Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 14, 1994 TAG: 9408060002
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARION DAVIS NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
With concert information, promotional pictures and direct access to the MTV Beach House, the music channel last week made its first appearance on America Online, the Vienna, Va.-based computer network with more than 900,000 members.
MTV Online opened its virtual doors Wednesday, and on Thursday evening Smashing Pumpkins came online live to promote the new service.
Users click their mouse to display a menu under a quirky new MTV logo - the blue M sandwiched between a red phone and a pink-and-yellow keyboard.
The options include information on Lollapalooza, an annual alternative rock festival sponsored by MTV, digitalized photos of MTV personalities and a detailed programing schedule - but no music, at least yet.
Fans can discuss their favorite bands, MTV shows and special events on electronic bulletin boards, putting their comments in ``folders'' that others can read. Or they can ``chat'' live in a special area where more than 20 people can write to one another simultaneously.
They can also ``Yell at MTV'' - send electronic mail to the producers and video jockeys - and have their say on programing and events.
Producers plan to use some of the E-mail and bulletin board postings on TV.
To top it all off, MTV will have ``online jocks'' - which were unfortunately named OJ's before the Simpson fiasco - to chat with fans and bring them updates on events.
``The MTV OJs are a new, superhuman breed of mutants we've dredged out of the gutters, medicated and propped up in front of our TRS-80s [computer terminals] in order to serve you,'' an online welcome explains.
America Online spokeswoman Pam McGraw touted the new service as an exciting addition in which ``MTV is very involved.''
With only a few days' experience, MTV staffers still have technical problems to solve - the downloadable photos aren't compatible with most picture-viewing programs, for example - but the service seems to be going over well.
``I'm kind of impressed, because no one would expect MTV, of all stations, to start something like this for people,'' said Christine, an MTV fan who logs into America Online from East Brunswick, N.J.
by CNB