Viacom channels go dark for DirecTV subscribers

DirecTV has dropped over a dozen Viacom cable channels this week thanks to an ongoing dispute over licensing fees.

Popular channels like Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV have gone black while the two companies try to work out an agreement on fees. The dispute is expected to last for more weeks.

DirecTV has 19 million subscribers and is the largest satellite TV provider in the nation.

Says the company of the issue at hand: "Viacom is pushing DirecTV customers to pay more than a 30% increase, which equates to an extra $1 billion." The company adds that there has been declining ratings for many of Viacom's channels over the course of the last 12 months.

The company also notes that it wanted to keep the channels available for viewers but Viacom would not allow it: "Let's be clear, Viacom took these channels from DirecTV viewers."

Of course, Viacom took the other side, claiming the increase is "a fair deal that amounted to an increase of only a couple pennies per day per subscriber."

Viacom's channels currently cost between 16 and 50 cents per subscriber.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 11 Jul 2012 22:49

JST1946

They keep their satellite TV. Both Direct TV and Dish Network.

11.7.2012 23:24 #1

klassic

Originally posted by JST1946: They keep their satellite TV. Both Direct TV and Dish Network. The same thing happens with Cable providers. This is nothing new.

12.7.2012 09:31 #2

IguanaC64

JST1946 likes his cable bill going up every year. Think what would happen if every channel wanted 30% more every couple of years. Guess what your cable bill (land based or satellite) is going to look like in a decade. Sorry...cable providers have to fight back on this or just pass those huge increases in cost to the consumer. The greedy channel conglomerates apparently don't care if they price themselves out of the market and take down the cable providers with them.

12.7.2012 11:42 #3

LordRuss

Greed, it goes with everything. Good/bad economy, over cereal, even with a tasty bloated corpse. These guys are even wearing it like a a coat made of infants skin. These assholes don't care who it bothers or inconveniences because they somehow feel people will bend to 'their' will.

Let's not forget that advertisers are already paying out billions to air their wares & services for us to scramble for their goods; so from at least the satellite providing perspective, what 'real', constant upkeep to their equipment is there that merits 'any' huge increase in pricing other than inflation?

I can see 'some' with cable, because of wires in the the air/ground & those expendables (and idiots coming in contact with said wires); that's a given. But even they squeeze their nickels till the buffalo shits (cheap in home equipment, no upgrades to broadcast equip. thus = shoddy pixelated broadcasts).

People argue that government should get out of business' pocket, but when they just run amok who's gonna call them on their shit? There used to be something said for dragging a guy out - tar & feathering him for cheating & stealing the public.

So ponder this... You're paying one of the satellites for a blacked out channel... Once they get the 'go ahead' to raise the fee - you have to pay them more for the channel you just went without for "X" number of weeks. No you tell me how the hell that's supposed to be justification when they 'owe you' for paying for something you didn't get, to finally paying much more.

I believe our wonderful society has yet found another definition for the word 'Greed'...

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12.7.2012 11:59 #4

bobiroc

On top of having the channels go dark they even took content off their websites to prevent DirectTV subscribers from seeing it. So not they prove they do not care about their fans or viewers.

All this makes me want to drop TV all together and just Netflix and torrent the shows I want to watch. There is too much crap on TV anyway these days.

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12.7.2012 20:36 #5

Memnock

Originally posted by bobiroc: On top of having the channels go dark they even took content off their websites to prevent DirectTV subscribers from seeing it. So not they prove they do not care about their fans or viewers.

All this makes me want to drop TV all together and just Netflix and torrent the shows I want to watch. There is too much crap on TV anyway these days. I already dropped TV altogether and I really don't miss it. An antenna, Netflix, and Hulu pretty much has me covered. It'll all HD. ETorrents are there for the rest. Comedy Central is one of the few channels I'd regular watch when I had Directv. So I'd be pretty annoyed if I was still paying them $80 a month.

12.7.2012 21:45 #6

Mr-Movies

I say stay away ViaCrap, shoot yourself in the foot.

13.7.2012 14:13 #7

ribbie149

Originally posted by Memnock: Originally posted by bobiroc: On top of having the channels go dark they even took content off their websites to prevent DirectTV subscribers from seeing it. So not they prove they do not care about their fans or viewers.

All this makes me want to drop TV all together and just Netflix and torrent the shows I want to watch. There is too much crap on TV anyway these days. I already dropped TV altogether and I really don't miss it. An antenna, Netflix, and Hulu pretty much has me covered. It'll all HD. ETorrents are there for the rest. Comedy Central is one of the few channels I'd regular watch when I had Directv. So I'd be pretty annoyed if I was still paying them $80 a month. You obviously don't watch much sports programming.

13.7.2012 14:14 #8

Mr-Movies

That's the big problem with dropping one of the many providers. I would love to drop DirecTV if it wasn't for Sports, the Movie Channels, and TCM. I have no interest in commercialized TV especially when I'm paying for it.

13.7.2012 14:49 #9

Memnock

Originally posted by ribbie149: You obviously don't watch much sports programming. I watch plenty of sports. My antennas gets the local teams. The ESPN app on Xbox 360 shows a lot of different games including Monday Night Football starting this year. I get every NBA game for under $50 which I can watch also on my TV. I can get NFL Sunday Ticket for $340 a year on PS3. That's not cheap, but it's every game. Those are the only sports I care enough about to want to be able view any possible game and it's still cheaper than the monthly cable / satellite bill.

If you really want to be cheap about it you can watch all the sports you want on any number of streaming sites like firstrowsports.

13.7.2012 15:33 #10

RandyStar

It seems to me that Viacom has shot itself in the foot by imposing a black out. Somebody needs to remind them that advertising rates are based on the number of viewers. If I were an advertiser on their channels, I would be calling Viacom customer service about a refund.

Greed is the new terrorism! And, this country WILL be destroyed by it. It just doesn't matter any more. Pay for what you want, and put the rest back on the shelf.

13.7.2012 16:39 #11

DADEO1

So will the advertisers want to pay a little less since their viewership has just dropped?

14.7.2012 10:31 #12

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