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By Randy Wyiaors
There could be no Music Television
without videos and on-air personali
ties who play them and fill in the gaps
with light banter and music news.
Sue Din ford, director of program
ming for Warner Amex, said getting
videos is the easy part, but getting
video jockeys is another story. "We
didnt know what we were looking for,"
she said.
Never before had there been a crea
ture such as the V.J., she said, so find
ing them was basically a hit and miss
process.
"We had more than 4,000 applicants,"
Binford said. "Of the 4,000, we did
actual video- taped auditions of 1 ,500."
The number kept getting smaller and
smaller until the present five VJ.S were
chosen.
J.J. Jackson, the oldest V.J. at 37,
began at WBCN in Boston before mov
ing to KWST and KLOS, both FM sta
tions in Los Angeles.
Like Jackson, 30-year-old Mark Good
man came from a radio background
that included WPLJ-FM in New York
and WMMR-FM in Philadelphia.
Alan Hunter's and Nina Blackwood's
resumes consisted primarily of drama
credentials. Hunter, 26, has been in
volved in various off-Broadway pro
ductions. Blackwood has had her place;
oh the&lg screen; witji roles inthertult
hit "Vice Squad" and Francis Ford
Coppola's "One From The Heart" A
Playboy spread from a few years back
featuring Blackwood (whose age is
somewhere in the late 20s) is quickly
becoming a collector's item.
The youngest V.J. is Martha Quinn,
24. After working at WNYU radio and
an internship as assistant to the music
director at WNBC radio in New York,
she heard about the search for VJ.s
through word of mouth.
Looking for spark
Binford said the one certain quality
that MTV was looking for was "that
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The on-air pereonalitiss cf MTV are (fron left to riht): J J. Jackson, .
illartSia Quikn, Kirv C!ackwood Aim Ilcntcr and Hark Gocdnn. . ... '
spark" and the ability of the VJ.s to be
individuals.
Currently, a search to find a sixth
VJ. who would help alleviate some of
the tremendous V. J. workload is under
way The five VJ.s tape all of the "live"
material for one week of 24-hour days
of programming during afive-day work
week Each day's jock spots are done in
about 45 minutes, with the approxi
mately 13 videos and eight minutes of
commercials for each hour spliced
into the tape later.
While the VJ.s can expect a certain
job longevity period (each is signed to
a three-year contract) a video clip's life
expectancy is hot as assured.
"We get 25 to 30 video clip3 a week,"
Binford said. After the clips are re
ceived free of charge from the record
labels, they go through a Clip Evalua
tion Meeting.
Theprc5ramming department watch
es the clips to determine if it fits the
format (and) the high technical stand
ards," she said.
After it passes the evaluation meet
ing, the clip then must go through a
Music Department Meeting. Binford
estimates that 95 percent of the video3
submitted to MTV are accepted for
eirpby in eonie capacity. .
Just because a clip ms.kc3 the air
docsnt mean it will stay there for long.
Since the rotation hzs to be changed
wcc'.Jy, there is a staff whose cnlyjob to
to gzt on the phone to subscribers, play
bits of the clips and ask questions to
help determine its popularity.
In addition, the stall calls 125 retail
stores, various dance club3 and radio '
stations. Charts are also closely watch
ed to see which songs are popular, Bin
ford said.
VJ.s have 'tij tztf .
How much input do the V.J.s have in
the video playlist?
"They don't sit in on meetings," Bin
ford said, "but they do have a big say."
Some videos have been pulled from
rotation altogether because of their,
content. Van Halen's "Pretty Woman"
which features transvestite-chasing
midgets, and the Rolling Stones' "Neigh
bors" which had strong undertones of
murder and dismemberment are ex
amples. "We are very conscious of our respon
sibility to the cable operators," she
said. "Because MTV is offered in most
nrnno no kneirt 0AmnAA nrA VknvrA x Via
very conscious not to supply them
with a product containing gratuitous
sex or excessive violence."
However, he said, The last thing
we're going to be is censors of artistry."
Eacey or conventional, it is the two
forms of video concept with a story
line or concert with the band doing a
straight lip synchronisation that
has put the punch back into the music
industry. And a big part of that success
is timing on MTVs part.
"There was a feeling in the business
that something needed to happen,"
Binford said. "We struck a nerve and
we continue to strike a nerve."
Binford says that the artists them
selves are "very excited about video
music."
"It provides another outlet . . . they're
thrilled to have the opportunity to
explore another dimension of their
creativity."
fjrtkWS--! trefc'! gV JFv 0
Major Barbara' proves intriguing
The corrosive power of armaments manufacture
is one of the main subjects of an interesting produc
tion of George Bernard Shaw's "Major Barbara,"
directed by William Morgan, the UNL production at
Howell Theatre will play today through Friday at 8
p.m. "
Shaw's Edwardian setting has been moved to the
England of 1926 when continuing high unemploy
ment caused social tensions and the international
arms race was slowly building the momentum that
would lead to World War II topical considera
tions which may have suggested the change of the.
None of this has touched the household of Lady
Britomart Undershaft (Mari Weiss), who is upbraid
ing her son Stephen (Tim Mathes) at the start of the
play. Weiss has assurance as she speaks what are
almost Wildean paradoxes complaining that her.
husband preaches immorality while practicing moral
ity, for example. .
Although Shaw and Wilde may both use the
paradox, the resemblance probably should not be
carried further; Shaw wrote in a review of Wilde's
"Importance of Being Earnest that he Eked to be
instructed as well as entertained, in contrast with
Wilde's "Art for Art's sal;e" philosophy. The Shav
play goer never need fear a shortage of instruction.
As her son Stephen, Mathes is alternately syco
phantic and assertive; Sarah (Jill Ehrisnan) and
her boyfriend Charles Lcir.ax, (Nod Echo c never)
are simply idd.y..The only ens to i.are and curp :3
her mother's strength h f.lrjcr Drfcara hr.;.. .I.
"I thought Darbcxa C'.?t to rr.rJ: r.z'i
brilliant career cfall cfyc u... and v. Hat dozzz h 3 C d?
joins tli 3 tovtHH Arir , LhOrAfeCrrw r"
, The title character b plrycd by Julia Ur;! ?, v.lo b
. cspeci-"y -od m tl.2 chiller r :it cf C:2 pl:y
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Army,
library at Lady Britomart's imitation, after being
announced by the butler Morrison (William Schutz),
whose growing confusion about the family's activi
ties is amusing. His meeting with his daughter Bar
bara is the confrontation of technology and religion;
they make a pact to tour each other's place of busi
ness. He will visit the Salvation Army yard the next
morning, and she will tour his gun factory the next
day, to see who will convert the other. ;
The sets, designed by Thomas Umfrid, are of spe
cial interest; the library is elegantly and diagonally
placed and the West Ham Salvation Army shelter is
splendid, from the great shelter doorway down to
the icicle to the side cf it.
Ccr.tiaaad ca Fane 9
Tub
-"'f"'? y-i th 4ns fi ''V V"-; -;:,..v k y., i
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' Television . -;' -' ;
: Soon NBC might stand for "Naturally Big Casts."
The network's latest ensemble show is "Bay-City
Blues " which makes it's debut at 9 tonight on KMTV,
channel 3. The story revolves around players,
coaches and owners of the Bay City Bluebirds, a
fictional minor league baseball team.
Tonight's installment of "Vietnam: A Television
History" is titled "America Takes Charge: 1C25-J C37.
It w&j during this period that the Johnson Adminis
tration dispatched 1.5 million American soldiers to
fight in Vietnam. The show can be seen at 9 p.m. on
KUON, Channel 12.
Rcdio ;;. " -
KUCV (90.9 'FM) With the successful Beethoven
Bash officially over, KUCV returns to its regular
programming. Tonight, the Lincoln Symphony
Orchestra is featured as part of the Lincoln in Con
cert series. The show will begin at 8 p.m.
"Major Barbara" returns to the stae cf tH
Howell Theatre, 12th and R streets, for its second
week of performances. Hie play will run through
Saturday. Admission b $4' for students, 15 for the
general public.
Arcund Tcrn " "
The Neoelassic J azz Orchestra, one of the finest
cus in Lmcoln playLngjszz music, wl be m ccn
f, 2!S! g . i ?iUS x Ccntrd msh school, cc: o a c t.
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