Dave Kendall, Creator of MTV’s 120 Minutes, Dies at 63

Key Points:

• Dave Kendall, creator and original host of MTV's influential alternative music show 120 Minutes, has died at age 63; no cause of death was disclosed.
• Kendall launched 120 Minutes in 1986 and became its host in 1989, helping to spotlight groundbreaking bands like Sonic Youth, Pixies, and Nirvana, including premiering "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in 1991.
• Before his MTV career, Kendall wrote for music publications such as Melody Maker and Spin, and later hosted other music shows including Music Scoupe and Planet Traxx, the latter noted as the first electronica show on commercial radio.
• He transitioned into digital journalism in the mid-1990s, pioneering early online video streaming content, before eventually moving to Thailand to work for the Bangkok Post from 2017 to 2025.
• Fellow host Matt Pinfield praised Kendall for his authentic passion and dedication to alternative music, highlighting his role in giving a platform to artists who shaped a musical era.