New York, NY, January 15, 2002 – MuchMusic USA will host its first annual Big Suck Weekend, set to air on January 19 and 20, 2002. The tongue-in-cheek weekend will be filled with attitude and irreverent programs that showcase most of the all-time worst videos and honors the iconic rocumentary series “Behind the Music,” which currently airs on VH1, with animated parodies entitled “Behind the Music that Sucks.”
The Big Suck Weekend will feature:
- Guess Who Sucks – MuchMusic USA will air the results of an interactive show where viewers determine which videos suck and don’t suck via online voting;
- Behind the Music That Sucks – an animated parody based on the “Behind the Music” rocumentary series featured on VH1;
- American Suck Countdown – a parody on Casey Kasem’s American Bandstand countdown and will feature the top twenty worst music videos as determined by the MuchMusic USA viewers.
“MuchMusic USA is creating a very different network from the other music channels with an irreverent style that offers real choice and a stark contrast for viewers of music television,” said Marc Juris, president of Much Music USA. “We reflect the roots of music television with all music all the time, while providing our own imprint with unprecedented viewer control. This tongue-in-cheek programming kicks off what will prove to be a year of fun, bold programming from MuchMusic USA, capturing the essence of our brand in a way that we think resonates with our growing base of viewers.”
Added Juris, “The music industry is wonderfully creative and we thought it was time to use some of our creative energy to poke a little fun at our great television institutions. Programming like VH1’s ‘Behind the Music’ and Casey Kasem’s ‘Top 20 Countdown’ and have helped capture an understanding of the artists and music that have influenced the world. The Big Suck Weekend is a celebration and tribute to these pop culture icons. Our programming will be creative, edgy and comical, but it is done with great respect and admiration. We think the Big Suck Weekend is a tribute to their success. To paraphrase ‘Parody is the sincerest form of flattery.'”
The Big Suck Weekend programming schedule:
Saturday, January 19th:
- 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET – Behind the Music That Sucks, episode #1
- 9:00 PM – 9:30 PM ET – The American Suck Countdown
- 9:30 PM – 10:30 PM ET – Behind the Music That Sucks, episode #2
- 10:30 PM – 11:00 PM ET – Videos that Suck* (results from online voting)
- 11:00 PM – 11:30 PM ET – Videos That Don’t Suck* (results from online voting)
- 11:30 PM ET – the Big Suck programming block will replay from the beginning
Sunday, January 20th:
- 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM ET – Behind the Music That Sucks, episode #1
- 11:00 PM – 11:30 PM ET – The American Suck Countdown
- 11:30 PM – 12:30 PM ET – Behind the Music That Sucks, episode #2
- 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM ET – Videos that Suck* (results from online voting)
Unique on the music television landscape, MuchMusic USA stays true to the viewing audience by giving them control of what is shown on the network through its extensively interactive Web site (www.mmusa.tv) and remains committed to showing all music all the time.
About MuchMusic USA
MuchMusic USA is the nation’s only viewer-driven all music network, featuring music videos and live concerts in an all-music-all-the-time format. The network programming is viewer influenced and generated. On MuchMusic USA, viewers voice their opinions, influence what’s on the air, participate in discovering new music and even create music video programming to air on the network. For more information about MuchMusic USA, please visit our Web site at www.mmusa.tv.
About Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc.
A subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC) and NBC, Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. manages Bravo, The Independent Film Channel, American Movie Classics, We: Women’s Entertainment, MuchMusic USA, Rainbow Sports, News 12 Networks and MetroChannels as well as the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications. In addition, Rainbow is a fifty-percent partner in Fox Sports Net. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (NYSE:MGM) owns a 20 percent stake in four of Rainbow’s national networks – AMC, Bravo, The Independent Film Channel and WE: Women’s Entertainment.
A new series of Cablevision common stock — Rainbow Media Group tracking stock (NYSE:RMG) — began trading on the NYSE on March 30 2001. The assets that comprise Rainbow Media Group tracking stock include: American Movie Classics, Bravo, The Independent Film Channel, WE: Women’s Entertainment, MuchMusic USA, Rainbow’s interest in the national service FOX Sports Net, Rainbow’s five regional sports channels outside of the New York market, and Rainbow Network Communications.