Take a deep breath and think about it.

I used to call myself "little Miss Cranky-Pants". Over the last few years, I've change my outlook on life and am happier than before, but still working on my issues (aren't we all?) This is where I display and comment on the views of today, funny posts and constant chronicles of my annoying weight loss.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Sure Viacom; let me just pimp myself out for that cable bill.


This is from the Viacom website:

Statement from Viacom

NEW YORK, Dec. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The move by Time Warner Cable to force such channels as Nickelodeon, COMEDY CENTRAL and MTV off the air is another example of a cable company overreaching for profit at the expense of its viewers.

The renewal we are seeking is reasonable and modest relative to the profits TWC enjoys from our networks. We have asked for an increase of less than 25 cents per month, per subscriber, which adds up to less than a penny per day for all 19 of MTV Networks' channels.

We make this request because TWC has so greatly undervalued our channels for so long. 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.

Throughout the country, we have negotiated equitable license agreement renewals, or are in the final stages of renewals, with virtually every cable and satellite carrier. Nevertheless, Time Warner Cable has dismissed our efforts at a fair compromise and has effectively chosen to deny its customers some of the most popular TV shows on the air.

As a result, we are sorry to say that for Time Warner Cable customers our networks will go dark as of 12:01 on January 1st, denying Time Warner customers shows like Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and The Hills.

Ultimately, however, if Nickelodeon, COMEDY CENTRAL, MTV and the rest of our programming is discontinued -- over less than a penny per day -- we believe viewers will see this behavior by their cable company as outrageous. Time Warner Cable subscribers who are being handed a January 1st $3 monthly increase in Raleigh, Orange County, Los Angeles, and New York City are simultaneously facing the removal of beloved shows across 19 channels.

We find it a shame that Time Warner Cable remains unreasonable at this time. We hope its leadership will have a change of heart and will seek to negotiate a fair renewal agreement.

Um, are you kidding me? They are pulling shows, that we customers are already paying for, until they get more money from the cable guys? And they think that telling us that will make us hate the cable company?? Um, no Viacom. We all pay a ridiculous price for our cable services, so when you cut the programming because you want more money (forcing our bill to go higher) we don't get mad at cable luvs...we get pissed at YOU.

"The channels that would be affected are: Comedy Central, CMT: Pure Country, Logo, Palladia, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, MTV Tr3s, Nickelodeon, Noggin, Nick 2, Nicktoons, Spike, The N, TV Land, VH1, VH1 Classic, and VH1 Soul. Viacom has staked much of its revenue-growth prospects on its ability to extract higher carriage rates out of its cable and satellite affiliates despite an ad slowdown and weak ratings."

"Viacom said the increases would cost an extra 23 cents a month per subscriber — which works out to $35.9 million more in total"..."Part of the disagreement is that most of the popular shows are rerun on Web sites where Viacom collects advertising revenue that it does not share with Time Warner." - AP News, Yahoo web

So, Viacom keeps money from it's online viewers and advertisers, and now wants cable to pay them more; which means we would pay them more. See, I have a problem with that, and a very simple solution. FUCK YOU. Out of all of the shows listed, the only ace Viacom has is Comedy Central (because of the Colbert Report and Daily Show). All of the MTV channels are ass, and VH1 isn't much better. Granted, I have no kids so I don't value Nick as much as I used to, but having seen some of the shows recently, all of those writers should have pencils jammed into their hands. I am not paying more for 1 channel, and Time-Warner shouldn't have to either.

Viacom, I can't believe that you thought this tactic would work. Cable doesn't WANT to raise our rates...you are trying to force them to do it. So yeah, I am mad. I find it unreasonable and greedy. You are dispicable. We can't even afford heat and housing, yet CEOs are getting big money. Leave our TV alone, assholes!

posted by Gibulet @ 10:51 AM  

2 Comments:

  • At 5:47 PM, Blogger Gibulet said…

    There isn't anything to prove wrong; you haven't stated anything but a list of suppositions. Not even a hypothesis really. Nonetheless, here you go. Special thanks to snopes and usconstitution.net for the help.

    The minimum qualifications to be the President are specified in Article II of the Constitution. In order to be President a person must be a natural-born citizen of the US, must be at least 35 years old, and must have been a resident of the US for 14 years.

    This is straightforward, yet at the same time very vague. For instance…do those 14 years have to be consecutive, or cumulative? Do they have to be the 14 directly before the candidate’s election? (Apparently not, as it turns out; ask Herbert Hoover)

    Natural-born was also never explained in the Constitution. The fourteenth amendment touched on some parameters with “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” But again, that isn’t a complete definition either.

    The fact is, all a person really has to do to be a US citizen, is to BE BORN HERE. The only exceptions are children born to military and diplomatic leaders on assignments in foreign countries. Since Hawaii was admitted as the 50th state in 1959, and Obama was born there in 1961, he is an American; even if both of his parents had been non-citizens. He has produced a valid birth certificate that the Supreme Court has accepted.

    Lawsuits have been filed time and again regarding elegiblity of politicians’ origins. I mentioned Herbert Hoover, but others include John McCain, Dick Cheney and Barry Goldwater. It’s a last-ditch attempt to try and change the inevitable. Barrack Obama is a legal citizen who fit the requirements to run for the office of President of the United States. He won. Deal.

    For the record, in the event that your far-fetched craziness would happen in a parallel universe; I would still take Biden, Clinton, the Micheline Man or my own dog as President over that ancient idiot and the vacuous VP-Barbie.

    So dear Ted, the next time you feel the need to regale us with your personal conjectures, you could try getting your own blog, or responding to any of my numerous posts on the election and Obama himself.

    Not on the post involving my cable bill.

     

  • At 8:55 AM, Blogger Gibulet said…

    Well, I'll be damned. He ws inaugerated wasn't he? So much for THAT theory, huh? PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. Nice ring to it.

     

Post a Comment

<< Home