I feel like I’ve written this article before and I guess I have posted something very similar just a couple of years ago. So why the re-run? (Come to think of it that’s a very relevant term). Well it seems that Viacom is going around trying to shake down cable and satellite providers again, demanding huge rate hikes to make up for their shrinking revenues.
In recent years the corporation’s viewers have dropped off dramatically. Many customers no longer want to pay for large cable packages where networks with little or no viewers are subsidized by more successful ones. And with greater and greater streaming abilities, comes more and more customer choice. If I want to watch the one or two successful Viacom television shows, I can simply go to Netflix or god forbid, YouTube (enter gasp here), and watch without having to invest in a cable and satellite subscription. Which by the way is exactly why Viacom has struck deals with streaming companies like Netflix, Xbox Live and others while they tried to sue YouTube for copy right infringement. The fact is the general public is no longer all that interested in keeping networks afloat whose appeal is limited to one or two percent of the population.
As a Suddenlink subscriber, I was actually proud of my provider for not caving to the media giant’s unreasonable demands. And the more I hear Viacom’s attempts to enrage the “low information viewer,” on television and radio concerning the loss of our supposedly favorite programs I’m tempted to spent a few extra dollars on my provider’s products. The fact is I’ve not missed Viacom’s channels even a little bit. I couldn’t care a wit about their largely salacious programing. I mean honestly who even watches MTV anymore? If I never hear the words “Dating Naked,” in that order again it will be too soon! Thanks Viacom, not interested in “Rocking the Vote.” And I haven’t watched Comedy Central since they lost Mystery Science Theater, back in the 90’s sometime. So as the saying goes “good riddance to bad rubbish I must say.”
Oh and by the way Suddenlink has done a pretty fair job meeting popular demand in replacing the lost networks with ones customers actually want. Among other additions they’ve replaced Nick Jr. with Sprout, a network Direct TV’s been carrying for years. And they’ve picked up Glenn Beck’s fledgling news and current events network the Blaze.