atomic weight 106.4; melting point 1,552°C; boiling point 3,140°C; specific gravity 12.02 (20°C); valence 2, 3, 4.

So, naturally you will think of music when you see this because um, well, as you can see it....um....:confused:

I thought the ZZ TOP show that was on recently was pretty good myself. :)

I'm sure it has a lot to do with this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palladium_(music_venue)

It actually has a lot to do with music.

Will they still be comercial free?

It actually has a lot to do with music.No.

You might argue that "Palladium" has a lot to do with music (though you'd still be wrong), but "Palladia" still has nothing to do with music and certainly doesn't
convey "a sense of spectacle -- a grand stage, a vast arena and the excitement of live musical performances." If they wanted people to think of the concert halls/niteclubs named "Palladium", why didn't they simply name the channel "Palladium"? (Though it's still a pretty damn obscure reference, IMO).

No.

You might argue that "Palladium" has a lot to do with music (though you'd still be wrong), but "Palladia" still has nothing to do with music and certainly doesn't
convey "a sense of spectacle -- a grand stage, a vast arena and the excitement of live musical performances." If they wanted people to think of the concert halls/niteclubs named "Palladium", why didn't they simply name the channel "Palladium"? (Though it's still a pretty damn obscure reference, IMO).

Did you ever think that Palladium might have some monetary backwash? Like, if you use our name, you have to pay us something? I don't know how old you are, nor do I care, but Palladium has a musical reference to many of us that have some senior age about us.

Palladia = many Palladiums

I don't know how old you are, nor do I care, but Palladium has a musical reference to many of us that have some senior age about us.

Somehow I don't think you're exactly the channel's "target audience".

In any case, the name will mean nothing to most of it's viewers.

No.

You might argue that "Palladium" has a lot to do with music (though you'd still be wrong), but "Palladia" still has nothing to do with music and certainly doesn't
convey "a sense of spectacle -- a grand stage, a vast arena and the excitement of live musical performances." If they wanted people to think of the concert halls/niteclubs named "Palladium", why didn't they simply name the channel "Palladium"? (Though it's still a pretty damn obscure reference, IMO).

Palladium is hardly obscure. Lack of education and knowledge does not make something osbscure.

Nor does realizing that Palladia is the plural form of Palladium, which means they will be going to different venues.

The name is too classy for MTV, actually.

Palladium is hardly obscure. Lack of education and knowledge does not make something osbscure.Are you seriously suggesting that I have a lack of education? You don't know anything about me. (Not to mention you can't even spell "obscure".)

Yes, it's true that lack of knowledge doesn't make something obscure, but by the same token knowledge of a reference doesn't prevent it from being obscure either.

I would be willing to bet that if you picked 100 random people off the street in America and asked them what the term "Palladia" has to do with music, less than 10% would mention the Palladium clubs... To me, that makes it obscure.

good to see more programming will be a focus. I went to Rothbury so I can't wait to see what they show from that.

Hopefully a lot more programming will be part of the transition.


You summed it all up in eleven words. Their entire repertoire has been to replay the same 20 or so Crossroads and Storytellers and Isle of Wight segments over and over and over. Although I'm not a CW fan, I found the LeAnne Rhimes/Josh Stone one to be very good, but if I cared enough to watch it every day, I'd record it and keep it. You can move on to something else now.

And MHD was fine for a name. I bet they paid some marketing firm a truckload of cash to come up with "Palladia" which communicates exactly nothing about the channel.

At least it's still a music channel unlike CMT recently.

At least it's still a music channel unlike CMT recently.

But will it still be that way with the "new identity"? The consistant pattern of the MTV family of stations is to become less and less music oriented over time. Do they even show music on MTV anymore or is it entirely 20-something reality trash? I don't have any idea. I never bother to even check what's on there any more. You notice the word "music" is no longer part of the name of the "new" MHD. I doubt if that's accidental. Just wait until the first episodes of "The Next Low-IQ Tabloid Celebrity" and "Day in the Life of Hulk Hogan and His No-Talent Daughter" show up on Palladia.

Some of those shows from Hip Hop weekend are already played. This channel has so much potential.

as long as "more content" doesn't turn this into MTV (aka E! for kids!), it looks like a positive development.

This channel is worthless, bring back "RAVE".

Not to mention the censorship, and overuse of commercials.

MHD is not worthless, but right now, I have to give the title of "the premier music channel in the growing high-def universe" to HDNet, even though it's only a fraction of HDNet's programming. If Palladia is able to improve on that, great.

This channel is worthless, bring back "RAVE".

Not to mention the censorship, and overuse of commercials.
Amen! Did you notice that Glastonbury is on the schedule?

Maybe they could add "later... with Jules Holland" to their lineup too

I wish they would originate the programming in 5.1. That would add as much as the HD, at least for me.. it is music, after all.

This channel is worthless, bring back "RAVE".

Not to mention the censorship, and overuse of commercials.


As a long-time RAVE viewer, I agree. MHD has been a bust. Way too many program interruptions for commercials and promos (repeated over and over and over).

New material would be great to see, as long as it is commercial-free about which nothing has been said. If they break-up the programming with commercials and promos, they will have done nothing, in my mind, to justify watching them at all.

Even with reruns, RAVE did it right, and HDNet does it right, too.

first-time-ever HD telecasts of Led Zeppelin's "Song Remains The Same," "Pink Floyd: The Wall"

These were on INHD.

Pink Floyd: The Wall has been on HDnet for years.