VH1 to remain retro while wooing younger audience

'You,' 'Song,' 'Obsessed,' 'Nugent' join music net's slate

By DENISE MARTIN

VH1 is continuing its run of pop nostalgia programming while ramping up originals intended to bring in younger viewers.

The music cabler will be offering its own takes on fan-demonium and "Big Brother" as well as bringing one of its cornerstones into the modern pop age: a "Behind the Music" on Britney Spears.

"Virtually everything we're doing has a retro point of view," VH1 entertainment prexy Brian Graden said.

Along with the previously announced 10-seg sequel "I Love the '80s Strikes Back!" (Daily Variety, Aug. 28), the music net has greenlit:

• "This One's For You": Show takes radio shoutouts to an up-close-and-personal level, teaming one viewer with a professional songwriter to redo a song for a special someone. A well-known artist will serenade the "dedicatee" with the custom-made song.

• "Song Stories": Artists and composers get the chance to sound off on the meaning of certain tunes.

• "VH1 Obsessed": Victims of fan-demonium are profiled, including a couple who have redone their home in the style of "The Munsters."

• "Surviving Ted Nugent": A two-hour special in which seven contestants move into the rocker's rural Michigan home and compete -- think hay-baling and tractor-riding -- for $50,000 in cash and prizes.

"VH1 has always had an equity with nostalgia, starting with 'Behind the Music,'" Graden said. "To some degree, that played itself out. We're simply trying to find new voices and ways to do it."

Within the programming unit, VH1 has upped several execs. Michael Hirschorn has been named exec VP of production and programming, and Shelly Tatro was upped to senior vice prexy of production and programming. Additionally, Jim Ackerman was named veep of development, production and programming.

Hirschorn, who joined VH1 in July 2001, will oversee the cabler's franchises including "I Love the '80s," "100 Greatest" and "The Fabulous Life." He previously was editor in chief of Inside.com and Spin magazine.

Tatro, who continues to report to Hirschorn, previously held the title of director, series and specials. Ackerman served as a supervising producer on "The Caroline Rhea Show."

Cabler had its most-watched summer ever, led by the "I Love the '70s" franchise. VH1 is up 33% from a year ago in primetime in the key 18-49 demo.