This is it and MTV

MTV Nabs Michael Jackson’s Last Performance for Syndication

Published by Starr Rhett on Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 11:00 am.

MTV has exclusively bought the U.S. TV rights to air Michael Jackson’s This is It, the posthumous documentary about the King of Pop which chronicles the journey to his final performance. The film did well at the boxoffice and will most likely be of high interest to MTV viewers as well as MJ fans who will watch because of their idol. (I still haven’t seen This is It and probably won’t in the theater, but I’d definitely watch it on MTV—not because I watch the network, but because I’m a MJ fan).
Sister networks like VH1, BET and Palladia will also be permitted to air the film. You know what that means right? Once it goes into syndication we’re probably going to see it ad nauseam. So if you haven’t seen it in the theater, there’s going to come a point where you have no excuse not to have seen it at all. But anyway, the president of MTV Networks Music Group tells The Hollywood Reporter, “The film is a true testament to Michael’s musical genius, passion and commitment to his craft,” said Van Toffler, president of the MTV Networks Music Group. “Michael Jackson has always been inextricably tied to our viewers as they witnessed his evolution from a talented performer to a global icon who redefined music. Now, with this film, we can help give his fans a chance to see his final performance.”
Coincidentally, MTV introduced millions more fans to Michael Jackson as a solo artist when they aired the “Thriller” video in the early 80s. That video paved the way for other Black music acts to get their videos show on the network, which previously did not support hip-hop, pop and R&B. It’s ironic that MTV doesn’t even show music videos anymore but at least they’ll help keep The King of Pop’s legacy alive by airing his final performance. It’s still hard to believe he’s gone but we can all keep our heads up know that he’ll live forever in music, TV, film and our hearts.