NEW YORK: The next paradigm shift in instantaneously gauging the popularity of music videos on music TV channels through mobile interactivity is here! Snap polls on the mobile phones will determine which videos will be aired on music channels.

MTV and Virgin Mobile USA have announced the launch of *MTV ( read as "Star-MTV"), a new wireless brand from MTV available to customers in the US.

MTV will premiere a programme called Video Clash - a new interactive series that pits one video of a popular artiste against another. Viewers vote for the videos they wish to see through *MTV by using their mobile phones. The results of the vote are displayed in real-time and the video is aired on the channel within a specified time. Fans of the two "warring video artistes" can send personal messages which will be screened on air while the video is being played.

MTV also provides Virgin Mobile users with mobile "sneak peek" updates on their favorite programmes and MTV.com games, breaking stories from MTV News, video voting, audio postcards from music and TV celebrities to send to friends, Wake-Up Calls, Rescue Rings and more.

Indian telcos and music channels can note this development, and try it here.