MTV Pulling Plug On Web-Only Version Of 'Headbangers Ball'

MTV.com is pulling the plug on its web-only show "Headbangers Ball", the program's host and producer, Jose Mangin, revealed to Horns Up Rocks!

Jose, who also works as a program director/DJ on SiriusXM Octane and Liquid Metal, says that the decision to end "Headbangers Ball" was not a cost-cutting move. "Right now, it doesn't really cost [MTV] anything, 'cause I do it — I host it, produce it, edit it and do it all myself," he said. "But I guess it's just the odd man out of their lineup."

He continued, "They do a lot of hip hop, and they support that music fully. They used to support rock.

"Some day, somebody will be there and they'll be, like, 'Why aren't we doing something with rock music?' Somebody will some day that. But in the meantime, I've been honored to do it for four years, to be with it, involved with special events, and then since I took it over, producing and doing programming. Just to say those words together in one sentence, or even just by themselves, meant a lot for me, 'cause since I was a little kid, that was my show that introduced me to wanting to bring metal to the masses."

Mangin, who took over as the official "Ball" host in July 2011, is planning to launch a new show called "Hard Attack TV", which he says will be "an extension of 'Headbangers Ball'. . . [It's] just gonna be the same stuff that I'm doing, but I wanna do some more live stuff, maybe do some cool stuff from the 'Man Cave' [Jose's basement-turned-studio], concerts, taco sessions and stuff like that, interviews, get involved and get people involved and maybe get an 800 number and do something cool where I can talk to the fans and just talk to people, whether it's online or just do something cool."

"Headbangers Ball" began on MTV on April 18, 1987, playing heavy metal and hard rock music videos late at night, from both well-known and more obscure artists. The show offered (and became famous because of) a stark contrast to Top 40 music videos shown during the day.

However, with the mainstream rise of alternative rock and rap music in the 1990s, the relevance of "Headbangers Ball" came into question, and the show was ultimately canceled in 1995. Over eight years later, as new genres of heavy metal were gaining a commercial foothold and fan interest became unavoidable, the program was reintroduced on MTV2. It has remained in varying degrees on the network.

Many of the videos that aired on the first incarnation of the series would find a home on the similarly themed "Metal Mania" on sister channel VH1 Classic.