EchoStar/DISH Yanks Viacom Stations

Can you live without SpongeBob? Do you still want your MTV? You might be considering these questions if you're caught in the middle of the brewing battle between satellite TV provider EchoStar/DISH Network and network owner Viacom. EchoStar has pulled all Viacom stations off the air after the two companies failed to agree on payment hikes. Neither company appears ready to come to a peaceful solution.

Channels that EchoStar customers will no longer receive include the top-rated CBS network, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and VH-1. Involved markets are huge, including—but not limited to—New York, Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, affecting 1.6 million EchoStar customers receiving CBS local programming and all 9.5 million customers receiving the national stations.

In a public statement, EchoStar accused Viacom of "holding the public airwaves hostage" by asking for 40 percent rate increases for its channels. EchoStar also urged its customers to call Viacom and protest. Viacom has dismissed EchoStar's move to shut down its channels and has offered an "easy" fix for its customers: Simply switch to another means of receiving its channels—for example, cable providers Comcast or Cox Communications, or EchoStar rival DirecTV.

From our offices at Connected Home Magazine, we can hear the collective cry of frustration issuing from homes everywhere. This war better lead to peace soon, or the reputations of two major companies will be irrevocably stained.

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