Why, Music Choice, Why?

Music Choice’s TV channels, which add a bunch of tightly formatted, commercial/yack-free radio stations to digital-cable packages, are quite popular around our house as a substitute for Phoenix-area radio (which, to no one’s likely surprise, is awful). I’m generally pro-innovation, but Music Choice, I ask: Please leave your digital-music stations alone.

See, on the screen, there’s not much going on while the music plays on R&B Hits or Party Favorites–a background image relating to the station’s theme, an occasional image of the artist being played (which generally doesn’t match up to the era of the song), and a fun fact. Simple, functional, and occasionally comical, which is just fine for me. But now Music Choice has decided to go all New Coke.

Music Choice, the award-winning, multi-platform video and music network, announces the launch of ShowOff(TM), its new interactive programming blocks. Viewers tuning in to Music Choice’s Hit List, Alternative, Today’s Country, Musica Urbana, and Hip-Hop and R&B music channels on Monday thru Friday between the hours of 3pm and 10pm (EST) now have the unique opportunity to “Be on TV” by sending photo and text shout outs via their mobile phone, e-mail, AOL Instant Messenger, and a designated ShowOff web page…

“ShowOff is another example of our commitment to launching products that enhance the viewing experience on our music channels,” says Damon Williams, VP of Programming for Music Choice. “With the addition of interactivity, our viewers are highly engaged with our screen while listening to our Music Choice channels. Everyone has a chance to Be On TV with ShowOff.”

First, is the Music Choice platform really all that popular with the youth of today, who I assume the “shout out” concept is aimed at? On my cable provider, the Music Choice stations are jammed into the 900’s somewhere… is someone in their teens really going to hang out in front of the TV, waiting for the crappy photo they shot with their RAZR to show up on screen? Shouldn’t these kids be busy getting in my way while loitering at the mall or something? I just wanted some fun facts that were slightly more accurate and/or interesting, not Angelica telling Richard she’ll “LUV HIM 4EVER” via text message. That’s exactly what I don’t want, in fact.

The only upside to this really lousy idea is that in some ways some interactivity brings Music Choice one step closer to the glory days of The Box. If they could just play Hammer’s “Pumps and a Bump” every fifteen minutes, the transformation would be complete.

Music Choice Gives Its Viewers a Chance to Be On TV with the Launch of ShowOff(TM) [Marketwatch]