Of all the images synonymous with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, MTV's distinctive three-letter logo may seem the least likely. But there it is on the umbrella of the fresh-faced German guard as he stands on top of the wall in its final moments, an unwitting symbol of the sweeping change the city was going through.

In early November 1989, executives from MTV found themselves in Berlin for a seminar. Noticing the momentum for change, Bill Roedy (now MTV's chief executive) decided to expand access to the channel in east Berlin. By 7 November, MTV had succeeded in giving hotels and conference centres access to the channel for the first time. Two days later, the Berlin Wall fell. In the absence of 24-hour news channels, many watched events as they unfolded on MTV.

"MTV has always had a very strong connection with the city of Berlin," says Roedy. "Not only were we there in east Berlin when the wall came down, but five years later we inaugurated the very first MTV Europe Music Awards at the Brandenburg Gate."

In the meantime the MTV Europe Music Awards awards have become a fixture, staged everywhere from Liverpool to Lisbon, hosted by everyone from Tom Jones to Xzibit, and have attracted all sorts keen to rub shoulders with music stars. Even Tory MP John Whittingdale, chair of the culture, media and sport select committee, has attended, donning an MTV hoodie against the Copenhagen chill.

This week, the awards return to Berlin after 15 years to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the wall coming down. U2, who recorded their brilliant album Achtung Baby in the city in 1990, will open proceedings with a free concert at the Brandenburg Gate on Thursday.

But MTV's presence at one of the most seminal events in modern European history serves to highlight the evolution the music channel has undergone in the past two decades. Twenty years ago, MTV was a byword for cutting-edge youth culture; now, having been challenged by the internet, it seems to be a breeding ground for a variety of reality TV shows such as Pimp My Ride and The Hills. The title of a new Facebook group seems to sum it up: I Remember the Soviet Union, Berlin Wall and MTV (with good music).