Time Warner Cable subscribers that are fans of TNA Wrestling, The Colbert Report, Spongebob Squarepants or The Hills may have to ring in the new year without their favorite programs. Viacom channels, including MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Nickelodeon, SpikeTV and 14 other networks appear set to go dark on Time Warner Cable systems at midnight Wednesday. Viacom is preparing to pull the channels as part of a license agreement renewal dispute between the two companies.
While the exact number of affected customers was not available at press time, the dispute will affect all of Time Warner Cable’s top markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tampa-St. Petersburg/Sarasota (Brighthouse), Cleveland, Cincinnati and others.
Viacom asked Time Warner Cable for an increase of just under 25 cents per subscriber per month for carrying its 19 channels. The company justified the increase by saying its channels have been undervalued by Time Warner Cable. “Americans spend more than 20% of their TV viewing time watching our networks, yet our fees amount to less than 2.5% of what Time Warner generates from their average customer,” said a Viacom statement.
While the percentage increase per channel Viacom is seeking was not provided, someone close to the matter pegged it in the low double digits.
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