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Credit: MTVLet’s be honest, when was the last time you watched MTV? Even today’s teenagers aren’t too interested in the network these days, as they mostly just repeatedly play the same reality tv shows. Gone are the days when you would come home from school and turn on TRL to watch the latest music videos from your favorite artist. The television station got rid of its music aspect a long time ago, and now, they’re getting rid of its news segment as well. Paramount is officially pulling the plug on MTV News.
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Before the days of the internet and YouTube, music fans would have to tune into MTV News for the latest updates on their favorite artist and other pop culture news. Iconic MTV News anchors such as Kurt Loder, Dave Holmes, John Norris, and Sway Calloway would appear on our television screens and inform viewers of tour dates for bands, album releases, and even tragic deaths in the music industry. MTV News was there for some big moments in music history, most notably when they shared the breaking news of Kurt Cobain’s death.
Eventually, after gaining recognition as a reliable and credible news source for the younger generation, MTV News would go on to cover several political events, such as election years and the War in Iraq. MTV News won several Emmy Awards and even Peabody Awards for their news coverage.
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Unfortunately, like the rest of the “Music Television” network, viewership decreased after the internet became a more popular outlet for news. A fraction of their audience would tune into MTV News on YouTube, with their channel only having over half a million subscribers.
Now, after 36 years, Paramount had to make the tough but necessary decision to lay off 25% of the MTV Entertainment staff, resulting in the closure of the news division. MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks president Chris McCarthy told his staff, “This is a tough yet important strategic realignment of our group.” McCarthy added, “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.”
Similar to Disney, Paramount has had to make some tough calls lately. It’s also been struggling due to viewership on its Paramount+ platform. It was announced earlier this year that Yellowstone, the streamer’s most popular show, will end after its fifth season. The future of Paramount and MTV may be heading towards a dark place if they don’t find a way to bring the audience back in.
It’s been a rough week for the former music network, with their Movie Award having to make some drastic changes due to the writer’s strike, and now it’s losing its News division. The once-loved network could someday be completely gone altogether. And when it goes, it will take a piece of our childhood with it.
Do you miss the classic MTV days? Let Inside The Magic know in the comments.