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50-580: The company was founded in Berlin's Kreuzberg district in 2000. VeriSign was a successful internet security company that had a series of product lines that connected mobile network companies' text message networks together securely, processing about 3 billion per day in 2004. VeriSign CEO Stratton Sclavos recognised that with VoIP products developing, the revenues could decrease, and so he hired Vernon Irvin as Executive Vice President and General Manager of VeriSign's Communications Services division to solve

100-484: A German-language music channel could prevail against MTV. Undeterred by this, Time Warner executives Tom McGrath and Peter Bogner, along with their competitors Sony, PolyGram and EMI Music, and media executive Michael Oplesch (VIVA GF, MTV GF, MME GF), founded producer Rudi Dolezal and Hannes Rossacher, the founders of the TV production company Me, Myself & Eye (MME), Christoph Post, Jörg A. Hoppe and Marcus O. Rosenmüller, and

150-554: A deal with Kevin Liles , President of Warner Music Group , to provide mobile consumers with early access to hip-hop artist Mike Jones' debut album " Who Is Mike Jones? " —in return, Jones created the first artist-endorsed Jamster ring-tone advertisement in the US. When "Who is Mike Jones" was released it debuted among the top 5 albums on the Billboard charts and went on to sell over

200-548: A group of record labels that included its very own Warner Music , EMI Music, Polygram Records and Sony Television along with Frank Otto, Apax Partners , and Austrian producers Rudi Dolezal and Hannes Rossacher of DoRo Productions. In a concept paper of Time Warner, Peter Bogner analyzed MTV's market position as vulnerable, and "while MTV is betting on a diet of pure Anglo-American video clips, VIVA should broadcast at least 40% more German music." VIVA started broadcasting on December 1, 1993 as Germany's second music channel, after

250-607: A million copies. The Crazy Frog ringtone did the same in Europe. Jamba/Jamster boomed—when VeriSign bought the business it had a turnover of $ 15 million per quarter and 3 quarters later this increased to $ 150 million a quarter—in 2005 the company made close to $ 600 million in revenue . VeriSign expanded Jamba/Jamster by the acquisitions of UNC-Embratel and Unimobile. Jamster also added to its revenues by adding "impulse purchasing"—when you downloaded one ringtone, you were offered others. This turned into interactive advertising, for which

300-437: A music video channel, sought to differentiate itself from MTV not just by having a German-speaking voice, but by speaking directly to the differences in pop culture between Germany and the anglophone MTV. Before launching the channel, the labels offered to fund MTV in a German-speaking version but were rejected by MTV management at the time, as it espoused a "one world, one language" programming philosophy (at least in Europe, as

350-595: A new content distribution platform which also integrated with the internet, which was both secure and auditable—now all they needed was the content. VeriSign relocated Jamba's HQ Office to prestige premises in the Dom Aquarée building near Alexanderplatz in the centre of Berlin. In 2005 Jamba started doing business in China. While Irvin sourced content, Jamba became Jamster in the United States. Irvin struck

400-566: A result, housing was of low quality, but cheap, which made the borough greatly attractive to immigrants. Starting in the late 1960s, increasing numbers of students, artists, and immigrants began moving to Kreuzberg. Enclosed by the Berlin Wall on three sides, the area became famous for its alternative lifestyle and its squatters , especially the SO36 part of Kreuzberg. Starting in 1987, there have been violent riots in SO36 on Labour day. After

450-656: Is a district of Berlin , Germany. It is part of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte . During the Cold War era, it was one of the poorest areas of West Berlin , but since German reunification in 1990, it has become more gentrified and is known for its arts scene. The borough is known for its large percentage of immigrants and descendants of immigrants, many of whom are of Turkish ancestry . As of 2006, 31.6% of Kreuzberg's inhabitants does not have German citizenship. Kreuzberg

500-479: Is known for its diverse cultural life and experimental alternative lifestyles, and is an attractive area for many. However, some parts of the district are still characterized by higher levels of unemployment. Kreuzberg is bounded by the river Spree in the east. The Landwehrkanal flows through Kreuzberg from east to west, with the Paul-Lincke-Ufer street running alongside it. Other characteristics are

550-683: Is the point of the highest elevation in the Kreuzberg locality, which is 66 m (217 ft) above sea level. The hill is traditionally a place for weekend trips. It received its name from the 1821 Prussian National Monument for the Liberation Wars by Karl Friedrich Schinkel within the Viktoriapark , built in commemoration of the Napoleonic Wars . Except for its northernmost part—the quarter Friedrichstadt (established at

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600-564: The Comet . During the 2003 award ceremonies, VIVA openly expressed an anti- Iraq War view. The awards were last held in 2011. The 2012 awards ceremony was cancelled as Viacom wanted to focus more on the MTV Europe Music Awards instead. In 2013, it was cancelled again. Although the awards were never officially canceled altogether, they weren't held ever since. After MTV introduced a German-language version of itself in 1997,

650-528: The Hobrecht-Plan in an area that came to be known architecturally as the Wilhelmine Ring . Far into the 20th century, Kreuzberg was the most populous of Berlin's boroughs even in absolute numbers, with more than 400,000 people, although it was and still is geographically the smallest. As a result, with more than 60,000 people per square kilometer (160,000 people/sq mi), Kreuzberg had

700-514: The SMS code needed to cancel all subscriptions. Jamba! advertised aggressively on youth-oriented channels such as MTV and German VIVA . In 2004, it spent €90 million on television advertising in Germany alone. In Jamba! countries in Europe, it was not uncommon to see a multitude of the same Jamba! commercials on television in the same commercial break. An online petition in Germany protesting against

750-767: The American bombing by over a thousand aircraft on 3 February 1945. In remembrance of the old tradition, the Axel Springer press company erected its German headquarters at Kochstraße again, right next to the Berlin Wall . In July 1945, most of the then district was assigned to the American Sector. After the Berlin Wall was built, the most important transit location to East Berlin was Checkpoint Charlie . After World War II, Kreuzberg's housing rents were regulated by law which made investments unattractive. As

800-492: The Latin American channels used Spanish and Portuguese). On 21 March 1995, a second channel, Viva Zwei ("VIVA Two"), was created, initially a channel for classic music videos which later focused on lesser known and more independently produced music , mostly indie , alternative rock , metal , electronic music and alternative hip hop . However, Viva Zwei was not financially successful, and on 7 January 2002, it

850-486: The UK and Ireland ceased broadcast earlier in the year. Shortly after, the channel aired end-of-broadcast shows, featuring several music artists, former hosts and other celebrities (including DJ BoBo , Loona , Alex Christensen , Udo Lindenberg and Oliver Pocher ) saying their goodbyes. After the end-of-broadcast specials concluded, the channel aired the music video of "Zu geil für diese Welt" by Die Fantastischen Vier (which

900-556: The United Kingdom. In June 2018, Viacom announced that it would shut down all VIVA operations worldwide at the end of that year. The channel ceased to broadcast at 14:00 on 31 December 2018, being replaced by Comedy Central . The concept behind VIVA originated in 1992, when major record labels were frustrated by MTV Europe 's decision to program mostly English-language music videos to the Germanophone markets, in what

950-484: The advertising-relevant target group. VIVA became an immediate success with the audience, while ultimately providing German artists with a music channel that could expose their music to the German audience. With Dieter Gorny eventually as its second managing director on board, VIVA applied for cable carriage licenses in the various German states. DoRo Productions designed the original programming format which while clearly

1000-404: The competition between the two stations increased. VIVA was widely perceived as the more mainstream-oriented channel for younger viewers, while MTV Germany was directed at youths and young adults with some edgier programming. In 2003, VIVA received bad press after it was discovered that it had given Universal Music an unfair advantage in the placement of their music videos. On June 24, 2004, VIVA

1050-418: The end of the 17th century)—today's Kreuzberg was a very rural place until well into the 19th century. This changed when, in the 1860s, industrialization caused Berlin to grow rapidly. This called for extensive housing—much of which was built exploiting the dire needs of the poor, with widespread land speculation. Many of Kreuzberg's buildings originate from that time. They were built on the streets laid out in

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1100-495: The epicenter of LGBTQ life and arts in Berlin. Kreuzberg is home to the Schwules Museum , established in the 1980s and dedicated to preserving, exhibiting, and discovering queer history, art, and culture. Viva (TV station) Viva (stylized VIVA, but not an acronym according to program director Dieter Gorny ) was a German free-to-air music television channel , first broadcast on December 1, 1993. The channel

1150-439: The fall of the Berlin Wall, Kreuzberg suddenly found itself in the middle of the city again. The initially cheap rents and the high concentration of 19th-century housing made some parts of the borough more attractive as a residential area for a much wider (and richer) variety of people. Today, Kreuzberg has one of the youngest populations of all European city boroughs; statistically, its population has been completely swapped twice in

1200-416: The finest new-wave venues in the world. There has also been a significant influence stemming from African-American and hip hop culture on Kreuzberg's youth and the area has become a centre for rap and breakdance within Berlin. Though the majority of Kreuzberg's residents are of German or Turkish descent , some identify more with (African-)American or other cultures. Hip hop was largely introduced to

1250-639: The firm's advertising practices drew some 200,000 signatures. In late September 2006 television channels MTV , ProSieben , RTL II and Viva cited ethics concerns over refusing to air Jamba's advertisement for a Hitler themed SMS-downloadable cartoon titled "Der Bonker". Illustrator Walter Moers 's short film depicts Hitler in toilet humour scenes with his dog Blondi and three German uniformed rubber ducks. The work had earned criticism from some Jewish memorial groups and politicians, while garnering praise from others. Kreuzberg Kreuzberg ( German pronunciation: [ˈkʁɔʏtsbɛʁk] )

1300-691: The first channel, musicbox , became Tele 5 in 1988 and its lineup, which was initially dominated by music, was gradually reduced. VIVA advanced to fill this gap. The broadcasting studio was located in the rented rooms of Bertelsmann's VOX studios in Cologne-Ossendorf. Originally, VIVA was started by the media giant Time Warner to boost the German business of its company Warner Music Group. The Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) declined an invitation to take part in VIVA because they feared possible reprisals from their competitor MTV Europe and were not convinced that

1350-483: The highest population density in Berlin. Kreuzberg became a district of migration during the late 19th century when Berlin began growing rapidly as an economic and cultural hub. Before World War II, it was home to a diverse population, with a large portion of the population being Ashkenazi Jews . Central to Kreuzberg Jewish life was the Fraenkelufer Synagogue , with a capacity of 2,000. This synagogue

1400-532: The incorporation of suburbs and the reorganisation of Berlin into twenty boroughs. The eastern Friedrichsvorstadt, the southern Friedrichstadt , the western and southern Luisenstadt , and the Tempelhofer Vorstadt were merged into the new sixth borough of Berlin, first named Hallesches Tor . On 27 September 1921, the borough assembly of Hallesches Tor decided to rename the borough after the homonymous hill . Kreuzberg, literally meaning 'cross hill',

1450-533: The last two decades. Berlin's 2001 administrative reform combined Kreuzberg with Friedrichshain to form the new borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg . Since the two areas are linked only by a single bridge over the Spree River, the Oberbaumbrücke , this combination seemed awkward to many residents. The two areas not being able to agree on a common location for the future borough's city hall,

1500-598: The media lawyer Helge Sasse the Viva Medien GmbH. The first VJs included the moderators Stefan Raab and Heike Makatsch, who were still unknown at the time. After their time at VIVA, they rose to become successful film and television personalities in Germany. From its beginning, the channel broadcast from Cologne. The studios were in Cologne-Mülheim for most years, in the same building as Brainpool. The first (and subsequently last in 2018) music video played

1550-399: The mobile owner was charged, sometimes unknowingly. This created controversy in Europe, and was quickly withdrawn. Later developments included a collaboration with L'Oréal encouraging users to send in photos to find 'America's next supermodel' and promoting VeriSign Back-Up as a mechanism to re-download music tracks a customer had previously bought to a different mobile phone, for example if

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1600-443: The mobile services company to Jesta Digital . Jamba! had drawn criticism for allegedly misleading customers in its service advertisements . In general, Jamba! services were sold as a subscription, despite advertising that seems to imply that customers are buying a one-off phone ringtone . The company drew criticism for making it difficult to unsubscribe; for example, during December 2005, Jamba!'s German website FAQ did not mention

1650-541: The murdered Jews who lived in the area. In addition to housing, Kreuzberg was also an industrial center of Berlin. The "export quarter" along Ritter Street consisted of many profitable small businesses, and the "press quarter" along Koch Street ( Friedrichstadt ) was the home of most of Germany's large newspapers, as well as the Ullstein , Scherl , and Mosse book publishers. Both industrial quarters were almost entirely destroyed by air raids during World War II , with

1700-592: The new owners had outlined that, with four channels under their helm, they were going to "offer a greater variety of content for a wider public and a larger range of tastes" while still promising to continue the "strong national and cultural identity" of the channel, Viacom introduced a programming scheme that allowed the station to be run by just 40 people, making many previous employees redundant. The studios and headquarters in Cologne were closed in March 2005 (Viacom became

1750-587: The old U-Bahn line of the present-day U1, Görlitzer Park in the SO36 district, and Viktoriapark on the slope of Kreuzberg hill in SW 61 . Kreuzberg is divided into 2 zones ( Ortslagen ): In contrast to many other areas of Berlin, which were villages before their integration into Berlin, Kreuzberg has a rather short history. It was formed on 1 October 1920 by the Greater Berlin Act , which provided for

1800-503: The present location in Friedrichshain was decided by flipping a five- Mark coin. Kreuzberg has historically been home to Berlin's punk rock movement as well as other alternative subcultures in Germany. The SO36 club remains a fixture on the Berlin music scene. It was originally focused on punk music and in the 1970s was often frequented by Iggy Pop and David Bowie . In those days, the club rivalled New York's CBGB as one of

1850-677: The previous phone was stolen, broken or lost. On 12 September 2006 News Corporation announced it would pay approximately $ 188 million for 51% shares in Jamba! and would combine it with Fox Mobile Entertainment assets, such as Mobizzo , with Lucy Hood , formerly President of Fox Mobile Entertainment, becoming CEO of the joint venture. On 23 October 2006 it was announced that Vernon Irvin would join XM Satellite Radio as Chief Marketing Officer. In late December 2010, Jesta Group acquired Fox Mobile Group from News Corp. Jesta Group renamed

1900-510: The problem. Irvin saw good but technical and expensive products, but saw the volumes of exchange over the system as the solution. In late 2004 under Irvin's direction, VeriSign bought Jamba for $ 270 million. Jamba at the time built mobile applications, games, ringtones and wallpapers, and was also in over 40 countries worldwide. The VeriSign team had recognised that there were twice as many mobile phones as there were computers, which also had built-in computer technology. Effectively, VeriSign now had

1950-561: The sole owner of the former VIVA Media properties in January), and from then on VIVA broadcast from the same studios as MTV Germany in Berlin. From January 2011, under a major shakeup at MTV Networks Germany, VIVA continued to be part of MTV Networks Germany's free-to-air package, and the channel became the main music and entertainment brand within Germany. VIVA was complemented by its sister channels MTV Germany and MTV Brand New , which then became paid TV, although in late 2017 MTV Germany

2000-582: The youth of Kreuzberg by the children of American servicemen who were stationed nearby until the reunification of Germany . The art collective Berlin Kidz who are known for their pichação influenced graffiti , parkour , and train surfing are from the Kreuzberg area. The Carnival of Cultures , a large annual festival, celebrates different cultures and heritages with colourful street parades and festivities including street entertainment, food, arts and craft stalls, music, and art. Kreuzberg has long been

2050-417: Was "Zu geil für diese Welt" (Too Awesome for This World). The channel's profile was largely defined by Rudi Dolezal and Hannes Rossacher (DoRo production). In 1994, market leadership was achieved for the first time (according to their own statements). After MTV re-entered free TV, VIVA temporarily lost the upper hand. From the middle of 2004, however, VIVA was again slightly in the lead in terms of viewership in

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2100-462: Was acquired (for the sum of €310 million) by Viacom International , which also owns MTV, thus ending the VIVA-MTV rivalry and fostering cooperation instead. After the acquisition of VIVA by Viacom, MTV Germany shifted to mostly broadcasting reality and comedy shows. VIVA became the music channel with chart shows and other similar programs which were mostly directed at a mainstream audience. Although

2150-483: Was also the first music video that was aired back in 1993) and then faded to a black screen featuring the old 2002-2004 VIVA logo with the words "Rest In Peace" and "1993-2018" below. Shortly after, the channel faded to dark, followed by the startup of Comedy Central, officially ending 25 years of broadcast. However, the broadcast was unintentionally "extended"; in the first seconds of the Comedy Central broadcast,

2200-458: Was available via IPTV from Deutsche Telekom . On January 1, 2012, VIVA shut down its analog signal from Astra 19,2º East. In June 2018, Viacom announced its decision to discontinue VIVA at the end of the year. Viacom general manager Mark Specht said in an interview that the channel is profitable, but that Viacom wants to focus on its three core brands, MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon , as it sees bigger growth opportunities there. The slot

2250-462: Was destroyed during Kristallnacht , as were numerous Jewish businesses and property. The vast majority of Kreuzberg's Jews were deported to their deaths between 1942 and 1944 by the Nazis during The Holocaust , and their houses and businesses were seized and given to ethnic Germans. The Jewish Museum Berlin stands in Kreuzberg, and many Stolpersteine can be seen on Kreuzberg streets, commemorating

2300-473: Was filled by Comedy Central , which had already shared its slot with VIVA since 2014 and was to become a 24-hour channel. Comedy Central had so far been broadcast only during evening and night hours, while VIVA was broadcast at daytime. On 31 December 2018 at 14:00 CET , the channel aired its final music video, " Viva Forever ", by the Spice Girls , which had also been aired when the sister channel in

2350-795: Was intended to compete against MTV Europe and was the sole German-language music TV channel after the closure of musicbox in 1988, while MTV was only broadcast in English until the introduction of MTV Germany in 1997. It was also supposed to focus more on German music and pop culture while MTV only broadcast anglophone music by artists primarily from North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia. After years of competition for audience share, MTV Networks Europe eventually acquired VIVA on January 14, 2005, after it had exhausted its own efforts for superior ratings. MTV operated VIVA channels in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Switzerland and

2400-478: Was perceived as its refusal to play major German-speaking artists. Executives at US media giant Time Warner, keen on increasing their market share of its music repertoire and business in Germany, planned the new TV station in 1992. Eventually, they recruited DoRo Productions , producers of music videos for notable acts such as Queen , The Rolling Stones , David Bowie , in the design of the music channel. Time Warner executives Tom McGrath and Peter Bogner assembled

2450-452: Was replaced by VIVA Plus , a channel dedicated purely to pop and mainstream music for a younger target audience. Nonetheless, some Viva Zwei formats managed to continue on Viva Plus for some time, and Fast Forward was even included in the main channel's program. VIVA Plus itself was discontinued on 14 January 2007 and got replaced by Comedy Central Deutschland the next day. Since 1995, VIVA held an annual pop music award ceremony known as

2500-453: Was returned to free TV. VIVA Germany received a new look and on-air branding on 1 January 2011. The new look of VIVA joined the four triangles of the new logo into one triangle, putting the angle of VIVA into one heart. Starting 22 March 2011, VIVA broadcast only in 16:9 . Programs produced in 4:3 were cropped to 14:9 and black bars were added left and right. VIVA HD Germany , a simulcast in 1080i high-definition, launched on 16 May 2011. It

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