Reviews:
 ·ProLog
 ·DIRECTV
1 edit | reply to sansri88
Re: TWC/Brighthouse ftw I posted this in the TWC thread, but here goes for the front page...
I'm a Comcast sub and yet I saw the ticker. Uninvolved parties are getting involved. The gestapo tactics these media companies do need to come to an end. It's unfair buisness practce. Now how many overworked call center agents at TW and Brighthouse have to field all the angry calls? Not to mention call center agents from other providers getting hit with "is this going to happen to us?". What a big waste of time. Also they are ruining their own programming and web sites with that banner.
Um, Viacom, would it be better to get what your making now from TWC and BH, or how about a BIG FAT ZERO? Hmm, last time I looked, something is better than NOTHING. I say go without and let Viacom see some red ink on their books from loss of viewership. TWC is the second largest cable operator next to Comcast. That's quite a few MILLION customers that will no longer see your programming Viacom. Your advertisers will no longer pay you as much money because your audience is now greatly reduced. Viacom, your in a loose-loose situation. Oh and whatever happened to MUSIC television? Bring back MTV-X.
Time Warner/Bright House - Stand your ground. If they deauth your receivers replace the feeds with a continuous loop blasting Viacom and what it does for cable rates. Time to educate the customers who the REAL BADGUYS ARE. |
|
Reviews:
·ProLog
·DIRECTV
| From:
»www.engadgethd.com/2008/12/31/am···g-crawl/
American Cable Association calls out Viacom's annoying crawl
by Richard Lawler, posted Dec 31st 2008 at 6:47PM
We're not sure how this demand will be received, but the American Cable Association's argument is simple: if only Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks subs are in danger of losing MTV Networks channels at the stroke of midnight, why are we all bothered with an annoying crawl message? Of course, that plea is couched by statements backing TWC and BHN's reluctance to agree to new higher programming fees, but those of us eagerly anticipating a Miley-Sized surprise during tonight's NYE celebration that have a different provider could do without the interruptions. |
|
2 edits | reply to cypherstream
personally, The only one I'll miss is Comedy Central, and not by much. Spike and MTV are useless anymore.
Although I can see it now. Little Billy walking into their parents room tomorrow morning with a tear in his eye saying one thing all day.
"Daddy? I can't watch SpongeBob. I wanna watch SpongeBob! SpongeBob told me yesterday that the mean cable company wanted to get rid of him! WHY DID THE MEAN CABLE COMPANY WANT TO GET RID OF SPONGEBOB!! HE DIDN"T DO ANYTHING WRONG!!"
--
Frankly, I no longer fear Hell anymore, because I know Satan will just put me in my old office and proceed to unleash an unending barrage of stupidity towards me. |
|
 PolarBear03The bear formerly known as aaron8301Premium
join:2005-01-03 | reply to cypherstream
said by cypherstream:if only Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks subs are in danger of losing MTV Networks channels at the stroke of midnight, why are we all bothered with an annoying crawl message? Because Viacom is running a campaign to try and turn ALL TV viewers against TWC. It's extremely childish and immature, and even if I was a TWC customer, I'd say let's play hardball and let them pull the channels, and see how they like the lost revenue from TWC AND their advertisers.
They're being childish assholes, and they're gonna get screwed in the end. |
|
axus
join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC
1 edit | reply to SmD Frylock
"Yes, son, blame the cable company."
Thinks to himself "At last! No more SpongeBob!" |
|
| reply to PolarBear03
said by PolarBear03:Because Viacom is running a campaign to try and turn ALL TV viewers against TWC. It's extremely childish and immature, and even if I was a TWC customer, I'd say let's play hardball and let them pull the channels, and see how they like the lost revenue from TWC AND their advertisers. The explanation is actually a lot simpler.
The reason that everyone is seeing the crawl about TWC is because it originates at master control.
The reason it originates at master control is because that is the most effective way Viacom can get the word out to TWC subs.
That's it, no grand conspiracy. |
|
PolarBear03The bear formerly known as aaron8301Premium
join:2005-01-03 | I didn't say it was a conspiracy, just an immature method of conveying their stance. Not only the delivery method itself, but also how the message implies that it's all TWC's fault, so call them and bitch. It's a disagreement between BOTH parties, making each party equally responsible. Yet Viacom wasn't giving out THEIR phone number, only TWC/BH's.
As I said, childish behavior, because they know they have just as much (more, IMHO) to lose if TWC tells them to shove it. |
|
| So how else were they to get all viewers to know the channels were being pulled?
Inserting the crawl in at master was the cheapest and most effective way to do it. The other cable companies seeing the message was simply collateral damage. |
|
PolarBear03The bear formerly known as aaron8301Premium
join:2005-01-03 | Why did they need to at all? Since they ended up renegotiating the contract before they pulled the channels anyway (as they pretty much knew they would since in my time I've never heard of Viacom actually pulling all those channels from a major provider), all they managed to do was alarm a bunch of subscribers unnecessarily.
Not only that, they weren't JUST notifying viewers that the channels were going to be pulled, but also implying it was TWC/BH's fault by asking viewers to call TWC/BH and complain. As I said before, notice they weren't putting up their own number? They didn't even mention their own name (a lot of viewers don't realize that Viacom owns all those channels).
I think that TWC should be able to sue Viacom for defamation. They did a good job making TWC look really bad, simply because THEY (Viacom) wanted a huge increase.
If I went around as a sat installer doing shitty installs and telling customers it's DirecTV's fault that the install sucks so bad simply because I wanted a raise and they wouldn't give me one, I guarantee you DirecTV would fire my ass. The only difference is DTV could get a new installer to replace me. TWC can't get MTV, Nick, and Comedy Central from somewhere else.
That still doesn't mean they should have to tolerate the badmouthing, though. Viacom should give up their right to even ask for an increase after that smear campaign. If I went around telling my customers that DirecTV sucks, I certainly wouldn't expect a raise. |
|
|
|
| Dream on.
It's just business as usual. Viacom presented the facts. There's no defamation. Both of them were playing an elaborate game of chicken.
It's not like this hasn't happened before. Charlie Ergen ALWAYS has fights with programming providers, which is why DISH keeps dropping channels from time to time and then picking them back up. |
|
