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After nearly four decades, MTV News is no more

By Manuela López Restrepo
Published May 11, 2023 at 5:00 PM EDT
MTV news correspondent Sway Calloway and Hillary Clinton speak to Iraq War veterans during a taping of MTV's "Choose or Lose" on March 18, 2008 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Jeff Fusco
/
Getty Images
MTV news correspondent Sway Calloway and Hillary Clinton speak to Iraq War veterans during a taping of MTV's "Choose or Lose" on March 18, 2008 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Mr. President, the world is dying to know. Is it boxers or briefs?

What is it? A memory of better, cooler days for many Gen Xers and Millennials.

  • Started by the channel known for providing the masses with music videos in a pre-YouTube time, MTV News began in the '80s with a single show fronted by iconic host Kurt Loder.

  • Soon, the cast of hosts and programming expanded to include journalists like Sway Calloway, SuChin Pak, Alison Stewart, Gideon Yago and more.

  • The channel soon made a name for themselves providing news and essential interviews with entertainment's biggest stars – like Madonna, Prince and Tupac – focusing their coverage on what young people were paying attention to.

    •

    What's the big deal? Aside from the fact that time marches on endlessly, the shutdown of MTV News was actually part of larger layoffs at Paramount Global.

  • Chris McCarthy, CEO and president of MTV's parent company Paramount networks announced this week that they would be laying off 25% of their domestic team, which included shuttering down entire divisions of programming and coverage.

  • That continues the carnage in media layoffs in the past months, joining the likes of Buzzfeed News, Vice, ESPN, Insider, Gawker – and NPR, too.

  • The channel had some unforgettable coverage through the years, like the fall of the Berlin wall, a town hall with then-President Bill Clinton and, of course, the death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.

    • What are people saying? Here's what some former hosts had to say

    Want more on pop culture? Listen to Consider This on Dolly Parton's new book on perservance and standing up to bullies.

    Former host Kurt Loder in a Daily Beast op-ed:

    Now that MTV News is gone, taken down by changing media and attendant audience attrition, does that mean the high old times of that vanishing period are unrepeatable history? Do young journos of today have nothing to look forward to? Oh please.

    So, what now?

  •  Mass layoffs continue to affect other sectors of the economy, especially tech. 

  • This week, LinkedIn announced it would be cutting more than 700 jobs; Intel also confirmed its intention to cut its workforce, though did not say how many workers would be affected.

  • Meta and Amazon have each also announced plans to cut thousands more jobs this year.

    • Learn more:

  • This duo rehearsed between air raid alarms. Now they're repping Ukraine at Eurovision

  • Disney's Q2 earnings: increased profits but a mixed picture

  • 'Sesame Street' introduces TJ, the show's first Filipino American muppet

    • Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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    Manuela López Restrepo
    Manuela López Restrepo is a producer and writer at All Things Considered. She's been at NPR since graduating from The University of Maryland, and has worked at shows like Morning Edition and It's Been A Minute. She lives in Brooklyn with her cat Martin.

    The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

    If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

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    Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

    Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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    SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

    The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

    If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

    Now all of that is at risk.

    Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

    Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

    Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

    Protect Connecticut Public

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