DAR ES SALAAM, Dec. 14 -- THERE was a time, dear reader, when turning on the television and seeing the neon MTV logo flicker in the corner of the screen felt like receiving a personal emotional telegram from someone who understood you better than your own diary.

If you were heartbroken, MTV had a ballad waiting to console you. If you were excited, they blasted something loud enough for your neighbours to wonder whether you were hosting a rave.

And if you were confused, as teenagers universally tend to be, MTV had boybands in matching trousers trained specifically to sing your bewilderment back to you.

But before we get too nostalgic, let us remind ourselves what MTV actually was, or rather, what it meant.

MTV, short for Music Televisi...