Time Warner Cable To Pull Viacom's MTV, VH1, Nick & Comedy Central Off (Averted)

[riffjim4069]

Ala Carte will be very expensive for the consumer to get a vast varity of programming

It may not save much, if any, money...but, at least consumers will be paying for programming they truly want and won't be forced to subsidize programming they don't want. IMO, this will weed-out all the gargage that is currenly littering the airwaves.

 

[The Insider]

If its not saving you money whats the point? At least now I can search through 200+ channels and find something interesting on a channel I never would of thought to watch. With ala Carte id be stuck with only the few channels I wanted, and will miss out on finding new shows. Like heck I rarely watched USA networks, till I stumbled on Burn Notice

Your liter maybe my favorite channel, or vice versa.

 

[Sammy033]

Ala Carte will be very expensive for the consumer to get a vast varity of programming

People who want ala carte by definition dont want that vast variety. Therefore, it follows that it shouldnt be very expensive. But of course this is too logical and it would still be expensive anyways. Perhaps you mean that it would be more expensive than it would be otherwise for those that do want that vast variety. I could see that.

 

[riffjim4069]

Your liter maybe my favorite channel, or vice versa.

I agree...you should pay for the channels you want, and I should pay for the channels I want. Personally, I love watching sports...but why should non-sports watching customers shell out $2-$3 each month to pay ESPN? If a channel cannot survive on its own merit, without being bundled and subsidized with lots of other channels few people watch (e.g., Viacom), then that channel needs to go out business. Personally, I watch a few niche channels. However, unless the customers and advertisers are willing to fund their existence (or the channles improves to attract a larger audience)...I would not be upset if they were taken off the air.

Good programming will survive...bad channels will not.

 

[danm2z]

A la carte is really in the public's best interest. The argument would be over what's the "basic" channel package. Should it include locals? Must Carry laws say it should. Without the entertainment channels, public interest channels could not survive. Who covers the cost for the PEG channels? That would also have to be built in to the standard charge before any a la carte channels were added.

Something absolutely should be done about the increasing costs of the channels and bundling. I don't watch sports, and I'm annoyed that so much of my monthly fee goes to sports networks. In the end, they're really just killing themselves. If fewer people were able to watch sports on TV, interest in the local franchises would decline and overall ticket sales would go down (over time). Larger cities would be the last to notice this, but I suspect the next two years will open a lot of people's eyes to the overpriced economy.

 

[dfergie]

Cable Association Steps Into Viacom-TWC Dispute, Orders Crawl Stopped

Cable Association Steps Into Viacom-TWC Dispute, Orders Crawl Stopped

The American Cable Association demanded that Viacom stop the crawl running during its programming that tells cable subscribers that they might lose networks such as Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon at midnight.

Source & More: tvweek.com

 

[riffjim4069]

Interesting Tidbit...

The last time I checked, people were getting layed-off and retail businesses were closing their doors. Unless Viacom, and others, are hoping for a Federal Bailout, they need to start shutting down some of their more unpopular channels now that the ad revenue is drying up. Customers are tired of bailing-out failed businesses...and we certainly don't wish to pay even more money to fund a lot of goofy channels that can easily be consolidated into a handful of quality channels.

 

[KE4EST]

Cable Association Steps Into Viacom-TWC Dispute, Orders Crawl Stopped

The American Cable Association demanded that Viacom stop the crawl running during its programming that tells cable subscribers that they might lose networks such as Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon at midnight.

Source & More: tvweek.com

I hope they listen and stop.

 

[rhdj]

They will stop and TW will run their crawls. I know the local TW has done that in the past. Unless both parties agree to no crawls, I would not stop. I would also agrue free speech just as TW has done in the past.

 

[andygradel]

The problem is that they're running those dumb crawls nationwide... We have Comcast and still have to see that burning into our screens on Nick while our daughter watches episode after episode of Spongebob.

 

[Sileny Jizda]

The way I see it TW will jack the rates up regardless of Viacom. Same deal with Dish Notwork. No matter how 'low' 'they keep the rate' we get a price increase even if nothing changes that only ends up in the respective, and I use that term loosely, providers pockets.

 

[kb7oeb]

The following are the channels that will be gone from Time Warner Cable and BrightHouse Networks starting Thursday, Jan 1st according to Viacom's website:

-ATOMFILMS -ADDICTINGGAMES -CMT -COMEDY CENTRAL -GAMETRAILERS - HARMONIX -LOGO -MTV -MTV2 -MTVN INTERNATIONAL -MTVU -MTV TR3S -NEOPETS -NICKELODEON -NICK JR. -NICK AT NITE -NOGGIN -PARENTSCONNECT -QUIZILLA -RHAPSODY -SHOCKWAVE -SPIKE -THE N -TV LAND -VH1 -VH1 CLASSIC -VH1 SOUL -VIRTUAL WORLDS -XFIRE

Note: Not all these channels are on these 2 cable companies. I think 19 are.

Those aren't all tv channels, Rhapsody for example is an online music service.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

The problem is that they're running those dumb crawls nationwide....

Exactly, Why the hell do we all have to look at this crap. Its Bull @#$%. Viacom seems like a bunch of big babys.

 

[josem3]

No more banner(Alert!) at the bottom of the screen on Viacom channels here at Orlando, FL. They may reach an agreement?

 

[dfergie]

2nd UPDATE: Hope For Viacom, Time Warner Cable Pact Dims
December 31, 2008: 05:38 PM ET

Viacom Inc. (VIA) and Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC) appear unlikely to reach an agreement on carriage fees before the New Year, according to a source familiar with the talks, possibly leading to popular networks Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon being pulled from the cable company's system, which include large parts of New York City and Los Angeles.

Source & More: CNN

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Well I'm pulling for Time Warner. I hope they don't give these Money Hungry networks another Penny. If Time warner doesn't give in Viacom will cave. Your channels will be back in 24 hours. I'll bet on that.

 

[catnap1972]

If its not saving you money whats the point? At least now I can search through 200+ channels and find something interesting on a channel I never would of thought to watch.

But really how often is that? In years past, we actually did have what could be considered niche channels where you actually could find something unique/original, but nowadays it's either several of them running the same repurposed network crap from last week (if not last night) or the same rerun/syndicated programming that six other networks are also running?

 

[amani4]

I would have to side with TW on this one, because if Viacom didnt want more money, then they could have just extended their current agreement so I have to wonder why they want more money. And plastering ADS on all the major papers doesnt really do them anygood if the consumer has to fork out more cash at the end. The only channel i would really miss out of the 20 would be Comedy Central, but its not that big of deal.

My questions is if they dont renew the contract with Viacom, then will the savings trickle down to me?

 

[mbstang]

I was in the local TWC office this afternoon, canceling my service as I made the switch to satellite, seems my timing was perfect on that

I heard them tell several people on the phone that Viacom was trying to triple their rates so besides being cheap, they are also spreading lies.

Im so glad to be done with them, for many reasons, but that is another thread

 

[PALL MALL]

A la Carte programing is only available from one source in the U.S. Not cable, D* or E* but on those big dishes popular in the 80's and 90's. One provider for these big dish systems is NPS, they offer a decent selection of A la Carte. For $6 a month you can get the MTV minipack which includes(MTV 2, The N , Nick Toons, Noggin,VH1 Classic Rock, VH1 Country, VH1 Soul) You can look at the A la Carte rates here.

Looks like E* is getting alot of these Viacom channels in HD for 2009.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-forum/159614-new-hd-dish-2009-a.html