MTV Russia to go off air next year

MUMBAI: Russian entertainment media group Prof-Media has said it will shut MTV Russia beginning May next year citing falling viewership.

The music channel?s ratings dropped due to growing popularity of listening to music online which made it unviable to run.

MTV Russia, which began broadcasting in 1998, will be replaced by a new entertainment channel Pyatnitsa targeted at the 14-44 TG.

Prof-Media had in 2007 bought MTV Russia and VH1 Russia for about $360 million in cash from American media conglomerate Viacom.