What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments. And British acts played a key part in its success. The opening video was the aptly named Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles.
The playlist also included The Who, Rod Stewart and Cliff Richard. But it was almost over for the channel before 1981 was out.
It burned through its start-up cash and most of the young staff had little or no TV experience, working out of cramped rooms above a deli in midtown Manhattan.
One of the founders, Tom Freston, who would go on to become the boss of US media giant Viacom, says: “We were lean and mean and didn’t know what the hell we were doing.
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