Dane McMillan | Staff Writer
What’s the number one television network in music right now? MTV? Their most watched shows are Jersey Shore and Catfish. BET? The only show they have even remotely related to music is 106 & Park. Or maybe VH1? Their shows like Love & Hip-Hop are more about the love (or lack thereof) than the hip-hop. We can all agree that as television networks have gravitated towards reality shows, the basis upon which they were founded are being marred by their desire for ratings. This phenomenon has left a void in the music department as everything has moved to the internet. There is no go-to channel to watch music videos, get news on what’s new and popular, or what the current trends are in the culture as a whole. This is where Diddy comes in.
Last week, Revolt, a new television network, was created to become the new number one name in music television. Sean Combs has created this network as a way to curate the culture of music, new music trends alike, and has even gone as far to say that it will become the ESPN of music. “I want to know, who is Taylor Swift ?” Combs said. “Why is Miley Cyrus twerking ? Why did Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake go on tour? Why did Kanye West call his daughter ‘North’? The industry of music is just as important, or more important, as the industry of sports. Sports are covered in a serious manner and we want to follow in those footsteps.”
Combs has also emphasized the use of social media as a way to communicate with Revolt’s viewers. As a new network, Revolt will be interested in the public’s opinion on their shows, as well as what works and what doesn’t. He is also looking to bring new blood into the business by focusing on hiring, young, ambitious, and talented musicians, hosts and reporters. There is even a section on Revolt’s website where aspiring hosts, reporters, programmers, curators, producers, and writers can submit some of their work for chance to be a part of building the network from the ground up.
Currently, Revolt TV is only offered by Comcast and Time Warner Cable, if you don’t have either of these cable providers, Diddy wants you to tweet at your provider with the hashtag #needrevolt, in order to spread the word about the network and have it reach more viewers.
Having watched the network upon its launch, I can definitely say the future is bright for Revolt. There is a clear void in the music television market as a lot of news, videos, and everything music has transitioned to the internet. Diddy is aware of that and wants to bridge that gap, and it seems like he’s on the right track. “People have made an assumption, because I’m a hip-hop artist and I’m African-American, that I’m going to try to make a second version of BET,” Combs said, “which I’m not.” Let’s hope that he keeps this promise.
