[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 133 (Thursday, July 29, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E850-E851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF MTV'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 29, 2021

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to 
recognize MTV, on its 40th anniversary for the cultural imprint it has 
left on our country and the work it continues to do as one of the 
world's leading global youth brands. Throughout MTV's 40 years, the 
brand has created reality television, expanded the creative mediums of 
the music industry, and inspired our nation's youth. Today, this New 
York-born and bred brand reaches 180 countries and 1.8 billion people 
around the world.
  In August 1981, MTV exploded onto the airwaves with the release of 
the first-ever music video, ``Video Killed the Radio Star'' by The 
Buggies. Shortly after, MTV began to define popular culture and the 
music industry in an unprecedented manner with popular music becoming 
more visual and dance and clothing styles garnering a greater 
importance to the whole experience of music. MTV's popularity grew to 
such heights that in 1984 it hosted the network's first Video Music 
Awards--known as the VMAs--ceremony at Radio City Music Hall in the 
great city of New York.
  In 1985, MTV began to air safe sex Public Service Announcements 
(PSAs), making it one of the first television networks to do so. These 
safe-sex initiatives continued over the years through MTV's It's Your 
Sex Life campaign and more, helping to educate our nation's youth on 
the importance of safe sex practices. MTV was a pioneer in the nascent 
efforts to ensure our nation's teens and young adults had the knowledge 
to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and 
infections, contributing to lowering the rates of such diseases in the 
following decades.
  Continuing its work in this type of educational programming, in 
February 1992, MTV launched Choose or Lose during the 1992 presidential 
election. The awareness campaign successfully engaged young people by 
demystifying the political process, encouraging registration, stressing 
the importance of voting, and highlighting issues of daily importance 
to Americans. The Choose or Lose campaign contributed to a twenty 
percent increase in youth turnout during the 1992 general election and 
remains a model for encouraging youth voter engagement.
  In 1996, MTV grew Choose or Lose to include a bus that toured 80,000 
miles between forty-eight states to engage even more young

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Americans in the political process and shed light on the issues 
impacting them. During this time, MTV devoted more than 100 hours of 
airtime to policy issues affecting young people. The campaign was 
successful in registering 30,000 new young voters, and when President 
Clinton signed the Voter Registration Act of 1993 into law, he cited 
MTV and Rock the Vote's role in making such a landmark law possible. 
MTV used its voice to promote the bill, educate the public on the bill 
on MTV News, and provide a platform for the bill's sponsors and 
proponents. In addition, MTV provided $20 million worth of airtime for 
Motor Voter PSAs, directing viewers to call their representatives in 
support of the legislation.
  In March 2008, MTV broadcast an hour-long special event that brought 
together presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, John McCain and 
Barack Obama, as well as eight young veterans for an intimate 
discussion on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war.
  MTV also built a coalition of 3,000 partners in 2020 to launch the 
first-ever Vote Early Day. This new civic holiday and day of action 
aims to keep younger Americans informed and assist them in exercising 
their right to vote. Through these actions, MTV has shown the power of 
popular culture in motivating our younger generations to vote by using 
its influence to encourage millions of young people to ``Choose or 
Lose'' and ``Vote Early.''
  In addition to its civic education work, MTV also has a longstanding 
history of mental health advocacy. They were awarded a Peabody Award in 
2007 for their work on mtvU: Half of Us, a multiplatform campaign that 
includes a thorough website and numerous public service spots to help 
college students deal with stress and depression. And earlier this 
year, they launched a new multi-year initiative, ``Mental Health is 
Health,'' which will harness the power of storytelling to destigmatize 
mental health.
  Inspired by the spirit of youth--from escapism to activism--MTV's 
impact has transcended the entertainment industry and pop culture 
reaching audiences and driving social change all around the world.
  I ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing MTV for 
its contributions to society and culture. Happy 40th anniversary, and 
we can't wait to see what the next 40 bring.

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