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MTV Australia / NZ to go dark in solidarity with US

MTV will go dark for nearly 9 minutes on Thursday, to remember George Floyd.

MTV Australia and New Zealand will go dark for 8 minutes and 46 seconds on Thursday afternoon,  in honour of George Floyd.

MTV will observe the blackout,  which reflects the time in which Floyd was pinned to the ground by a US police officer, at 3pm AEST and 5pm NZST.

ViacomCBS channels Comedy Central, which screens on Fetch TV in Australia, will also observe the blackout.

It follows ViacomCBS’s entertainment and youth brands also staging a blackout in the USA.

In a note to staff Beverley McGarvey, ViacomCBS Australia & New Zealand Chief Content Officer and EVP, said, “As a global media company we play an important role in communities locally and right around the world. We take this responsibility seriously and it is why we are taking decisive action to drive change.”

She added, “…ViacomCBS offices globally are coming together to stand in solidarity with our Black colleagues, creators, partners, audiences and all minority communities. At ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand we will be doing the same.”

The AU / NZ time does not synchronise with the US blackout which took place earlier today.

Footnote: The Project and Studio 10 have also been covering black deaths in custody in Australia.

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