The truth behind the MTV rumors — as corporate bosses look to slash costs

MTV’s four-decade run on cable TV in the US won’t end anytime soon – but it’s at risk of becoming an eventual casualty as the iconic network’s corporate owners search for ways to slash costs, On The Money has learned.

The music video channel that launched in 1981 and morphed into a reality-TV destination is – like its sister networks Comedy Central and Nickelodeon under media giant Paramount Skydance – getting slammed by cord cutting.

For now, CEO David Ellison and his No. 2, Jeff Shell have no plans to shutter MTV’s US operations largely because it’s an iconic brand with enough viewership to keep it running, sources tell On The Money. 3

But the higher-ups at Paramount Skydance are weighing their options for MTV, insiders said. One future possibility: Turning what remains of the f