Industrialist Anand Mahindra shared an emotional tribute to MTV following news of the iconic music TV channel’s closure, reflecting on its cultural impact and the way it has shaped generations of viewers around the world.
Anand Mahindra bids farewell to MTV
In a post on X, the Mahindra Group chairman spoke about MTV’s importance to those who grew up in the early years, describing the channel as a defining force in how music is experienced and understood.
He wrote: “The end of MTV hits differently for Baby Boomers like me. When it started in 1981, it changed the way we heard and saw music. It shaped tastes, icons and the sense of what was cool. I think it deserves a final refrain from Sting: ‘I want my MTV (sic).”
His comments struck a chord with many online users, especially those who came of age during the 1980s and 1990s when MTV was the center of global pop culture.
More about MTV
MTV, which first began airing in the United States in August 1981, revolutionized the music industry by placing visuals at the center of how songs were consumed. Its beginnings were marked by a constant rotation of music videos that made artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince and Duran Duran global icons and redefined celebrity culture.
For Indian audiences, MTV arrived later but left an equally lasting impression. Launched in the mid-1990s, MTV India quickly became a staple of the city’s youth, showcasing international pop and rock alongside domestic acts. The channel also helped popularize VJs, youth-oriented programming, and a distinctive visual language that influenced fashion, advertising, and television more widely.
MTV’s final sign-off in several regions
Recent controversy surrounding MTV has been sparked by the closure of a number of its music channels by the end of 2025. Reports from People.com and Rolling Stone reported that MTV was shutting down several specialty channels on December 31 in regions including the United Kingdom, parts of Europe, Australia and Brazil.
Channels broadcast included MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV and MTV Live. In a nod to its own history, MTV Music played The Buggles’ Video Killed the Radio Star – the same song that marked the network’s US debut in 1981 – as the closing video, underscoring the extent of the changes the brand has seen in more than four decades.
MTV evolved, not died
While online posts suggested that MTV had shut down completely, industry reports clarified that this is not the case. Variety noted that the shutdown only affected some international linear music channels, not the main MTV network. MTV’s flagship channels in the UK and US continue to air.
BBC News added that in regions where only music channels were shut down, viewers are now met with static screens directing them to MTV’s main channel and its digital platforms, reflecting the network’s wider shift in the way audiences consume music and entertainment.
