Viacom and DISH Network Reach Long-Term Agreement

[tkmorris]

<snip>

Viacom and EchoStar Communications Corporation ( and its DISH Network) today announced that they have reached a long-term, multi-channel agreement that provides for the satellite TV distribution of CBS, BET, and the MTV Networks channels previously carried by DISH Network. "It's great to have our networks back in front of all our viewers, and to bring a new service, Nicktoons, to DISH Network subscribers," said Mel Karmazin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Viacom. "We apologize to our viewers for the disruption in their service, and want to thank them for their patience and support. We look forward to continuing to serve our viewers through DISH Network well into the future."

More: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040311/nyth057_1.html

YAY!! The Daily Show is back!

:party:

[POed_Ex_Repub]

1. Great News!

I don't even have DISH network.. But I've never seen so many negative ads blasting on my Viacom stations before.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

2. So Who Blinked?

I'm very curious. Sounds like Viacom, but I can't tell for sure from the press release.

DTH

[Melodybe]

3. hell yeah, they knew that they could not take the Daily Show from people

I mean WTF, Viacom owns the most liberal channels on TV, yes they are a big evil cooperation but bless them, they give us the Daily Show, South Park, and Chappelle Show. Sure we all know that they must get heat for those shows, but they are still there going into the homes of Millions giving them at least a small piece of what is really going on. They have handed all the shit in the last few weeks in top form. They have been better and smarter than ever.

Props to The Daily Show, David Letterman, Dave Chappelle, and the boys over at South Park for making all of our work just a little bit easier.

Also congratulations to all those Dish Subscribers, the huge cooperation may have more money than each of us individually , but it is our money they are sitting on. We can make or break them with the smallest of decisions, and it is long past time that we reminded them.

Yay for everyone that called and complained, I am so glad that you guys will still get your MTV2!

[tkmorris]

4. Hard to say

But Echostar did agree to carry the added channels that Viacom was trying to make them buy. DishNetworks was already running Spike TV and TV Land (which they apparently didn't want) and has agreed to participate in launching Nick Toons this spring.

In return Echostar seems to have gotten some written assurances about potential cost increases, though what assurances those are aren't clear. One Echostar exec did comment that Viacom offered to put in writing their promise that the cost increase would be no more than 6 cents per customer Echostar serves.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. Well they did in a full page LA Times ad this AM

Anyway..as a customer, I suppose I should thank them for giving me what I pay for along with ALL NIGHT PAID PROGRAMMING! Remember when we PURCHASED cable to be FREE of commercials?

[KissMyAsscroft]

6. I've always thought that was bullshit.

All night paid programming on every friggin channel.

[Beaker]

9. especially for people who work a second-shift type of job...

I used to have a job that ended at 12:30am- i'd come home and want to unwind with some TV, only to find my options other than info-mercials to be VERY limited. and it's especially frustrating when you're paying for the service in the first place.

[Beaker]

8. Dish DIDN'T WANT SpikeTv or TVland???

I LOVE SpikeTV. (except for the wrestling and gear-head stuff).
they've got Star Trek TNG, and the Bond Films.
and from what I understand, TVLand does pretty good with it's ratings- I like to watch the Dick Van Dyke show.

[Wabbajack]

7. Lucky for them

cause there's a new CSI tonight.

[randr]

10. When is someone going to start a satellite

network that allows you to pick the programing you want? 75% of what I am paying for I will never watch! Is there an option?

[supernova]

11. Agreed. I want a service

that lets me choose the channels I want, a la carte style.

They can still charge individually for channels, and charge more for premium channels like HBO, and PPV, but then I'd only pay for the stuff I'd actually watch.

[UTUSN]

12. Absolutely-------a la Carte Would Be Great

I just renewed with Dish a couple of weeks before they suspended Jon STEWERT from us, and had gone through my customary couple of weeks of agonizing before a decision emerges. The problems?----this rigid "package" system, where I only frequent about a half dozen channels but have to pay for 120. A couple of the the favored channels only come with the higher package. Meanwhile, I have NEVER even looked at the "hundred" others. There was a la carte available with the previous, big dish outlet, but they're the ones that started funneling their customers to small-dish.

While Dish is seen as on "our" side, and DirecTV is owned by MURDOCH, I almost defected because DirecTV, for the same yearly price, provides my local channels and PBS. Dish *does* raise the price a few dollars every year, like everybody else I guess.

Oh, the Dish CEO dude sez he reads every single e-mail: [e-mail]