Revisit some iconic MTV News moments as the network shuts down

MTV News is reportedly set to cease operations after 36 years on air, leading to 6,000 job cuts. The once beloved pop culture channel covered a range of societal issues, and was especially popular in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s.

More recently, the Irish iteration of the MTV News international channel, first launched in 1997, was presented by Laura Whitmore. The Irish broadcaster presented news bulletins for seven years on the network after winning a competition to become the face of MTV News in Europe.

Laura Whitmore for MTV News in 2015. Credit: Xposure.

Paramount Global, the parent company of MTV, yesterday announced the shutter of MTV News, as well as a 25% decrease in their workforce across their MTV, Showtime and Paramount Media divisions. The severe amount of job layoffs comes after significant cuts in 2017, and the struggle of enduring the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a memo sent to staff and shared with some American media outlets, Chris McCarthy, head of Paramount Media Networks, MTV and Showtime, said that he and several senior leaders had made the “very hard but necessary decision to reduce our domestic team by approximately 25%.”

McCarthy described the company's decision to cut over 6,000 jobs as a “tough yet important strategic realignment”.

Here’s Kurt Loder announcing Kurt Cobain’s death on MTV News on Apr. 8, 1994.

This was how millions of people found out Kurt was gone. pic.twitter.com/lIgj4TAbmt

— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) May 9, 2023

Despite a 5% increase in overall revenue for Paramount Global in the last year, McCarthy and others in charge saw it necessary to “reduce costs and create a more effective approach” going forward in the business.

He then added: “Today we will notify employees whose positions are being impacted with leaders communicating the news directly to those teams/or individuals. These meetings will be followed by individual 1 on 1s with our HR partners.”

News content on the network, while mostly focused on music and pop culture, also included trending social and political topics.

If you lived in the era of Kurt Loder and Tabitha Soren @ MTV News, you have lived. So many huge moments in pop culture: Kurt Cobain, Biggie, and 2Pac passings, Courtney Love crashing Madonna’s interview, etc. https://t.co/viCyU6lSIg pic.twitter.com/rmdnRDYVfK

— Carlos (@carlosjharris) May 9, 2023

Since 1992, the network has covered the American Presidential Elections. MTV News also announced the death of Kurt Cobain on April 8th, 1994 following the band's lauded MTV Unplugged performance in New York City on November 18, 1993.

Back in the 1990s, Kurt Loder and MTV News were the go-to authority on what was happening in the world of popular music, speaking to guests like David Bowie and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

My favorite moment on MTV News was when they went to the welfare office with Ol’ Dirty Bastard so he could cash his check. This was literally like the week after he dropped Return to the 36 chambers lol. “Why wouldn’t you want free money?” pic.twitter.com/bFJvFN73UQ

— LaBEARfana (@Sandernista412) May 10, 2023

In 2008, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton appeared on an MTV special to discuss the upcoming election, as well as the Iraq war. Revisit Diddy and Barack Obama's 2004 interview below, when the former US President was embarking on a Senate seat.

There were plenty of other chaotic moments on the channel.