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MTV, originally an initialism of Music Television, is an American cable television channel that launched on August 1, 1981 by Warner Communications. It is currently owned by Paramount Global, and is one of the company's flagship brands.
MTV's original focus was on music-related programming, including blocks of music videos. As its viewership and popularity among teenagers grew, and with the eventual rise of internet-based services and platforms rendering its original format obsolete, MTV gradually scaled down its music-centric programming from the 1990s and through the 2000s. Reality shows and documentaries have since made the bulk of MTV's original programming, while the channel has also produced scripted comedies, adult animation, and teen dramas.