Viacom hires ex-House chairman as Russia lobbyist

Viacom -- which owns international brands like MTV, BET, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and Paramount Pictures -- hired former House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman to defend its interests in Russia amid increasing international sanctions against President Vladimir Putin’s regime.

Berman and his firm Covington and Burling will work on issues related to the package of sanctions put into place by President Barack Obama and the Treasury Department against Russian companies and individuals, according to a lobbying disclosure. Viacom has several media properties that operate in Russia -- including MTV Russia, Nickelodeon Russia and Comedy Central Russia. The company relaunched MTV Russia and launched a Paramount-branded film channel in the country, too.