Paramount Layoffs Hit UK As MTV Axes ‘Gonzo’ & ‘Fresh Out’

EXCLUSIVE: The layoffs sweeping throughout Paramount World this month have hit the UK.

Paramount-owned MTV UK is axing unique reveals Gonzo and Recent Out UK and nearly all of their manufacturing employees are exiting.

We’re additionally informed layoffs have hit the MTV expertise workforce, recognized internally as TAM, and a few in Paramount UK‘s unique manufacturing workforce, which had already slimmed down majorly two years in the past. The entire quantity being made redundant is in double figures, we perceive.

Canceling Gonzo and Recent Out UK just about spells the tip for originals on the MTV UK music channels, though we perceive some manufacturing employees stay to work on the published of Isle of MTV Malta, the annual music pageant, together with some digital content material. We perceive the transfer broadly represents a shift in the direction of world content material over native originals.

Hosted by Jack Saunders and Becca Dudley, Gonzo has been on for greater than 20 years and sees the presenters interview bands and artists. Recent Out equally showcases new music and sees artists participate in interviews, video games and reside performances.

The cancelation of the reveals feels one thing of an finish of an period for lovers of MTV UK’s music-focused originals, although the primary MTV channel stays lively and MTV digital content material is being amplified each on social platforms and Paramount+.

“MTV UK is sunsetting native sequence Gonzo and Recent Out UK starting this month,” stated a Paramount spokesman. “We’re deeply grateful to our hosts Jack Saunders and Becca Dudley and the extremely gifted artists who’ve been part of these sequence, in addition to the groups who’ve introduced them to life. Followers can proceed to take pleasure in world music reveals just like the MTV VMAs, Stans and Ozzy Osbourne: No Escape From Now on MTV and Paramount+, alongside digital music content material on our MTV UK social channels.”

The information comes two weeks after Paramount stated it could be shedding 3.5% of its workforce, a 12 months after making 15% redundant.

Asserting these newest layoffs, Paramount Co-CEO Chris McCarthy informed employees they “can also lead to some impacts to our workforce exterior the U.S. over time,” which have clearly now come to cross. Paramount+ and Channel 5’s UK groups should not impacted by as we speak’s information, although one supply stated Paramount was trying into the leisure channels suite.

In 2023, Paramount shuttered the UK unscripted division of its worldwide manufacturing arm, which made the likes of Catfish UK and True Life Crime, pivoting to scripted.

Paramount stays in a protracted ready recreation because it seems to be to shut its $8B merger with Skydance Media, which has dragged into the second half of the 12 months as the businesses look ahead to FCC approval.