MTV kick-started a new era of music and pop culture in 1981, when it went on air for the first time, emblematically playing "Video Killed the Radio Star" as its debut music video. More than four ...
Ultimately, video killed the pioneer of music video channels. MTV’s music channels went dark on Wednesday, closing with the clip that introduced the world to the 24-hour station on Aug. 1, 1981 -- ...
At precisely 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2025, MTV Music broadcast "Video Killed the Radio Star" for the final time—the identical track that launched the network at 12:01 a.m. on August 1, 1981.