TimeWarner-Viacom putting the screw to COLBERT-SpongeBob and other fans

[UTUSN]

Dish satellite just had a crawl on Comedy Central saying, "Pay up or lose it tonight" (paraphrase).

*******QUOTE*******

http://my.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20081231/495afc50_3ca6_15526200812311866351760

'Colbert,' 'SpongeBob' may go dark on Time Warner

By RYAN NAKASHIMA (AP Business Writer)
From Associated Press
December 31, 2008 11:45 AM EST

LOS ANGELES - "SpongeBob SquarePants" might get squeezed off Time Warner Cable.

Media giant Viacom Inc. said its Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and 16 other channels will go dark for 13 million subscribers at 12:01 a.m. Thursday if a new carriage fee deal with Time Warner Cable Inc. is not agreed upon by then.

The impasse would mean "SpongeBob" and other popular shows like Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" and Stephen Colbert's "The Colbert Report" will be cut off on the nation's second-largest cable operator. Time Warner Cable primarily serves people in New York state, the Carolinas, Ohio, Southern California and Texas. ....

Part of the disagreement is that most of Viacom's popular shows are rerun on Web sites where Viacom collects advertising revenue that it does not share with Time Warner, Dudley said. "We don't think that's fair," he said.

Viacom has staked much of its revenue-growth prospects on its ability to extract higher carriage rates out of its cable and satellite affiliates despite an ad slowdown and weak ratings. ....

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[camera obscura]

1. For the first time in my adult lifetime, I'm proud to be a Comcast user

[4 t 4]

2. Those Fuckers, like Time Warner doesn't make enough money

Happy New Year !

[2Design]

3. viacom is acting like a mafia bully and is greedy - do not give in to them n/t

[dorkulon]

4. Ugh--I hate this. I can only hope they straighten it out quickly

Fios doesn't reach my neighborhood and I've heard pretty bad things about Dish.

It's ridiculous for Time Warner to expect revenue for clips on a website.

[UTUSN]

6. Sincerely asking, what bad things have you heard about Dish?

I've been with Dish for years and I'm not crazy about the rates going up $10 or so every year, and when there's a storm the signal goes out for little whiles, but I haven't had to buy a new receiver in all that time (there goes the jinx), and they claim to be a couple of bucks cheaper than DirecTV, which is owned by MURDOCH, so....?

Really, what bad things have YOU heard? It's almost renewal time for me and I'd like to know!1 Thanks in advance!1

[dorkulon]

8. "when there's a storm the signal goes out for little whiles"

In Buffalo, NY, that's kind of a big deal. Also, I've heard nightmare stories about their customer service, but then again, stories like those abound for most providers. If you're happy, I wouldn't switch.

[recoveringrepublican]

20. I live in Florida, storm central during the summer, and never had too big of a problem with Dish

The only reason why we switched to brighthouse was because it was cheaper with the package. Not sure if winter storms would be better or worse than constant thunder/tropical storms, but I really enjoyed having Dish. I really miss Free Speech TV.

[Rainbowreflect]

12. I have had Dish for about 10 years and been very happy.

I live in Nebraska with thunderstorms, snow storms, and other crappy weather and we lose Dish a lot less than we lost cable. Plus I really don't like Time Warner.

[dorkulon]

15. Well I'm with you there.

Do you have Dish internet? How is it?

[Rainbowreflect]

17. Nope, not able to get Dish internet here.

[ZoltarSpeaks]

21. DISH went through something like this with Viacom...

a few years ago.

I remember that the threat was that Comedy Central (and some others) were going to be off indefinitely, so I had already called to threaten cancellation. As it turned out, The Daily Show was back on within a few days, so they worked out their issues quickly.

We have had DISH for over ten years (back when they had only a single satellite)and we have be very happy with the programming and service. The only time we get dropouts here (in MN) are when serious storm cells are bearing in from the SW. When DISH goes out it gets your attention, because the weather radio alarm follows in 15-30 seconds. Dropouts are a rare event in our area and I just switch over to the DVR for something to watch for a few minutes (if I'm not hiding in the basement).

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. No probls with DISH for us

Had it since 9/05, no increase in bills, 2 tv sets on same hookup.
Customer service in India, of course, but if I am calm and polite, they are helpful.
Only had to use them twice for billing problems early in the game.

[Echo In Light]

5. How's about we put the screw to FOX/CNN/M$M instead?!

[ColbertWatcher]

7. NOOOOOOOO!

Doesn't Time Warner know what this will do to America!?

If they do this, the terrorists win!

[dorkulon]

9. Time Warner needs to go on the "Dead to me" list! /nt

[ColbertWatcher]

10. They've been added to the Threat Down ...

http://www.wikiality.com/Threat_Down

[dorkulon]

14. ...

[ColbertWatcher]

19. LOL! There ya go! n/t

[sam sarrha]

11. i don't watch it any more, i spend a ot of time reading and on the computer i built

[TheKentuckian]

13. All the cable monopolies need to be broken up or even nationalized

nt

[Sebastian Doyle]

16. Time Warner's music division also recently pulled their channel off of You Tube

This "intellectual property" royalties scam bullshit has gone too fucking far.

Nobody should get royalties for a goddamn low quality flash video.