Viacom wanted a "more than 100%" rate increase for fifteen to twenty four stations, only two of which have not been losing viewership. Our cable company stood firm and kicked the stations--including the stations that used to play music videos--to the curb.
The only one we'll miss is Nickelodeon, for the 8:30-1:00 time slot. The kids will miss Team Umizoomi, Dora the Explorer (although I won't miss that one), Bubble Guppies, and Wallykazam. I will miss the first and last--math and reading education--but not enough to have been willing to tolerate a rate increase for the service.
However...I am aware that the first three shows are available to watch for free online. And we have a Roku box, but haven't gotten it hooked up, yet. That will be the next priority for Odysseus...after he fixes the toilet in the kids' bathroom.
I'm kinda curious about what stations the cable company will pick up to replace the dropped Viacom stations.
7 minutes ago
Usually the cable company and the stations will eventually reach an agreement then hopefully you will get you Nick back. Go Dora!
ReplyDeleteProblem is that Viacom is demanding too much, and will not give on any of it. I don't care if I get Nick back or not--the stuff the kids like is available online. And I've heard that they're going to give us BBC America, and The Blaze, both of which I'd rather have.
DeleteHonestly, we watch maybe 3 or 4 hours of cable TV a week. Everything else is either from DVD or Netflix/Amazon. The Roku is a great little box.
ReplyDeleteThe kids watch a lot more than that, because PBS's stuff has gone to shit.
DeleteIf they went to an ala carte menu, you would see a whole bunch of those channels go under overnight. Sure, people like some of them, but not enough to pay extra for them one at a time.
ReplyDeleteProblem is that Viacom knows that most people wouldn't be willing to pay for most of their stations. They use the one or two people like to force the rest.
DeleteLooks like my local cable company caved; all the channels are back (I think they never left, but I watch them so rarely I didn't think to check, but I did see SpongeBob on yesterday afternoon, so).
ReplyDeleteI fully expect the cable company to now cry poor and tell us we need to pony up $5 or $10 more a month, because of their "heroic" effort in "saving" those channels.
(I watch almost none of the Viacom channels. I wouldn't mind if they went away. I occasionally watch Nick or NickToons but that's about it)
If they jack up the price on the basic cable (and I will be watching), we will drop the TV. We barely watch it as it is, outside of the kids' stuff on in the mornings, and we have the Roku box, and lots of DVDs. Including DVDs of things the kids love that aren't on anymore (Avengers cartoon, Young Justice, Winnie the Pooh, etc.).
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