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YADIRA R. TOLEDO ASST. SPORTS EDITOR YRT722@CABRINI.EDU

The year was 1981. The simple phrase, "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll," came blaring out of television sets, infiltrating Iiving rooms across the nation. Young adults throughout America were introduced to a new and innovative television network. MTV was born.

From its launch, MTV proved to be a very strong driving force behind pop-culture. Its unique style and programming allowed the young network to achieve high levels of popularity, which remained, for the most part, unparalleled throughout the '80s and '90s.

In the beginning, viewers tuned in and stayed glued to the screen as they watched rotations of their favorite music videos. But as the years passed, in an effort to remain hip, MTV changed its style of programming.

Daring and ground-breaking television shows began to appear, replacing air-time that had once been designated for music videos. Television series, such as "The Real World," "Road Rules," "House of Style," "YO! MTV Raps" and "Head Bangers Ball," almost immediately became primary sources of entertainment for young adults in the '90s.

Caitlin Scott, a junior marketing major, said, "I loved MTV during the '90s. I loved videos, but I also liked some of the old school stuff like 'Singled Out.' I especially loved how you could see music videos and television shows."

Presently, MTV airs a wide variety of ever-changing programs ranging from video countdowns to reality and reality-based shows. At least one new show is introduced each season. As of spring 2006, there are well over 15 shows that are projected into the homes and dormitories of young adults everywhere.

Early in the '90s, MTV paved the way for reality televison with two extremely popular television shows, "The Real World" and "Road Rules." ''The Real World" is in its 17th season. Beyond that, the maturing network also runs a number of dating shows targeted at young adults such as, "Date My Mom," "Room Raiders" and "Parental Control."

Over the years, MTV has gone through many changes. From 'House of Style' to the seventeenth season of 'Real World,' viewers and fans have remained loyal.

Chris Sweeney, a sophomore accounting major, said, "When I'm at school, I watch MTV maybe twice a week, but once I go home I watch it every day. I like the 'Real World.' 'There and Back' is a pretty cool show, too. And I can't forget about 'The Andy Milonakis Show' and 'Viva La Barn.' There are just so many good shows."

But the shift from music videos to reality series and dating shows is not always so well-received. Some feel that MTV should go back to its original music video rotations; meanwhile, other young adults could not imagine a life without "The Real World" or "Room Raiders."

Scott explained, "I like MTV. I watch it like twice a week, but I liked it a lot more when I was younger. They actually played music videos; it was about music. I called in all the time to vote for videos. I liked when I could watch 'Total Request Live,' and actually watch the whole video, not just 10 seconds of it."

Though there may always be some sort of dissension about MTV, one thing is certain. In its attempt to serve as a key enter- tainment source for young adults, MTV has unquestionably provided memorable pop-culture moments, such as Madonna's performance of her hit single "Like a Virgin" in the late '80s and her encore performance in 2003 when the pop icon locked lips with two pop princesses, Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears.

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