Dish Network BLOCKS OUT Viacom channels???

Dispute involves fees payable to Viacom for the rights to carry programming. Viacom owns Nick, MTV and CBS affiliates in about 10-12 large cities.

Directv is NOT involved. Simple contract renewal dispute btween Viacom and Dish

Viacom pulled the rights to broadcast the channels, not the other way around. The two sides have stated that the other is the problem.

Dish says that Viacom is looking for a rate increase 4x the rate of inflation. It also has been reported that Viacom is trying to make Dish carry Nicktoons. Dish says Nicktoons will add nothing to their line up, except cost. Viacom says that Americans spend 20% of their TV watching time watching Viacom stations and the increase they are looking for is reasonable.

I for one appreciate Dish Network holding out and showing that Viacom is not as important as they think. I will miss recording the local CBS station on my Dish PVR, but I can watch them on my terrestrial HDTV tuner. The channels my household will miss most are the Nickelodeon channels. I guess, they kids will have to watch more Disney channels during their TV time.

CNN tried a similar thing with Dish and backed off. They were trying to get a large rate increase while their viewership had dropped 34% over the same period.

Dish says this is how they control increases to their customers. Their customers will receive a $1/ month credit for local channel loss and $1 for MTV loss for the length of the dispute.

Best Regards.

I have a local HDTV antenna and the quality is better than satellite. I don't miss them at all.

Yeah, we'll get a $1 credit (I don't have the locals), but somewhere I heard that Viacom was getting $4 or $5 per subscriber for the channels from Dish. Where's the rest of the $3 or $4??

Viacom is trying to get a big raise in an age when most people are just happy to be working. I'd love to take a pull of AudioGoner's salary history during this century. I'd probably see some gaps in pay for alot of us.

p.s. I hope Charlie Ergen holds out. (He owns Echostar / DishNetwork). Yeah, he's the 40th richest publicly held salary BUT he is in touch with us normal people. (Baby Doc Bush could learn a thing or two from him).

If Viacom fell off the face of the Earth, it would be a better place. I don't have Dish Network, but i applaud the stance that they are taking. Sean
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PS... Did anyone ever notice the "logo" for CBS ( Viacom ) is the "eye of Horus" ???

I know in So. CA. a few years back Cable had a problem with Fox. Just about 1/2 the summer of that year: No Dodger games. I think it's hard to not see your team; and then have to take sides. As a typical consumer; I want what I want; when I want it.--- I'm an American and I just assume they're both trying to put the screws to me.---How can you take sides on that?

All the channels are back as of this morning. That was quick!