Here's What MTV VJ Legend Kurt Loder Is Doing Now
Updated May 5 2020, 8:23 p.m. ET
Remember back in the day we used to watch music videos on MTV? It's where we learned about new bands, got our music news, and watched live performances (RIP MTV Unplugged!) Today, on former MTV VJ Kurt Loder's 75th birthday, the internet is feeling especially nostalgic for our go-to music source. While we know what MTV looks like now (the channel mostly offers reality TV shows), what's going on with the legendary Kurt Loder?
Who is Kurt Loder and what is he up to these days?
While Kurt Loder began his career as an editor for Rolling Stone and wrote for publications such as Esquire, the now-defunct Details, and TIME, he's most known for his time spent at MTV from 1987 to 2005. He essentially spearheaded MTV News (which was previously known as The Week in Rock), where he served as an anchor. Kurt was one of the first journalists to break the news about Kurt Cobain's death — it happened during regular programming and he paused it to announce the tragic news.
Kurt Loder and Courtney Love
While we can't find the MTV News original report of Kurt Cobain's passing, you can still watch this "MTV News Special Report," which aired in 1994. Kurt informed viewers about the circumstances around Kurt Cobain's death and what led him to committing suicide. It's this kind of intimate reporting that music lovers miss. These days, music and the people who make it just don't get the same kind of attention (at least, it's a very different kind of attention).
Kurt's latest gig is at SiriusXM, where he hosts the monthly show True Stories. He's been there since 2016. He also writes film reviews on Reason, a pop culture outlet. You can also follow him on Twitter for wry insights and commentary on trending news, like Elon Musk and Grimes's new baby's name.
Kurt is also a big fan of the actor who'll be portraying Joe Exotic in the new TV series based on The Tiger King.
While we can't bring back the old MTV (in fact, Viacom, MTV's parent company, recently announced massive lay-offs which unfortunately impacted MTV News), we still have the memories and music. And we still have Kurt Loder! Happy birthday, Kurt.
