MTV Russia axed
Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) has confirmed its Russian version of MTV will close in 2013, to be replaced by a new entertainment channel.
VIMN and ProfMedia, which acquired both MTV and VH1 in Russia in 2007, have agreed to dissolve their partnership at the end of May 2013.
This will signal the end of the youth-skewing channel in Russia and a new ProfMedia-owned net targeting 14-44s, called Friday and branded locally as Pyatnitsa, will replace it on June 1.
MTV Russia aired youth-skewing programming, including a remake of Armoza Formats’ studio-based dating show Foreplay, but its owners were unhappy with recent audience figures, reports suggest.
A spokeswoman for VIMN said the territory “remains a critically important market to VIMN.”
VIMN will continue to air MTV Hits, MTV Dance, MTV Rocks and MTV HD in Russia, in addition to Nickelodeon and Paramount Comedy.
Nico Franks
11-12-2012
©C21Media
TAGS: Channel distribution
GENRES: Music
SHOWS: Foreplay
PEOPLE: Nikolai Kartozia
COMPANIES: MTV Russia, Pyatnitsa, Viacom International Media Networks
SECTIONS: Formats Lab
COUNTRIES: Russia
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Viacom International Media Networks Announces Plans To Close MTV Russia
According to the following Viacom International Media Networks article from C21Media, VIMN has confirmed the news that they have decided to close down MTV Russia, Russian version of MTV, in 2013 and will replace the channel with a new entertainment channel. VIMN will also continue to broadcast MTV Hits, MTV Dance, MTV Rocks and MTV HD in Russia, in addition to Nickelodeon Russia and Paramount Comedy Russia:
