MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981.[1] The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs. Slogans such as "I want my MTV" and "MTV is here" became embedded in public thought, the concept of the VJ was popularized, the idea of a dedicated video-based outlet for music was introduced, and both artists and fans found a central location for concert music events, news, and promotion.