Los Angeles (CA) - Time Warner Cable and Bright House Network customers will not lose MTV, VHA, Nickelodeon, Spike TV and 15 other channels thanks to a recent agreement between the cable companies and Viacom.
Approximately 15.7 million Time Warner subscribers, mostly in New York state, the Carolinas, Ohio, Southern California and Texas, as well as Bright House networks in Michigan, Indiana, California, Alabama and Florida, were about to lose service on MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Spike TV and 15 other channels. The cause? Viacom demanded a nearly 13% hike in annual fees, increasing $39 million to $339 million per year.
Time Warner's CEO, Glenn Britt, had said this past Wednesday that the requested $39 million increase amounts to "extortion and [is] outrageous given the recession." Viacom countered by saying the increase accounted for only $2.76 annually per subscriber, or $0.23 per month, and is less than is currently paid for other cable shows run by The Walt Disney company and News Corp's Fox networks.
Cable subscribers of the affected channels had scrolling messages running along the bottom during the first few minutes of popular affected over the past several days. These included the message:
"ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! Attention Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks customers, starting tonight, you will lose this channel and 18 other channels from your TV including Nickelodeon, Noggin, MTV, VH1, Spike, Comedy Central and TV Land. Don't miss out on your favorite shows. You can stop this! Time Warner Cable customers call 1-800-762-3786, Bright House Networks customers call 1-800-309-3279 and DEMAND THEY KEEP THESE CHANNELS! MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD TO CALL."
Viacom has also argued that Americans spend a fifth of their TV time watching Viacom shows, however the fees it charges are less than 2.5% of Time Warner's cable bill, for example.
The full list of channels in dispute are: Comedy Central, Logo, Palladia, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, MTV Tr3s, Nickelodeon, Noggin, Nick 2, Nicktoons, SpikeTV, The N, TV Land, VH1, VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul and CMT: Pure Country.
No word was given on if an agreement with Bright House Networks has yet been reached. See the Associated Press.
Approximately 15.7 million Time Warner subscribers, mostly in New York state, the Carolinas, Ohio, Southern California and Texas, as well as Bright House networks in Michigan, Indiana, California, Alabama and Florida, were about to lose service on MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Spike TV and 15 other channels. The cause? Viacom demanded a nearly 13% hike in annual fees, increasing $39 million to $339 million per year.
Time Warner's CEO, Glenn Britt, had said this past Wednesday that the requested $39 million increase amounts to "extortion and [is] outrageous given the recession." Viacom countered by saying the increase accounted for only $2.76 annually per subscriber, or $0.23 per month, and is less than is currently paid for other cable shows run by The Walt Disney company and News Corp's Fox networks.
Cable subscribers of the affected channels had scrolling messages running along the bottom during the first few minutes of popular affected over the past several days. These included the message:
"ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! Attention Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks customers, starting tonight, you will lose this channel and 18 other channels from your TV including Nickelodeon, Noggin, MTV, VH1, Spike, Comedy Central and TV Land. Don't miss out on your favorite shows. You can stop this! Time Warner Cable customers call 1-800-762-3786, Bright House Networks customers call 1-800-309-3279 and DEMAND THEY KEEP THESE CHANNELS! MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD TO CALL."
Viacom has also argued that Americans spend a fifth of their TV time watching Viacom shows, however the fees it charges are less than 2.5% of Time Warner's cable bill, for example.
The full list of channels in dispute are: Comedy Central, Logo, Palladia, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, MTV Tr3s, Nickelodeon, Noggin, Nick 2, Nicktoons, SpikeTV, The N, TV Land, VH1, VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul and CMT: Pure Country.
No word was given on if an agreement with Bright House Networks has yet been reached. See the Associated Press.
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