What's MTV's actual role in the events organized in Baku?

For the last couple of days lots of local Azerbaijani press sources were spitting out one after another, articles about the hoax, that the "MTV concert" in Baku turned out to be. Some people have been angry about the change of location of the event and blame MTV's regional representative Matt Goldstein, who is in Baku right now. In this article, Goldstein speaks out about the actual envolvement of the MTV with the events being held in Azerbaijani capital.


Matt Goldstein: "As we have said, this event, as is written on all advertisements related to the event, is produced by Music Storm Productions and i.d.e.a. inc., my company. After consulting with MTV, I was told that they thought it would be a good idea if some of the footage from this summer event was included in the show it hopes to do about Azerbaijan, because it showcases Azeri summer tourism potential.  However, when I related to this to Music Storm, tickets were then printed with the phrase 'With the Participation of MTV' in way too large a font, I am assuming for advertising purposes, and I was originally pleased, to be honest, that MTV was getting good press because of this. However, MTV was never meant to be the organizer and producer of the event and I have made several requests subsequently for its name to be removed entirely from any materials relating to the event.

Once again, I represent MTV, but I am not MTV, and thus, even logically I could not produce an MTV event.  Only MTV can do this. I would also like to confirm that MTV has nothing to do with all the other ''MTV'' events being advertised on the Internet in Azerbaijan.

I understand how excited people are for the actual MTV events, but I urge them not to get ahead of themselves, and, if there is any question as to whether anything is an official MTV production, to contact myself or Neil Sharma, Director of Global Events, Emerging Markets, at MTV's offices in London.  MTV's number is listed on its Web site and the operator at MTV can
easily transfer the caller.

What I find to be the strangest phenomenom is that the press here simultaneously doubts my credentials as a representative of MTV and yet lists everything replaces my name with 'MTV' when it speaks about what I am doing. MTV does not work independently in all countries, and I must be allowed to take actions without them being labeled as MTV's actions. I would hope that, as we move along here, the press will start acting differently. I think this will add a lot of legitmacy to the Azeri press in general and make myself, MTV, and the other brands and celebrities I represent more comfortable working with it."


/Today.Az/