If Van Toffler has his way, the “M” in MTV may soon stand for “mobile.”
Toffler, who ascended to the presidency of MTV Networks in October, has worked aggressively to move beyond simply selling ringtones and images of the latest hip-hop star. The company’s initial efforts became visible last week with the launch of Verizon Wireless’ VCast, which features downloadable video clips from VH1 and CMT and soon should offer content from several sister channels. “It’s definitely an expansion,” said Toffler of the move to wireless, “but for me, it’s a reflection of the culmination of an old direction. We grew up as a short-form network, and in many ways this is kind of going back to our roots, but for a different platform.”
The first consumer-targeted wireless broadband service in the country, VCast is planning to offer bits from Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” Nickelodeon’s “Dora the Explorer,” and VH1’s “Best Week Ever.” But what interests Toffler is more than just taking TV shows and cramming them onto a wireless phone-it’s re-creating audio and video in way that takes into account both the advantages and the shortcomings of mobile devices.
“I think we’re evolving from a program-centric model to a content-centric one,” Toffler said. “This can’t just be business people figuring out ways to monetize new content. There has to be new, innovative, creative thinking to figure out ways to create content just for this platform.”
A 45-year-old father of two, Toffler joined MTV in 1987 and quickly rose through the ranks. He’s helped develop hit shows like “The Osbournes,” “The Newlyweds” and “Punk’d,” and has produced nearly 20 films through MTV Films and sister firm Paramount Pictures. Late last year, he took over the reigns at MTV Networks from Judy McGrath, adding channels like Spike, CMT and the upcoming Logo to his purview.
In recent weeks, the company has launched a daily joke text-messaging service through Comedy Central, and VH1 has opened a direct-to-consumer mobile content storefront hawking wallpaper and music clips such as “Ringtones’ Most Metal Moments” and “Awesomely Bad Ringtones.” But MTV’s most ambitious effort yet may come in the next few weeks, as noted hip-hop writer/producer Timbaland plans to release an “album” of original ringtones.
Timbaland, who’s produced stars Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and Aaliyah, is re-mixing prerecorded tunes as well as creating ringtones from scratch for the new label. The music is set to be the first release from “Made Hear,” an original ringtone franchise that deals directly with artists to create music exclusively for mobile devices.
Given the apparent demand among younger users for such content, established names that target teens and young adults are wise to move quickly to gain a foothold in the wireless data arena, according to Linda Barrabee, senior analyst with The Yankee Group.
“The youth market is driving a lot of this stuff,” Barrabee said. “At the end of the day, I think these brands in particular don’t want to miss the boat. If they get in early-on, I think they’re going to benefit.” MTV, which is partnering with Zingy Inc. for the label, plans to launch it simultaneously around the world, promoting it online, with its televised networks and through a special MTV button on Virgin Mobile phones.
Timbaland’s new “album” -which is really just a package of ringtones that likely will be sold individually-represents an evolution in the way music is bundled and delivered, Toffler said.
“I think, personally, the consumer is telling the music industry that the album as an art form-the way it was packaged and presented to them-may not be completely over, but it’s definitely in its demise,” he said. “However, there is no less interest in recorded music; I think the interest level is at an all-time high. But people want to get it different ways.”
What’s more, MTV eventually might become more than just a content creator in wireless. As the Tier 1 players consolidate, leaving just a few mega-carriers, a number of mobile virtual network operators such as Virgin, Boost Mobile and ESPN Mobile (which is set to launch later this year) are targeting wireless users based on brands and lifestyles.
If the trend continues, MTV could team with carriers to offer wireless services through a service marketed directly at country listeners, for instance, or aimed at “Real World” fans. Like ESPN, the company could even launch its own service. “Perhaps different carriers will specialize in a different demographic or genre of entertainment,” Toffler said. “The question is, how far along do we take it? We’re exploring all of that.”
