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]

Vice Broadcasting System
Type of businessSubsidiary
Type of site
Video hosting service
FoundedMarch 2007
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
OwnerVice
Key peopleSpike Jonze (creative director)
Suroosh Alvi (Vice co-founder)
Shane Smith (Vice co-founder)
AdvertisingVice Media
Current statusMerged

History
Main article: VICE Films

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 rights 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] Online circulation reached over 2.5 million hits in 2008.[6] VBS.tv content has appeared in 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."[7] Much of it is now available at VICE.com.

Content

The network's videos feature reporting on popular culture, travel, extreme sports, and music.[8] 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[9] and a documentary on hallucinogenic frogs in the Amazon rainforest.[10][11] Other coverage includes a series of short documentaries about Darfur, Hurricane Katrina,[3] Liberia, North Korea and suicide in Japan's Aokigahara Forest.[12] 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.[13]

Filmography
TitleFormatProducerChannelYear
Vice Guide to TravelDocumentary film seriesVBS.tvVBS.tv, MTV22006
Colombian Devil's BreathDocumentary filmVBS.tvVBS.tv2007[14]
Balls Deep: Sewers of BogotaDocumentary filmVBS.tvVBS.tv2007
Asses of the CaribbeanDocumentary filmVBS.tvVBS.tv2007
True Norwegian Black MetalDocumentary film seriesVBS.tvVBS.tv2007
Heavy Metal in BaghdadRockumentaryVBS.tvVBS.tv, film festivals2007
Alarma!Documentary featureVBS.tvVBS.tv, film festivals2008
The Alli ShowDocumentary television seriesVBS.tvMTV22009[15]
VBS Meets Watermelon WomanDocumentary filmVBS.tvVBS.tv2009
White Lightnin'Dramatic featureVICE FilmsFilm festivals2009
Aokigahara Suicide ForestDocumentary filmVBS.tvVBS.tv2009[12]
Hamilton's Pharmacopeia: Sapo DiariesDocumentary filmVBS.tvVBS.tv2009
The Vice Guide to EverythingTelevision seriesVBS.tvMTV22010
Interview with a CannibalDocumentary filmVBS.tvVBS.tv2010
Rule BritanniaDocumentary film seriesVBS.tvVBS.tv2010
The RideDocumentary featureVICE FilmsFilm festivals2010
Heimo's Arctic RefugeDocumentary filmVBS.tvVBS.tv2010
The Fourth DimensionThree short filmsVICE FilmsFilm festivals2012
ViceDocumentary televisionHBOHBO2013
Lil Bub & FriendzDocumentary featureVICE FilmsFilm festivals2013
ReincarnatedDocumentary featureVICE FilmsFilm festivals2013

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. 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. VBS TV Crunch Base.
  7. "CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  8. Television for trendsetters The Guardian. 22 October 2007
  9. Mackey, Robert. "Advances in Narco-Submarine Technology", The New York Times, 6 July 2010
  10. Simonini, Ross. "A Psychonaut’s Adventures in Videoland", The New York Times, 10 February 2012
  11. Hoby, Hermione. "Hamilton Morris gets high for a living – and invites you to watch", The Guardian, 1 June 2012
  12. Oshida, Emily. "The Forest turns Japan's suicide forest into an obstacle course for Americans", The Verge, 8 January 2016
  13. Derrick, Lisa. "Vice TV: Revolutionary, Bold Pop Culture Explorations", The Huffington Post, 12 November 2009
  14. Cotroneo, Christian. "Devil's Breath: Scopolamine, AKA Burundanga, Hailed as 'World's Scariest Drug'", The Huffington Post, 3 September 2013
  15. "The Alli Show Debuts with Josh Grant". 7 October 2009. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
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