Viacom, the parent company of MTV, BET, and VH1, is laying off 850 people worldwide today. According to a memo from MTV Networks CEO Judy McGrath, MTVN’s Stateside division will be “consolidating some groups, centralizing functions and outsourcing others, and aligning our resources across brands and platforms.” Also as part of the cuts, the New York office of Rhapsody is closing, resulting in about 25 jobs being chopped. [MediaMemo / Gawker]