DirecTV, Viacom standoff update: Viacom sees no end to dispute with satellite tv giant DirecTV

In a statement posted to the website whendirectvdrops.com , Viacom accused DirecTV of continuing to "purposefully and indefinitely deprive its subscribers of MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, TV Land, VH1, Spike, CMT and 18 other Viacom channels."

 

The DirecTV/Viacom dispute is one of the largest cable blackouts in the industry's history and analysts say they're not holding their breath for a quick resolution. Both sides have too much at stake in a fight affecting 20 million DirecTV customers.

 

Many industry watchers think Viacom will get some of the fee increase it's seeking, but not without a protracted battle -- and no one has any real sense of how long this could last. Cable skirmishes are common, but this one is a clash of titans, with both sides digging in hard.

 

Here is the complete statement released by Viacom:

 

We made a significant and comprehensive compromise proposal to DIRECTV last Thursday that could have resulted in restoring all of our services to DIRECTV subscribers by Friday morning. We have since made several additional compromise proposals – even as recently as last night – to find a resolution acceptable to DIRECTV.

 

Unfortunately, DIRECTV has moved backwards significantly and created more obstacles to reaching an agreement."

 

Rather than fulfill its promise to subscribers for a quick resolution of this negotiation, it now appears that DIRECTV will continue to purposefully and indefinitely deprive its subscribers of MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, TV Land, VH1, Spike, CMT and 18 other Viacom channels.

 

We sympathize with frustrated DIRECTV customers and hope that they will take advantage of the services of the many alternate distributors throughout the U.S. that continue to make Viacom’s popular networks available.