EchoStar vs Viacom

[Gonz]

Is like Clinton vs the Republicans....all I want is the truth

Who is actually deciding to make the channels go dark?
Viacom will be making the channels go dark by not granting DISH Network permission to broadcast their channels.

These channels and CBS stations, owned by Viacom, have proposed excessive rate increases which we feel are unreasonable. Viacom is demanding rate increases nearly 4 times the rate of inflation for various cable channels, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars in fees that would increase the cost of our services to you.

EchoStar has been trying to paint itself as the victim in this situation. To hear them tell it, they were forced to pull the plug on our networks to protect their subscribers from the “exorbitant” rate increases and unfair carriage requirements we were trying to “foist” on them.

We don't really understand why. Because despite what they are saying now, the increases we've been asking for are both modest and reasonable -- amounting to less than 6 cents per month per subscriber for all of our services (combined) including CBS and BET.

And the facts make it clear that EchoStar/DISH Network's decision to pull the plug on our channels shows they care a lot more about lining their own pockets than about what matters to their subscribers. Rather than negotiate in good faith like every other cable and satellite operator, they prefer to peddle insults, distortions, and outright untruths. Which is to say they are not acting in the public interest or in a commercially reasonable manner.

 

[chcr]

Kind of get the idea that both sides are greedy bastards?

Okay, lawyers. I apologize for insulting the bastards.

 

[Gonz]

The volleying back and forth between the aggrieved parties was unusually nasty. EchoStar, on a message it recorded for callers who were seeking to find out what had happed to the Viacom stations, included the home phone number of Viacom's president, Mel Karmazin.

 

[chcr]

Please direct all complaints to...

 

[Gonz]

So, for those who are interested, it appears Charlie Egan is the hero. Last night at 2:59AM EST, a court order, forcing Viacom to allow Echostar to carry their programming, ran out.

Mr Egan doesn't wish to pay Viacom, a $27B corporation, the extra $.06 per customer per month, which seems like squat but is over $550,000. per month. This move makes me proud to be a DishNetwork customer yet angry because I want my MTV

 

[Inkara1]

Don't be bitching. You're not the one who has to knock on people's doors trying to sell them Dish Network with this shit going on.

I'd like to know where Viacom got their "they recently raised their rates by $3" idea though.

 

[Gonz]

There was a rate increase at the beginning of the year (2nd or 3rd one in 5+ years)

 

[Inkara1]

Around here, they raised it from $24.99 to $29.99, but changed it from the top 50 to the top 60 and threw in the local channels, which used to cost an extra $5.99.

In any case, they reached an agreement so now the Viacom channels are back.