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MTV Lays Off 25% Of Domestic Operations And Shutters News Division

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Summary:

  • Viacom announced 25% of U.S. operations staff layoffs, including the shutdown of MTV News, due to the merger with ShowTime and Paramount+.

  • MTV News struggled with the changing landscape of journalism, leading to its demise, leaving fans and journalists mourning the loss.

  • The media industry faces a wave of layoffs, with Buzzfeed, Insider, Vice, and Vox also cutting staff, sparking support across social media.

Viacom announced today that 25% of U.S. operations staff was to be laid off, including a shut down of MTV News. A company-wide email detailed that the layoffs are a result of the recent merger with ShowTime and Paramount+. In efforts to restructure the company, Paramount CEO Chris McCarthy stated that “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.” The company recently faced a 25% value drop on the stock market.

MTV News began in 1987, notably with programs hosted by acclaimed journalist and critic Kurt Loder and Tabitha Soren. The pair of hosts are receiving widespread praise today across social media for successfully bridging the gap between news and entertainment.

MTV News struggled to keep up with the changing landscape of video journalism starting in the early 2000s.  The company made initial cuts to keep up with competitors like Buzzfeed and Vice. However, nothing competed successfully with MTV News’ original model. Contemporary programming primarily included feature interviews. Today, journalists and fans of the 36-year-old programming are mourning the loss of the News division.

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MTV famously brought music videos to the mainstream pop culture. The news division allowed for music lovers to tune into their favorite artists’ videos and receive daily updates on world and national news in the process.

Recent Layoffs

The news of MTV News’ shutdown comes shortly after countless other popular media brands doled out layoffs. Buzzfeed recently also shut the doors on their News division, opting to prioritize the creative side of the brand. Insider, Vice, and Vox similarly laid off thousands leading up to the MTV layoffs. Each company had a unique scenario–some were acquired by new parent companies, others merged, and several just did not have the funds to staff reporters.

The media layoffs are disheartening reporters across social media. In wake of the latest wave of layoffs, many are offering to support to the thousands that suddenly find themselves unemployed.

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Many writers are crediting the network’s creative outlook on news for inspiring them to pursue careers in music journalism, and for jumpstarting their professional careers.

According to several employees affected by layoffs, Friday will be their last day working for the company.

MTV’s company leads have not issued further comment on layoffs at this time, nor provided further clarification on whether MTV’s entertainment programs, including “Drag Race”, will be affected.

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Frankie LaPenna Takes on a ‘Terminator’ Robot in The First Human vs. Robot Fight**Headline** Creator Frankie LaPenna fights ‘Terminator’ robot in first human vs. robot bout **Alt** First human vs. robot fight ends with creator Frankie LaPenna kicked across the cage (I kept “first” in the headline since that’s the hook. The article attributes it to the organizers, which covers you.) — **Creator Frankie LaPenna fights ‘Terminator’ robot in first human vs. robot bout** SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — A man stepped into a fighting cage with a 6-foot humanoid robot, and the robot came out on top. Robotics startup REK staged the human-versus-humanoid kickboxing demonstration in San Francisco on Friday, Sept. 18, putting creator Frankie LaPenna inside a cage with the machine. The opponent was the 80-kilogram (176-pound) EngineAI T800, a humanoid built to look like the Terminator. LaPenna, wearing a helmet and chest protector, landed a few punches before the robot kicked him in the head, according to the official video description. Footage shows the robot kicking him across the cage as spectators outside the ring looked on. “We just made history with the first Human VS Terminator robot fight,” REK posted on X on Sept. 20, adding that more fight footage is coming. The “first” label comes from REK and LaPenna and has not been independently verified. The robot was not fighting on its own. REK’s robots are not autonomous fighters, and the event showcased remote control and mechanical stability rather than independent combat strategy. The bout was part of REK’s work on a virtual reality combat game in which people remotely control humanoid robots to compete against each other. REK founder Cix Liv came to robotics from virtual reality and is building a sport that links virtual competition to physical machines. The LaPenna match pushed his format beyond the company’s usual robot-versus-robot fights. Online, viewers debated whether a trained fighter would fare better, with some predicting human-versus-robot bouts could reach the UFC within five years. — Note: AP datelines use a dash after the city. I kept it since it’s standard AP, but swap to a comma if you want zero dashes.

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