His favourite music videos include Joy Division’s Atmosphere and Tall Dwarfs’ Turning Brown and Torn in Two. And Brent Hansen has seen a lot of music videos. From producing famously eclectic Kiwi music show Radio with Pictures to rising up through the ranks to become head of MTV Europe, Brent Hansen has been a major player in putting music on screen.

In this ScreenTalk interview, the life-long music fan and ideas man talks about:

- First being invited to work as a floor assistant for television, while studying to be a teacher in Christchurch

- What made long-running Sunday night music show Radio with Pictures so special

- How RWP host Karyn Hay was “singularly independent and the first real New Zealand television presenter”

- How an O.E. with his wife Philippa Dann timed in with the European launch of music channel MTV, and revolutionary change in the way music was showcased on screen
 
- Making sure the MTV playlists mixed mainstream acts like Madonna and more alternative artists like The Cramps

- Early days at MTV Europe, and rising through the ranks to become Creative President and Editor-in-Chief of MTV International
 
- His achievements at MTV, including launching the MTV Europe Music awards, and enabling the channel to operate on a more regional basis

- Where he sees music television going in an age where music has been tribalised and devalued

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence.

NZ On Screen: Direction and Interview – Ian Pryor. Camera and Editing – Alex Backhouse.