After 36 years on the air, MTV News has announced that it is shutting down. The iconic television channel, which launched in 1981, had become a staple in the music industry, and its closure marks the end of an era for music fans.
In a staff memo on Tuesday, Chris McCarthy, the head of Paramount Media Networks, which includes MTV and Showtime, acknowledged the media company’s success in streaming but also expressed concern over the impact of economic headwinds on the company, similar to other media companies.
“As a result, we have made the very hard but necessary decision to reduce our domestic team by approximately 25%,” he continued. “Through the elimination of some units and by streamlining others, we will be able to reduce costs and create a more effective approach to our business as we move forward.”
According to McCarthy, affected employees were scheduled to receive their layoff notifications in person on Tuesday.
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Less than a month after BuzzFeed announced the elimination of its award-winning news division and Vice Media canceled its acclaimed “Vice News Tonight” as part of a broader restructuring, MTV News has made the decision to shut down. MTV News had already undergone significant scaling down in recent years.
MTV News was known for its coverage of music events, interviews with musicians, and in-depth reporting on the industry. The channel also had a strong focus on social justice issues and pop culture, making it a source of entertainment and education for millions of viewers.
According to a spokesperson for Paramount, in addition to MTV News, the company is eliminating several operational units altogether.
The announcement of MTV News’ closure comes as a surprise to many fans, who have been tuning into the channel for decades. In a statement released by MTV, the company cited the changing media landscape as the reason for the closure.
Due to a weakened advertising market and other industry challenges, many significant news, entertainment, and technology companies have had to make significant workforce reductions in recent months.
This has included companies such as CNN, The Washington Post, NPR, Gannett, Vox Media, and NBC News.
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Many fans have taken to social media to express their disappointment at the news, with some calling it the end of an era. Others have thanked MTV News for the impact it has had on their lives and the music industry as a whole.
Despite the closure of MTV News, the channel will continue to air music videos and other programming.
It remains to be seen what impact the closure of the channel’s news division will have on the industry as a whole, but it is clear that MTV News has left a lasting impact on the world of music and entertainment.
