Do we need a cable TV bailout?
Posted Wed, 2008-12-31 03:45
Newsflash: I was working on the Top 100 stories for Volusia County at 2 this morning when I took a break to watch "The Fresh Prince" on Nick At Night. I was stunned with the four ALERTS that ran across the screen announcing Time Warner and Bright House customrs were losing this chanel as well as 18 others, including MTV, V-H1, TV Land and Comedy Central -- all belonging to Viacom. Apparently this tkes effect Jan. 1. I am stunned. I jumperd back online and started searching for stories on the subject. I came across an Associated Press story that detailed an apparent stalemate bwtween Time Warner, parent company of Bright House, and Viacom, over Viacom's demand for an icrease in subscriber fees. I'll look into it more later in the day as I need sleep, but this is absolutely absurd. And how come the public wasn't alerted to this sooner? I quickly scanned the Web sites for the Daytona Beach News-Journal and the Orlando Sentinel, but didn't find anything. Does this mean Bright House will have to rebate its customers?
About the Blogger
Henry Frederick is editor and publisher of Headline Surfer, Florida's 24/7 Internet newspaper in New Smyrna Beach, launched April 7, 2008. Owned by NSB News LLC with Frederick as its sole corporate member, It is also referred by its original name, NSBNews.net and as VolusiaNews.net. Frederick is an award-winning breaking news and investigative journalist who has covered police and courts in Florida, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, dating back to the mid-1980s. He has covered many of the high profile cases in the Daytona Beach and DeLand courtrooms in Volusia County, including the numerous appellate hearings for serial killer Aileen Wuornos, and ultimately, witnessing her execution. He graduated from Central Connecticut State University in New Britain in 1984, with a B.A. in political science/public admin. and a minor in writing. He received the "President's Citation" for academic honors and service to the university.
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Comments
Viacom
This is just like when they had a disagreement with the local channels who then began telling everyone on the news reports to call their local brighthouse office and tell them you want your local stations to stay. The local stations wanted the same thing a raise in fees. Apparently a deal was made since we still get local channels. Nothing stays the same, all prices go up but holding people's channels hostage to get the raise seems way out of line to me. Please do keep researching this and inform us. Each time this happens our monthly rates go up too. How much more can we take of this"manipulation"? In my book that's exactly what it is.