Why be that way? What did you want, a month of free service? If you don't currently subscribe to Encore, then they are giving you something free. If you don't believe it, then subscribe to it and see what they charge you. D* didn't have to give us anything.
Encore isn't worth the space it occupies, I had it when we originally got the service and cancelled it and its ilk as quickly as possible. It costs them next to nothing to "offer" that to their customers, pennies, I want some real credit. For what I'm paying for the service, 17 channels disappear overnight, the credit should be prorated and proportional to the loss of services. $5 doesn't even cut it...
This whole thing disgusts me, both sides are greedy as all hell. I hope a lot of people cut the cord completely and they can both lose out.
EDIT: To put in perspective, if I add or remove a service mid-way through the billing period, say a set of channels (like HBO/Cinemax or Showtime) that first cycle is pro-rated to the freaking penny. They should show the same respect in a situation like this. Then again, I understand they don't want to reveal what they actually pay Viacom for those channels and what portion of your monthly bill they represent.
