CMT News

Viacom Music Group president Van Toffler has announced the forthcoming launch of Artists.MTV, a pro-artist music initiative that will arrive publicly this summer. The announcement was made Thursday (March 15) during the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. Artists.MTV will provide both established and emerging artists a digital homestead through which they can have more access to their presence across MTV Music Group screens, including web, mobile and TV. Participating artists will be offered a myriad of opportunities -- provided by MTV, VH1 and CMT and other partners -- to grow their fan base and potentially generate revenue. Toffler also announced a new program, with the working title of Full Frontal, in which artists chosen through a combination of audience and industry sourcing are showcased across the Music Group's various TV channels, including CMT, CMT Pure Country, MTV, VH1, MTV2, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, mtvU, VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul and Palladia, along with all digital properties, including CMT.com, MTV.com, VH1.com, CMT.com, MTVHive.com. Full Frontal will also be launched this summer. Artists.MTV will begin with an "artists only" private beta launch in May, followed by a private beta launch for fans.