Writing a New Chapter for MTV: Scripted Shows

Not so long ago, reality programs featuring wealthy teens and twenty-somethings — shows like “The Hills” and “Laguna Beach,” both set in affluent California communities — were garnering strong ratings for MTV. By the time Stephen Friedman became the network’s president in 2008, however, viewer tastes were beginning to change. In particular, the 43-year-old Friedman found that these programs simply weren’t resonating with so-called millennials, the generation of Americans born between 1980 and 2000.

With under-30 viewers turning away from reality shows with their emphasis on self-indulgent young lives, the network names Chris Linn and David Janollari to develop more scripted shows.MTV Networks, signaling a shift in deemphasizing the reality shows that long have been a staple of the cable channel, restructured its programming department and put two executives in charge of broadening its schedule to appeal to younger viewers.

GATINEAU, Que. — Sun News Network, the conservative-minded upstart that vowed to shake up the media landscape when it launched two years ago, made its pitch Tuesday to the federal broadcast regulator for a guaranteed spot on the dial. The Quebecor-owned network is seeking what is known as mandatory carriage from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, which would require the channel to be included in every basic cable and satellite package across Canada.

G4 is being rebranded as the Esquire Network in a deal between NBCUniversal and Heart Magazines. The former home of "Attack of the Show" will continue to focus on technology and gaming but will expand to cover "entertainment, food, fashion, women, humor, travel, competition, danger and more," according to a news release.

The scripted series, which focuses on a teenage boy with an anatomical 'gift,' marks the network's break from reality fare. Can a well-endowed teen make MTV hot again?