Alternative Nation was MTV’s 1990s alternative-music program hosted by Kennedy.
The show premiered in 1992 and presented alternative rock videos, interviews, live performances, and music-related reports. Kennedy became strongly associated with the program during a period when grunge, indie rock, and other alternative styles were moving into the mainstream.
Alternative Nation reflected MTV’s attempt to organize a rapidly changing music scene for a broad television audience. Its playlist was distinct from the channel’s more pop-oriented programming, though boundaries between genres increasingly overlapped.
The title is sometimes confused with 120 Minutes, MTV’s earlier late-night alternative-music program. Both covered alternative music, but Alternative Nation was a separate series with Kennedy as its best-known host.