Freelancers Want their MTV Paychecks

Incase you have any respect left for Viacom, prepare to surrender it! Gawker has been investigating the curious case of the missing paychecks over at the network. The site says many are out of luck trying to attain their hard-earned money this holiday season, "Including people MTV got charity money to support. The Knight Foundation, a philanthropic journalism nonprofit, gave MTV $700,000 to 'make possible' a 'Street Team' of 51 'citizen journalists' to cover the 2008 election. We've already heard from three of them. They aren't getting paid!" Welcome to journalism, citizens! But talk about getting Scrooged, some of these folks are out thousands of dollars so far and have noted that checks "got cut later and later as 2008 wore on" even though "contracts stipulated payment every four weeks." Is it time to make more LOLCat picket signs yet?

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By Jen Carlson in News on December 19, 2008 12:51 PM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

The 'M' stands for Madoff.

ed_Extinct

i worked for a division of MTV called SFX, they sucked it. I took over 13 months to get an $800.00 check.

Douche Bags!

brooklynbs

I freelanced for MTV.com many, many years ago and they stiffed me. Viacom is notorious for this actually.

SP

I love freelancing. Join the union.

whitecastlerock

The network is deliberately withholding the money. Just because they have inept payroll does not excuse this behavior. They know they can do this because they are confident freelancers aren't capable of hiring lawyers to sue their asses. Freelancing sucks...

SP

I have been warned by many fellow freelance designers not to work for MTV. They are notorious slave driving sweatshoppers and they don't pay well or on time. I feel bad for my comrads who've been stiffed by them. I second #1 in saying that nobody should work for them.

WesleySnipesAlot

more like class action LOLsuit, am I right?

Think2wice

Is it time to make more LOLCat picket signs yet?

It's time for a class action lawsuit.

handsomedevil

have noted that checks "got cut later and later as 2008 wore on"

That's pretty typical of any operation with an inadequate business dept. It may just mean that the people who do the work are morons, and not that the network is deliberately withholding money.

woodendesigner

MTV sucks and has been a horrible network for sometime now. The fact that they are doing this to people right before the holidays is not surprising at all. Nobody should work for them.