WASHINGTON, September 20 – Global media giant Viacom has taken back control of the MTV network in Russia after years of franchising the brand to local license holders, and will relaunch the channel Oct. 1, an entertainment news website has reported.
New York-based Viacom regained direct control after the previous license holder, the Russian media company ProfMedia declined to extend its agreement, opting instead to launch a new entertainment channel on the same frequency, according to a Hollywood Reporter story on Thursday.
The relaunched MTV Russia will be available as a cable and satellite channel. Viacom has already signed agreements with several domestic distributors, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Elena Balmont, general manager of Viacom International Media Networks Russia and CIS told The Hollywood Reporter that MTV Russia would now be “much more closely aligned with the MTV brand globally.”
She also said the new channel would include “the best” of MTV’s programming dubbed into Russian, including shows that have been unavailable in the country, as well as locally produced content.
