Huntington must decide if it wants MTV

Don’t be surprised if you hear an old marketing saying applied to

Surf City during the next 12 months.

“There’s no such thing as bad press” very well could be a key

argument as city leaders debate whether to allow MTV to come to town

in the summer of 2006.

What the cable music station wants is relatively simple: to set up

a “beach house” studio on an open concrete space near the pier.

Although details are scarce, it is likely the studio would be used

for daily shows and special concerts. MTV has been doing a version of

a summer beach house for a decade.

Where the relatively simple gets tricky is with three letters: M,

T, V. Since first airing in the summer of 1981, the cable station has

trafficked in popular culture (first music videos, now just about

everything but music videos, which air on a MTV2), programming that

has brought with it the expected, accompanying controversy and

outrage. Think the cartoon “Beavis & Butthead” or the show “Jackass.”

Or digest this from an MTV media kit: The station’s primary audience

is kids “at home with nothing to do but sleep late and veg out.”

You probably can understand why some people might not be thrilled

with the proposal, figuring it won’t bring the city the kind of

publicity they think it deserves.

Members of the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitor’s Bureau

are just seeing the upside to the exposure, however. Bureau president

and chief executive Doug Traub estimates the TV air time could be

worth $15 million. And it’s hard to argue that there’s a better way

to “brand” the city, with its new, official “Surf City USA” moniker

to legions of youngsters across the country and even the world.

Doing so during summer seems a perfect fit.

There will be people to convince, make no mistake. Thus far,

happily, those skeptics do not include Police Chief Ken Small, whose

support will be imperative. Small hasn’t jumped aboard the bandwagon,

certainly, but that he is willing to listen and decide if hosting the

house is a manageable task is laudable.

If the music doesn’t get to loud, maybe everyone with an opinion

will be able to do the same.