It ain’t MTV and it ain’t PBS... DC’s live source for music and entertainment, Megahertz is a major piece of WNVT and WNVC, some of the country’s hipper member-supported public broadcasting. As the two stations prepare to re-launch as MHz Networks, the Megahertz crew are spending their summer vacation revamping the metro area’s hottest original, local-centric music television, preparing to follow up a season that brought the young program’s number of Emmy nominations up to six.
“What I hear over and over is that this is what MTV was in the beginning,” says Jennifer Ward, MHz Networks underwriting manager. “This is what VH-1 tried to be — until they went commercial. We can’t go commercial, because we’re public.”
That’s a promise that could give goosebumps to even the most jaded music fan. In just over a year, Megahertz — MHz for short — has grown from a weekly half hour of rock to nightly doses of news, happenings, interviews and giveaways based in every major musical genre and then some. MHz’s five-flavors approach showcases a different music style for an hour every weeknight, combining the top choices into a best-of show at the end of the week.
Producing original specials for visiting local bands such as Limp Bizkit, the Cowboy Junkies and Fuel is a small but important part of MHz programming, but the show’s mission to showcase local talent makes it the television equivalent of Unsung Hero, and the two have joined forces to display the best original talent from Baltimore, Annapolis, Philadelphia and DC.
“We like to keep Megahertz local,” says Ward. “The point is, hey, these are guys that are great. They’re in a reasonable driving distance. Check them out. I get the greatest satisfaction out of having bands on that are about to break.”
MHz alumni including Nelly Furtado — the program conducted her second interview — and Good Charlotte joined Jepetto, Jeznick and 51 Peg for an anniversary party attended by 4,000 fans, a giant-scale version of what takes place at MHz studios every night.
“It’s really casual, laid back,” says Ward. “It’s catered. Pretty much every night, a different restaurant donates food. So we don’t charge for tickets — we can’t. We’re a non-profit. So people come by, have some dinner, watch a live band up close and personal. Most of the bands are really great about interacting with the crowd.”
When Megahertz returns live in October, you’ll see a tighter, hotter version of what you’ve come to expect. The five nights’ flavors will remain the same, featuring breaking videos, world premieres, and just-arrived clips. Friday night’s Mix will continue to emphasize weekend planning including live music, movie reviews and clubs & venue profiles.
The most Unsung Hero-esuqe night, Thursday night’s Rock show will increase its emphasis on live local music, featuring fewer videos and longer performances. The live spots, once scattered throughout the show, will now feature a band performing an uninterrupted 20-minute set in the middle of the program.
Megahertz will run live on weeknights on MHz2 (WNVT) from 7-8 p.m. and replay from 11-12 p.m. The show will also run on MHz prime (WNVC). Saturdays, MHz2 will feature a five-hour run of the previous week’s shows.
“Check out MHz,” says Ward. “This is where the next big bands are going to be. You can see them up close & personal and eat for free and hang out with them in the green room.”
For information on tickets, programming and how to land a spot on the show, visit www.MHzTV.org.
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Underwriting MHz
MHz Networks draws its financial support from members — individuals, businesses, foundations.
““I’ve had people tell me they didn’t realize that Megahertz is underwrite-able and sponsor-able, and it is, completely,” says MHz Underwriting Manager Jennifer Ward. “Anybody who wants to get in front of the number-eight audience in the country, anybody who wants to be a part of this breaking music show, they can.”
A broadcast and cable station that will soon be available to regional satellite customers, MHz Networks has a potential viewership of 4.2 million. The station’s audits show that Megahertz consistently draws a half-million original viewers a week, the core of MHz’s that audience falling within the 18-40 demographic that likes music and has the money to spend on it.
“We are audited, and we know what our demographic looks like over eighteen,” says Ward. “We are sitting in the middle of the Tech Corridor and International Crowd. I know from talking to guys when they call in for contests, I know we have a lot of people under 18 that are watching. The prices are pretty darn cheap, as opposed to commercial TV.”
For more information on underwriting MHz programming, contact Jennifer Ward at 703.770.7160, e-mail jward@worldviewtv.org or visit www.MHzTV.org.
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Johnny I
A little coffee, a dim-lit room, a good chair to stare from, and a number of normal people to look through: these are perfect complements to the music of Johnny Ireland.
With the help of underground bands such as Sharkinator, Sukinator, the Fun-Boys, Jorgasm and others, Johnny I put together with his first disc, Welcome to the New Millennium Bloke!, something that’s, in his words, “kind of speedy, fast folk or [just] nervous.”
WNMB’s “Little Babys” brings that sound home. Imagine: all of your friends are from Europe. You’ve known them your whole life, so much so that you’ve become a little like them. You’re not selfish, capitalism doesn’t entice you, soft shoes with tough soles are the most important things in life, and a good meal is a good cup of coffee while you think deep thoughts. You sit down one day, pondering life’s intricacies, and your friends come piling through the room that you forgot was to be the meeting place for a reunion. Smiles all around, and the coffee is left to a chilly demise whilst you greet everyone aggressively. All at once, the meanings of life are not as important as the realization that all you want is the present of your friends’ presence. That’s the heart of Welcome to the New Millennium Bloke!.
One year later, Johnny has released Marble out of his Venusiian Media Studios, LLC, creating another vision to share with the world. He doesn’t write about himself — he writes about the people he looks through with his John Lennon-like glasses; he writes about you. The 44-minute Marble is packed with music that any listener can appreciate, but might only be fully understood by a true musician. A little rapping (as much as a muddled-by-America British accent can rap), a little electric, a little funk, a little dreamy. “The Grey People Part I” returns to the WNMB sound, and Johnny spends the disc wandering between sides of his musical progression.
Since early 1996, Johnny’s been playing publicly in Fairfax, Virginia. His career started in George Mason University, in a basement of a huge building, strumming his acoustic guitar in the shadow of a softly beaming spotlight, eyes closed, just one man and his guitar. In the beginning, Johnny drew mostly heartfelt attention from the small groups that gathered. Since then, his repuation has grown, and he’s often joined by top musicians in the area, including Emmet Swimming’s Todd Watts and members of Smartbomb. John is no longer a secret, but he’s still much of a mystery.
More likely to wax poetic about the state of “blokes” in the world than about the people around the corner, Ireland elevates above conversations rather than participating in them directly. Very few people in corporate rock allow themselves to be fully seen, and only present their musicianship. His personality and music on display, John’s humanity isn’t separate from his persona.
Ask Johnny what he’s doing on any given day, and he’ll answer in some way about working in the studio and/or working on his music. After releasing two discs in two years, he’s passionately at work on a third. Stay tuned for more music from Johnny Ireland and the debut of his full band the Millennimen this Fall.
>> Relevant Info:
www.johnnyireland.com
www.venusiian.com
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