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VBS.tv

VBS.tv was an online television network owned by Vice Media, and later absorbed into VICE.com. The network produced original, short-form, documentary-style video content under the auspice of VICE Films. Subject matter included humanitarian issues, music, insider travel guides, and news. The creative director of the network was Spike Jonze.[1]

History

Formation

VBS began as a deal between Viacom-owned MTV Networks and Logo Group. In March 2007, the network was formed; MTV funded the formation of the network, and Vice magazine would supply the content. MTV has the right to distribute VBS content across its worldwide network of channels.[2] According to Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi, "traditional journalism always aspires to objectivity, and since day one with the magazine we never believed in that...Our ethos is subjectivity with real substantiation. I don't think you see that on CNN."[3]

Circulation

VBS videos are available via the network's website, as well as being broadcast on MTV Latin America[2] and MTV2.[4] VBS is currently featured as a weekly show on MTV2.[5] VBS.tv content has appeared on CNN as part of their CNN presents line-up, with CNN stating that "... We believe this unique reporting approach is worthy of sharing with our CNN.com readers."[6] Much of it is now available at VICE.com.

Content

The network's videos feature reporting on popular culture, travel, extreme sports, and music.[7] The site has also produced special-interest and current affairs-based shows such as an interview with Hezbollah's self-proclaimed mayor of Beirut and a show that explored allegations of environmental abuse. It has also approached drug issues, producing a documentary about the criminal use of the drug scopolamine in Colombia,[2] a report on cocaine smuggling submarines[8] and a documentary on hallucinogenic frogs in the Amazon rainforest.[9][10] Other coverage includes a series of short documentaries about Darfur, Hurricane Katrina,[3] Liberia, North Korea and suicide in Japan's Aokigahara Forest.[11] The network also produced Heavy Metal in Baghdad, a feature-length documentary film about Acrassicauda. The director of content of the network was Santiago Stelley.[12]

Filmography

External links

References

  1. Vice Music Chooses The Orchard Business Wire. 13 January 2009^
  2. A Guerrilla Video Site Meets MTV The New York Times. 19 November 2007^
  3. [http://archive.wired.com/entertainment/theweb/magazine/15-11/ff_vice?currentPage=all The Snarky Vice Squad Is Ready to Be Taken Seriously. Seriously.] Wired. 18 October 2007^
  4. THE ANTI-CHRIST OF THE INTERNET RETURNS TO MTV2 DigitallyOBSESSED, 15 November 2008^
  5. When Vice is Virtue – Jeff Beer – Feature Creativity Online, 24 March 2009, retrieved 14 April 2012^
  6. CNN.com CNN, retrieved 14 April 2012^
  7. Television for trendsetters The Guardian. 22 October 2007^
  8. Mackey, Robert. "Advances in Narco-Submarine Technology", The New York Times, 6 July 2010^
  9. Simonini, Ross. "A Psychonaut’s Adventures in Videoland", The New York Times, 10 February 2012^
  10. Hoby, Hermione. "Hamilton Morris gets high for a living – and invites you to watch", The Guardian, 1 June 2012^
  11. Oshida, Emily. "The Forest turns Japan's suicide forest into an obstacle course for Americans", The Verge, 8 January 2016^
  12. Derrick, Lisa. "Vice TV: Revolutionary, Bold Pop Culture Explorations", The Huffington Post, 12 November 2009^
  13. Cotroneo, Christian. "Devil's Breath: Scopolamine, AKA Burundanga, Hailed as 'World's Scariest Drug'", The Huffington Post, 3 September 2013^
  14. The Alli Show Debuts with Josh Grant 7 October 2009, retrieved 19 February 2015^