MTV Networks will track second-by-second viewing of Web commercials and videos, and link viewer online communities built around its TV programs, the network’s digital chief said in an interview focused on the company’s new advertising strategy.

Viacom Inc’s 26-year old cable TV network is striving to remain relevant in a digital age by learning more about fans of some of its top shows like “The Hills” or “Real World” through the shows’ websites, said Mika Salmi, MTV president of global digital media in an interview with Reuters.

MTV will provide advertiser partners second-by-second data on how the videos and ads on its site are watched by users online. On Monday, MTV said it had signed an agreement with Visible Measures, an independent third-party measurement firm to provide the data.

“We want the advertisers to know exactly what’s happening on our websites and how big we really are in online video, said Salmi. “Internally, we want to understand user behavior so we can tweak the videos to give a better experience,” he added.

The move mirrors a similar push for second-by-second data by the TV industry’s audience measurement sector led by Nielsen and TiVo Inc.

The new service will also be able to measure video usage of MTV-owned videos that have been shared or embedded on other social networks like News Corp’s MySpace or blogs.

In the last few years MTV has been working on transforming itself for the 21st Century by building or buying a collection of digital brands across music, programming, virtual worlds and gaming. Salmi’s company Atom Films, was bought in 2006.

The cable TV network is striving to remain relevant as more of its core audience of 12-to-34-year-olds spend an increasing amount of their time surfing the Web than they do watching TV.

Bernstein Research said advertising on MTV-branded networks grew slower than the overall cable industry from 2004 to 2007.

COMMUNITY WORK

MTV is building communities across its hundreds of websites like VH-1, Pimp My Ride and Jackass through a service called Flux. Once a user is logged on the Flux network they can move on to other MTV sites without having to log in again.

Like other popular social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, users on MTV’s Flux, built with Social Project, can share videos, personal photos and blogs. MTV bought social networking company Social Project earlier this month for an undisclosed sum.

But it remains to be seen whether social networking in itself can make money from advertising in the long term. MTV is betting its long running relationships with advertisers on cable television and the popularity of its shows will put it in a unique position to develop in-depth relationships with fans across its hundreds of websites.

“If we wanted to have any kind of ‘network effect’ or cross-traffic sharing, the sites have to connect together so we had to get them on similar platforms,” said Salmi.

The so called ‘network effect’ could help users discover more programming by seeing what other community friends have watched on MTV’s various sites thereby driving more advertising traffic.

Salmi said since members of social networks on its websites have provided basic personal data, that will help advertising partners more easily track users anonymously and target appropriate advertising campaigns at such users

Britney Spears is to star at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, a year after a calamitous comeback performance at the same award ceremony. But this time the pop singer won’t be performing.

Spears will be opening the 25th annual edition of the MTV VMAs on Sunday at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, according to MTV’s website.

That means she will be on hand if she wins an award. Spears has garnered three nominations for the clip to her single “Piece of Me” — Best Female Video, Best Pop Video and Video of the Year.

“MTV has long played an important role in my career,” Spears said in a statement. “How can I not be there to kick off their 25th VMAs? I’m excited to open the entire show, to say hi to my fans and to be nominated.”

Exactly how she planned to open the show remained unclear. In previous appearances she has kissed Madonna and performed with a writhing snake.

Spears has yet to win an MTV Video Music Award, and her nominations this year are particularly tantalizing after her much-derided appearance in 2007, when she lip-synched her way through a dance number in an ill-fitting black bikini.

Coming off two marriages, two children and two stints in rehab, Spears sought to launch a career comeback on last year’s show with a performance of the song “Gimme More” that proved a publicity bomb for her but a ratings boon for MTV.

But with Spears said to be cleaning up her act and back in the recording studio this summer, working on a new album, MTV has made the most of the suspense surrounding her possible return to the VMAs, refusing until Wednesday to say whether she might appear as a presenter or performer.

The MTV VMAs, long considered a hipper version of the Grammys, will be broadcast live on MTV on September 7, hosted by British comedian Russell Brand.

Justin Timberlake has denied reports he will team up with ex-girlfriend Britney Spears to collaborate on a song.

Spears is currently recording the follow-up to her 2007 album “Blackout,” and her new album was reported to feature a duet with the “SexyBack” singer, her former boyfriend.

But Timberlake’s spokesman has denied the collaboration, insisting he “is not scheduled to be in the recording studio with Britney.”

Spears and Timberlake split up in 2002 after dating for four years. The former boy-band member is currently romancing Hollywood actress Jessica Biel.

Returning home from war is one of the biggest challenges a veteran faces. In the MTV News special “Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming” — which airs tonight (Monday, July 28) at 10 p.m. ET — Kanye West and MTV’s Sway Calloway surprise three veterans with visits to their homes. Kanye and Sway listen to their stories, thank them for their contributions to the country, and then help the vets confront their challenges, including debt and adjusting to civilian life.

“There are hundreds of thousands of veterans who have fallen through the cracks,” Kanye says in the show. “I wanted to hear their stories.”

West is visibly moved by the veterans’ stories. “This past year I suffered a lot of losses,” he says, referring primarily to the death of his mother, Donda. (The MC’s Dr. Donda West Foundation and MTV are providing most of the money for the gifts to the veterans.) “I know my music inspires people, but you can always do more.”

One vet, 25-year-old Tirann Laws from Oklahoma City, suffers from post-tramautic stress disorder and has found himself in debt and having difficulty holding down a job. He says he wants to return to school. West and MTV offer him that opportunity — but as grateful as Laws is, Kanye also finds himself changed by the experience. “You make me want to improve myself,” West says. “We thought I’d come in and be an inspiration to you and lift your spirits, but actually you’re inspirational to me because I’m going through a lot of losses.”

Next up, Kanye meets with aspiring rapper Lorenzo Zarate, 24, at his home in Austin, Texas. Zarate’s wife has a baby on the way, and the couple say they are just weeks away from being forced to leave their home. During the visit, Kanye and Zarate find common ground in Zarate’s home studio — “I remember those days,” Kanye reminisces — and he plays a bit of “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” on Zarate’s keyboard. Then the gifts are revealed: paying six months’ rent, a new microphone, a week of studio time and an internship at a local radio station.

Like Zarate, 24-year-old Shameeka Gray of Charlotte, North Carolina, came back from war and found herself in tremendous debt, but must devote most of her time to caring for her young son. Kanye related to Gray over the subject of death; she said it was when someone in her company died that she realized she could die too.

Kanye said, “Sometimes it’s definitely easier to not even accept death and just act like you’re in a bad dream and you could wake up from it.” Gray’s gift is paying off her credit card debt, and setting up a college-tuition fund for her son.

Profiles for all three vets (Shameeka Gray, Tirann Laws and Lorenzo Zarate) are available on the Choose or Lose site, where viewers can also interact with the veterans and find ways to take action on these issues and share their own thoughts on the subject.

Rumor has it, Britney Spears will once again blow our minds with a half-ass VMA performance. If we play our cards right, Ms. Spears will hopefully lip-synch her favorite song and awkwardly bumble across the stage.

Britney has also been nominated in the category of Best Female Video for her hit single “Piece of Me,” competing alongside some women who actually sing. Out loud. MTV’s full list of nominees in the category is scheduled for release on Friday.

Spears’ 2007 performance at the VMAs was the most-talked about performance off all-time — and not because she looked banging in her bra and panties outfit, or because of her stellar dance moves. What will happen this year