MTV has been a major influence on pop culture for more than 25 years, and Carole Robinson ’83 has been there for nearly its entire lifetime, having joined the cable TV network just three years after its founding in 1981.
In the latest episode of Colgate Conversations, the podcast series that highlights members of the campus community, Robinson talks about the network’s evolution and her current role as executive vice president and chief of staff.
Legions of naysayers had greeted the all-music network when it launched Aug. 1, 1981, with a music video by The Buggles called “Video Killed the Radio Star.”
In the podcast, Robinson recalls those early years, when veejays such as Martha Quinn (who attended Colgate) and Mark Goodman would introduce videos. The early playlists were dominated by Rod Stewart and bands like Duran Duran.
As MTV’s presence grew, network officials became aware of its cultural influence when teenagers in Midwestern malls started sporting haircuts mimicking Flock of Seagulls and other “wacky hair” bands.
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| Carole Robinson graduated from Colgate with a degree in English. |
MTV is sometimes criticized for this influence on teens, and Robinson talks about how the network realizes that it will be controversial as it strives to stay relevant to its core demographic of 18-to 24-year-olds.
“We put things out there and we fully expect to get both vilified and praised for them. We’ve been credited with bringing down civilization at any given time in our history. We get that, that’s sort of the place we have in the pop-culture dynamic,” she says.
Robinson, though, talks about the network’s key role in energizing young people and getting them involved in politics and numerous campaigns that run from AIDS prevention in Africa to human rights to the environment.
“We do a lot of things that are forces for good,” she says.
In the podcast, she also touches on the symbiotic relationship the network has had with Madonna, the milestone appearance by then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton, and the emergence of reality shows that the network pioneered with The Real World.
To listen to the complete podcast, please click to listen now or right-click and “save target as” to download file. You also can go to the Colgate Conversations page or iTunes page for more download options.