MTV launched 38 years ago on Aug. 1, 1981.

It is a little-known fact that MTV has a rich history with New Jersey. When the channel launched 38 years ago, it was only available for New Jersey cable subscribers.

The channel had its issues in its first few weeks. The screen would often go to black. This was when someone was changing out the VHS cassette to put a new music video on the air.

The channel would go on to become legendary – with such shows as “TRL with Carson Daily,” “The Real World,” and of course “Jersey Shore.”