In their halcyon days, MTV and MuchMusic were revered as essential music television outlets that shaped pop culture through creative videos, as well as informing fans of emerging talent.
With both networks having shifted their focus to appeasing a younger demographic by airing more reality TV shows, many music fans and artists alike have cried out for a return to those glory days.
That’s where AUX TV hopes to fill that void when the popular Internet TV channel launches on to the television airwaves Oct. 1, arguably the first network of its kind to make the transition from the web to television.
“Simply put, we’re just trying to program a station for people who love music and music culture,” Aux music director Jeff Rogers tells Metro. “But we’re also about exposing groundbreaking music and groundbreaking talent, particularly homegrown artists.
The brainchild of founder/president Raja Khanna, who also serves as co-CEO of GlassBOX Television, AUX began as an online-only station last November, offering videos and interviews with a plethora of independent talent, some not even signed to a specific label. Khanna and Rogers, a former manager, label owner and A&R head for V2 Records (Moby, Stereophonics), also brainstormed on various original series geared to provide decent interaction between artists, music experts and music fans.
The most popular of these shows, Master Tracks, finds an unsigned band forced to record one of its songs in one whole day — within a professional studio setting.
Also on AUX
Other notable original series on AUX TV include:
Explore Music with Alan Cross: Radio personality and Metro columnist offers his weekly insights in a panel format.
Strange Notes: Alexisonfire front man George Pettit interviews emerging talent.
• For more information on which TV channel to find AUX, visit www.aux.tv
