26 August, 2008

MTV Arabia - no music videos during Ramadan

Just curious what people think.

MTV to drop music videos during Ramadan

Is this needed?

Also - why is music required to be restricted more than other media - movies, TV, internet - during Ramadan?

Disclaimer - I'm trying to understand, not pick a fight. Thanks.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have no idea but half naked women singing along gangsta rapper should be banned all year long i you want my opinion. And I'm not muslim I just have sensitive hears :)

The other question one could ask himself is "what are they going to show instead?". pimp my ride? punk'd? How to party like a silly bitch? sorry "Hill's girl".

That's going to be much better for the "introspection".

I also would like to extend the question. What is the problem with some Muslims and music?

I've had quite a few people complaining about our waiting and "on hold" music. Most where from Kuwait and Saudi. One went as far as calling it Haram. Why?

(Before you ask the music is quite relax, elevator style soporific kind of stuff.)

Anonymous said...

Ramadan has always been accopmanied by half-naked dancers/singers on TV as part of the programming. I can't remember it to be anything else.

I think it probably has to do with advertising sales and paying royalties to play the songs. In other words, if advertisers are not looking at MTV as a primary spot to advertise in during Ramadan, then they might as well stop broadcasting music that costs them money in royalty fees.

I highly doubt that the people running MTV have all of a sudden found religion.

DXBluey said...

Dubai Entrepreneur - I'm almost certain they don't pay any royalties - there is no collecting agency (like PRS, PPL or MCPS in the UK.

That's changing soon though....

You might be right about the ads (but I'm not convinced by that arguement - yearly deals, media buyers etc)

Anonymous said...

I am certain they pay royalties. As they stated in the articles MTV is a global brand. If they were not paying for what they broadcast in the Middle East. The MPAA would get their balls in US court for copyright infringement.

Some local channel with no international expectation may be able to skip on some of the payment. On the other hand they would have their access to studios barred which mean they wouldn't have access to pro-tape, studio PR piece like singers interview and would have to bootleg them from the internet.

I would believe DE's explanation more easily.

Proud Emirati said...

oh, it does sound stupid to me.

I mean it doesnt make sense. They either ban it all or allow it all. Nevertheless, I appreciate their initiative !

bb, u are so boring. I don't know how are u able to write all this crap all the time !

DXBluey said...

bb - I have 12 years of music business experience and I assure you that there are no collecting agencies in this region. Radio stations, TV, bars, malls etc do not pay for performance royalties. The MPAA is the Motion Picture Assoc of America and has nothing to do with this. You might mean the RIAA which is a US only body and has nothing to do with here.

MTV Arabia is a licensed brand by Arab Media Group and is not a direct MTV office.

Believe what you like - but this is the case.

The Rights Lawyers in Dubai and BKP Music are trying to change this... it will mean some radio stations will disappear...

measuredPR said...

Who watches MTV in Ramadan anyway?

Alexander said...

Bluey - it's something of a puzzle. Muslim (devout) colleagues were puzzled and a little taken aback at the news when I asked them. It just seems totally over the top to them...

Single & Fabulous said...

alexander, it is over the top, this is a first ! It may not make a lot of sense, but to me as a muslim, i'm happy that they are at least doing something compared to other channels ...

* said...

So desert safari stops in ramadan?
Or only the belly dancing?

But the advert/royalty thing is the only reasonable answer, otherwise what about alcohol being served in bars?

Anonymous said...

You're trying to understand? let me break it down for you.

People are stupid, wastes of space, and humanity as a whole is nothing more but a bunch of hypocrites going down the shithole in a very large bus... it's black...

There is no reasoning behind this move. half naked whores singing ganster rap is suspended for one month, yet on ANY other of the Rotana channels, you can see half naked Lebanese whores doing pretty much the same thing.

It's an "accepted" notion that music is almost (ALMOST) haram, BUT if its arabic music, even if you can almost see Haifa Wahbe's hoohaa, it's just a bit more bearable.

That, is allowed, my VERY FEW videos of Dark Tranquility or Iron maiden a week, yeah, thats bad. Videos with actual musicians playing music, suspended, whores strutting their stuff, thats ok... AS LONG AS ITS IN ARABIC.

Thats the bottom line, Arabic whores ok, Any other whores... make muslim fasting sad! boo hoo. DONT TURN ON THE FRIKKIN TV!

Run... run now before we all lose what little bits of our minds we still have left.

Kiwi Boy said...

DXBluey, not playing music videos in Ramadan is not needed at all. A lot of Muslims believe that they have to be really good during Ramadan (it's comparable to the Lent period for Catholics); listening to music and watching music videos is bad therefore it defeats the purpose of being good and so we mustn't do it if we want God to think we're good.
BUT fortunately, for the rest of the year, God isn't looking at us, so we can listen to and watch whatever the hell we want, mistreat laborers, serve alcohol and do all sorts of unislamic things.

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