On This Day | Drake & Josh Premieres | Nickelodeon

Hug me, brotha! Drake & Josh premiered on this day 15 years ago, Sunday, January 11, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. in the TEENick programming block!


The TEENick line-up that night:

6:00pm - As Told By Ginger ("The Right Stuff")
6:30pm - Romeo! ("He Got Blame")
7:00pm - My Life as a Teenage Robot (half-ep, to allow time for TEENick segments)
7:30pm - Drake & Josh ("Pilot")
8:00pm - Drake & Josh ("Pilot")
8:30pm - Sabrina, the Teenage Witch

Did you hear? Josh Peck and his wife, Paige O’Brien have just welcomed a baby together! Meet Max Milo Peck!

Catch more Drake & Josh on TeenNick!

Check out Nickelodeon's On This Day and Remember When Facebook pages to find out awesome Nick moments from every era throughout Nickelodeon history!

More Nick: 2019 on Nickelodeon | New Shows, Specials, Events, Movies, Episodes, and More!

H/T: Nickandmore! (II), Anime Superhero forum /@kanc.

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MTV2 USA To Start To Show "Just Jordan" From Sunday 16th October 2016

Nick and More is reporting the exciting news that MTV USA's sister channel, MTV2, already airing Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel and last week’s addition of Nick comedy Romeo!, is adding another Nickelodeon family sitcom, Just Jordan!

Just Jordan joins with a block of six episodes on Sunday 16th October 2016 from 10am to approximately 1:20pm (ET/PT). MTV2 does not have a set schedule, as they marathon different shows each day. Check listings for future airings.

Below is a list of Just Jordan episodes that MTV 2 will air on Sunday 16th October 2016, via Screener TV Listings:

10:00am - Air Jordan: After moving to Los Angeles, Jordan is confident that he will make the varsity basketball team at his new school.

10:33am - Fools in the Hood: Jordan, Tony and Joaquin act like bad boys in order to get girls to notice them.

11:06am - Get a Job: Jordan stops working at the diner in order to work at his grandfather's rival's restaurant.

11:35am - No Justice, No Pants: Jordan decides to protest when he has to start wearing a uniform to school.

12:10pm - Lemme See Your Grill: Jordan's mother makes him return the motorized scooter that he purchased; Grandpa spoils Monica with a shopping spree.

12:45pm - Fist of Funny: Jordan tries to prevent his mother from dating his martial-arts instructor.

Just Jordan stars stand-up comedian Lil' JJ as Jordan Lewis, a teen who has moved to Los Angeles from Little Rock. He has to work in his gruff grandfather's diner, and survive with a silly younger sister, a critical cousin, and his over-protective Mom who seems to know all his misdeeds before he even conceives of them.

The series originally aired on Nick USA from 2007-2008 as a part of the network's TEENick programming block lineup and ran for 30 episodes over two seasons.

Just Jordan co-starred Eddy Martin (Fred: The Movie, Glee) as Joaquin Osmando Montez, Justin Chon (The Twilight Saga) as Tony Lee, Raven Goodwin (Glee, Everybody Hates Chris, Malcolm in the Middle) as Tangie Cunningham, Kristen Combs (School Gyrls) as Monica Lewis, Shania Accius (Moesha, The Parkers) as Pamela "Pam" Cunningham-Lewis, Beau Billingslea (The Last: Naruto the Movie, Star Trek Continues, Married... with Children, Mad About You) as Grant Cunningham, Chelsea Harris (Baby Daddy, Modern Family) as Tamika Newsome, and Chelsea Tavares (Unfabulous, The Middle, Fright Night) as Autumn Williams.

Additional sources: Wikipedia, IMDb.

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DirecTV's Summer 2012 Dispute With Viacom Dents DirecTV's Subscription Numbers

From C21Media:

Viacom row dents DirecTV subs

DirecTV has blamed its high cancellation rate during the third quarter of this year on its contract dispute with Viacom, which led to more than 20 channels removed for nine days this summer.

The satellite platform saw its US revenues for the three months to September 30 increase 6% year-on-year to US$5.77bn, up from US$5.42bn.

It attributed this to a larger subscriber base, which grew by 67,000 customers during the period. However, this was down from 327,000 in Q3 2011, a drop the company said was “due to lower gross subscriber additions as well as an increase in the average monthly churn rate.”

DirecTV’s quarterly financial statement released yesterday added: “The higher churn rate in the quarter was principally driven by a contract dispute with a large programmer that resulted in the removal of several channels for nine days in the third quarter.”

Viacom’s 26 channels, including Nickelodeon and MTV, were pulled by DirecTV for nine days in July following a row over carriage fees until a new deal was agreed later that month.

And this led to a higher-than-expected cancellation rate of 1.74%, up from 1.62% for the same period last year.

DirecTV now has a US subscriber base of 19.98 million, up from 19.76 million this time last year.

Meanwhile, DirecTV Latin America drew revenue of US$1.58bn for the third quarter, up from US$1.36bn year-on-year.

It also saw a subscriber increase of 543,000 for the three months to September 30, though this is down from 574,000 for the same period last year. The service now has 9.67 million subscribers in total, up from 7.28 million.

The platform’s Latin American business includes 93% of Sky Brasil, 100% of PanAmericana and 41% of Sky Mexico, though the latter operation is not included in these figures. When Sky Mexico’s 4.88 million subscribers are taken into account, DirecTV Latin America’s business extends to 14.55 million customers.

Overall, DirecTV’s revenues for the quarter rose 8% to US$7.42bn year-on-year, with net income of US$565m, up from US$516m.

DirecTV is currently in production on its first original scripted series, Rogue.

Michael Pickard
07-11-2012
©C21Media

North American Pop And R&B Recording Artist Ne-Yo To Make Special Appearance At Nickelodeon's Fourth Annual "TeenNick HALO Awards"

According to this Nickelodeon News article on Clizbeats.com, the North American pop and R&B recording artist, record producer, dancer and actor Ne-Yo (also known as Shaffer Chimere Smith) will be making a special appearance at Nickelodeon upcoming fourth annual "TeenNick HALO Awards", Nickelodeon's annual award show which recognises real-life teens who are "Helping and Leading Others" (HALO), which Nickelodeon USA will hold and tape live from the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California, USA on Saturday 17th November 2012 and premiere and show on television on Monday 19th November 2012 at 8.00pm (ET/PT) as part of Nickelodeon USA'S Nick at Nite programming block line-up:

Ne-Yo Debut's R.E.D. Album With Obama Boosting Anthem "Forward"

[...]

This week’s release of R.E.D. launches one of the most intensive television campaigns in NE-YO's career, beginning with his Monday morning appearance on ABC's The View, and Wednesday performance on BET's 106 & Park. NE-YO is set for CBS's The Late Show with David Letterman on Wednesday night, and then he travels to Las Vegas to tape the Soul Train Music Awards on Thursday (to be broadcast Nov. 25th), and returns to New York to wrap up the week with ABC's Good Morning America on Friday. Upcoming tv appearances continue with Ellen (Nov. 13); ABC's Dancing With the Stars (Nov. 13); ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live (Nov. 14); the Nickelodeon Halo Awards (Nov. 19); CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute (Dec. 2); and NBC's The Voice (Dec. 4).

[...]

You can find more information about Nickelodeon's "2012 TeenNick HALO Awards" here in this "TeenNick HALO Awards 2012" Nickelodeon Press Release on NickALive!.

Tyra Banks, Justin Bieber, Josh Duhamel And Emma Stone Honor Four Teens For Their Commitment To Service In Fourth Annual TeenNick HALO Awards

Below is a Nickelodeon Press Release from PRNewswire:

Tyra Banks, Justin Bieber, Josh Duhamel and Emma Stone Honor Four Teens for Their Commitment to Service in Fourth Annual TeenNick HALO Awards

Live Awards Event Hosted by TeenNick Chairman Nick Cannon To Tape in Los Angeles on Nov. 17 and Premiere Nov. 19 on Nick at Nite

*Art available upon request or at www.nickpress.com

NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2012 /Nickelodeon Press Release via PRNewswire/ -- Tyra Banks, Justin Bieber, Josh Duhamel and Emma Stone join creator, host and executive producer Nick Cannon in celebrating four exceptional teens in this year's TeenNick HALO Awards. Recognizing real-life teens who are "Helping and Leading Others" (HALO), the fourth annual awards show pairs each honoree with a mega-celebrity who shares their commitment to service. The TeenNick HALO Awards will be taped live from the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 17 and premiere Monday, Nov. 19, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nick at Nite. The 90-minute special will feature musical performances, celebrity presenters and special surprises. The TeenNick HALO Awards will encore Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 10 p.m. (ET) on TeenNick.

(Download image: Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121030/NY02413; Caption: Nick Cannon will host the Fourth Annual TeenNick HALO Awards airing on Nick at Nite Monday, Nov. 19 at 8 PM (ET/PT).)"Each year we continue to be inspired by young people giving of themselves and we are honored to give back to them," said Nick Cannon. "We applaud these HALO honorees and their outstanding commitment to service on a local and national level."

"The TeenNick HALO Awards started out as a concept Nick Cannon brought to us and it's become a movement that has grown with every person it touches – the teens who serve others, the celebrities who honor them, the people whose lives they've impacted and the viewers who are left inspired," said Paula Kaplan, Executive Vice President, Current Series, Nickelodeon. "We hope by celebrating teens each year with this show, it will motivate other teens to create positive changes in their communities."

Each TeenNick HALO Award honoree was surprised by a visit from Cannon, awarded a grant for their organization and given an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and connect with a celebrity who shares a similar passion for their cause. This year's honorees are:

Allyson Ahlstrom, 17, Santa Rosa, Calif. (paired with Tyra Banks) -- A bubbly and fashion forward self-starter, Allyson Ahlstrom was inspired to combine her love of fashion and community service to create Threads for Teens, an organization that collects and distributes clothing to disadvantaged (low income, foster care, etc.) teen girls. She provides one-on-one support to every one of the girls as they shop, bonding over fashion, talking about their lives and sharing motivational advice. In just two years Ahlstrom moved her organization into a fashionable pink boutique, raised over $130,000 in product donations and outfitted over 200 girls. Ahlstrom's HALO match, Tyra Banks, started TZONE at the Lower Eastside Girls Club, providing a rich mix of career development workshops, mentoring, experiential learning opportunities, financial literacy initiatives and community-wide events so hundreds of girls will build self-esteem and develop the tools they need to prepare for lives as entrepreneurs and change-makers in the world.

Matt Ferguson, 18, Hillsboro, Ore. (paired with Emma Stone) -- Matt Ferguson was inspired to start Matt's Chemo Bags after finding out his mom had been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. He began building bags of essential items (lotion, tissues, warm socks, a handmade blanket, a lap pillow, notebook) to distribute to women suffering from breast cancer in hopes that it would bring them the same comfort that a similar bag brought his own mother as she went through chemotherapy. His organization now services all of Oregon, Southwest Washington, and Northern California and has distributed over 7,500 bags. Ferguson's HALO match, Emma Stone, is an advocate for Stand Up To Cancer, an initiative created to accelerate innovative cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now.

Kylie Lan Tumiatti, 16, West Melbourne, Fla. (paired with Justin Bieber) -- Kylie Lan Tumiatti developed a passion for giving back to the community early on, after watching her younger sister struggle with learning English. Tumiatti decided to help others who faced similar obstacles and partnered with Operation Hope Florida, a non-profit facility that provides prekindergarten classes to children of migrant workers. Together they implemented a literacy program that enhances the language skills of young children while simultaneously instilling a love of stories and books. Tumiatti's HALO match, Justin Bieber, is big supporter of Pencils of Promise, which works to build schools and increase educational opportunities in the developing world.

Taylor Waters, 19, Sanford, N.C. (paired with Josh Duhamel) -- A compassionate leader and aspiring teacher, Taylor Waters belief in giving back to her community stems from her personal experiences with disaster. She continues to encourage youth involvement through her hometown American Red Cross and she is establishing her own Red Cross Club at East Carolina University. Waters' HALO match is Josh Duhamel, who supports the disaster relief efforts of the American Red Cross, as well as his hometown's Minot Area Community Foundation in North Dakota which establishes permanently endowed funds to support both local and national charities and charitable causes.

The offerings on the TeenNick HALO Awards dedicated site will include behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews with the HALO honorees, along with celeb and honoree profiles, photo galleries and a collection of inspiring, HALO-themed personality quizzes. Content will also be available via TeenNick's social media channels and will roll out throughout the month of November and in the week leading up to the event. Users can upload their own videos explaining how they HALO, with the best videos to appear on air and on TeenNick.com. Users will also be able to nominate a friend for next year's TeenNick HALO Awards.

Presenting sponsors of the fourth annual TeenNick HALO Awards are Chevrolet, COVERGIRL, Reese's Puffs® cereal and Target.

Nickelodeon, now in its 33rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).

SOURCE Nickelodeon

RELATED LINKS
http://www.nick.com.

Also, from The Lowell Sun:

Daily Dish: 10/31/2012

Justin Bieber, Nick Cannon honor teen volunteers

Justin Bieber, Emma Stone, Tyra Banks and Josh Duhamel are honoring teens who give back to their communities.

Nickelodeon announced Tuesday that each star will pay tribute to a teenage volunteer at the fourth annual TeenNick HALO Awards. The awards are presented to young people who are "helping and leading others."

Nick Cannon, who created the awards show, will serve as host and executive producer. The awards are set to tape Nov. 17 at the Hollywood Palladium and will air as a 90-minute special on Nov. 19.

The four honorees come from across the country and range in age from 16 to 19. One started an organization to help outfit low-income teenage girls. Another makes and distributes gift bags for breast-cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Also, from Philly.com:

Tattle:

[...]

TATTBITS

[...]

* Nickelodeon announced

Tuesday that Justin Bieber, Emma Stone, Tyra Banks and Josh Duhamel will pay tribute to a teenage volunteer at the fourth annual TeenNick HALO Awards. The awards are presented to young people who are "helping and leading others."

Nick Cannon, who created the show, will serve as host and executive producer. The awards are set to tape Nov. 17 at the Hollywood Palladium and will air as a 90-minute special on Nov. 19.

[...]

Extra tags: TeenNick HALO Awards 2012, 2012 TeenNick HALO Awards

Nickelodeon UK Picks Up Broadcast Rights For Brand New Dance Themed Drama Show "Dance Academy"

According to World Screen, Nickelodeon UK and Ireland have acquired the broadcast rights to the Australian teen-oriented television drama "Dance Academy", a series which follows the efforts of young dancers training at a prestigious dance school called the National Academy of Dance. Nickelodeon USA's TeenNick Network also picked up the broadcast rights to the series in February 2012.

Dance Academy, produced by Werner Film Productions, was recently sold to Teen Nick in the U.S. and Nickelodeon in the U.K.

Also, from Kidscreen:

Production begins on Dance Academy season three

Production on season three of ABC3′s hit live-action teen drama series Dance Academy has started in Sydney, Australia.

The new season (13 x 24 minutes) of the Werner Film Productions series follows small-town girl Tara Webster (Xenia Goodwin) and her friends as they complete their final year at the fictitious National Academy of Dance in hopes of attaining a professional dancing contract.

Dance Academy has now been sold to more than 180 territories and recently debuted on TeenNick in the US and Nickelodeon in the UK. The series also airs in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and throughout Europe, South America, Africa and Asia.

The new season, which is expected to air from mid-2013, brings the total number of Dance Academy episodes to 65.

According to ABC TV’s controller of children’s television Tim Brooke-Hunt, the series has also experienced success online via social media and on ABC3′s YouTube channel.

Tags: ABC3, Dance Academy, TeenNick, Werner Film Productions

DIRECTV And Viacom Reach Agreement To Renew Carriage Of Viacom's Networks In North America

Below is a Viacom Inc. Press Release via PRNewswire:

DIRECTV And Viacom Reach Agreement To Renew Carriage Of Viacom's Networks

All 26 Viacom Networks, Including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, CMT, Logo, Spike, TV Land, MTV2, VH1, VH1 Classic, Palladia, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, TeenNick, Tr3s and Centric, to Return to DIRECTV Immediately

Download image [of Viacom logo]NEW YORK, July 20, 2012 /Viacom Press Release via PRNewswire/ -- Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB) today announced that the company has reached a long-term agreement to renew carriage with DIRECTV.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110811/NY51392LOGO )

All 26 Viacom networks, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, CMT, Logo, Spike, TV Land, MTV2, VH1, VH1 Classic, Palladia, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, TeenNick, Tr3s and Centric, will return to DIRECTV's channel lineup immediately. As part of the overall carriage agreement, DIRECTV has an option to add the EPIX service to its entertainment offerings.

Viacom is extremely pleased to bring its programming back to DIRECTV subscribers, and thanks everyone affected by the disruption for their patience and understanding during this challenging period.
SOURCE Viacom Inc.

RELATED LINKS
http://www.viacom.com.

Also, from C21Media:

Viacom nets return to DirecTV

Viacom and US pay-TV operator DirecTV have ended their carriage dispute with a deal that restores Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central to the latter’s airwaves.

Seventeen Viacom nets (26 including HD feeds) had gone dark on DirecTV for nine days after the companies clashed over the remuneration Viacom would receive and it looked like the row would rumble on for some time.

However, the pair has now come to a long-term agreement that restores the channels immediately. The new deal, financial terms of which were not disclosed, gives DirecTV the option to add Viacom’s Epix movie channel service to its entertainment package.

DirecTV’s 19.9 million customers will also be able to access Viacom content across tablets, computers, mobiles and other hand-held devices through the DirecTV Everywhere platform.

The deal had seemed a long way off as recently as yesterday but Viacom said it was “extremely pleased” to reach an agreement. Despite expressing its own satisfaction at the deal, DirecTV maintained Viacom was the cause of the dispute.

“We are very pleased to be able to restore the channels to our customers and thank them for their unprecedented patience and support,” said DirecTV’s Derek Chang, executive VP of content strategy and development. “It’s unfortunate that Viacom took the channels away from customers to try to gain leverage, but in the end it’s clear our customers recognised that tactic for what it was.”

Viacom claimed it was bargaining for just a “few pennies” extra per customer per day, but DirecTV alleged it had been pushing for a rise of more than 30%, equating to an extra US$1bn on the previous agreement.

Chang today claimed media coverage of the high-profile spat had “accomplished one key thing: it serves notice to all media companies that bullying TV providers and their customers with black-outs won’t get them a better deal.”

Spats between content providers such as Viacom and pay-TV platforms have become common in the US. Just this month, satellite platform Dish Network pulled cablenet AMC, which airs Breaking Bad and Mad Men, after failing to agree on terms.

Jesse Whittock
20-07-2012
©C21Media

GENRES: Children's, Factual, Formats
PEOPLE: Derek Chang
COMPANIES: AMC, Comedy Central, DirecTV, Dish Networks, MTV, Nickelodeon, Viacom
SECTIONS: C21 Kids, C21Drama, C21Factual, Formats Lab
COUNTRIES: US

Also, from The Hollywood Reporter:

Viacom, DirecTV Reach New Carriage Deal

UPDATED: The companies end a two-week blackout in DirecTV homes, with the satellite TV giant saying it won't have to carry premium TV venture network Epix under the seven-year pact.

Viacom and DirecTV have reached a new carriage agreement, they said early Friday.

The deal ends a two-week standoff that led to a blackout of such networks as MTV, Comedy Central, BET and Nickelodeon in the about 20 million homes of the satellite TV giant.

Financial and other terms weren't disclosed, but sources said the deal will run for seven years.

DirecTV will carry all 26 Viacom channels, or 17 when excluding HD feeds, but said it is not required to carry Epix, the premium TV joint venture of Viacom, Lionsgate and MGM.

"In addition to the channels' return, DirecTV customers will also gain the ability to see Viacom programming on tablets, laptops, handhelds and other personal devices via the DirecTV Everywhere platform," the satellite TV company said. "Carriage of the Epix movie channel is not required as part of the new agreement."

Viacom said it "is extremely pleased to bring its programming back to DirecTV subscribers and thanks everyone affected by the disruption for their patience and understanding during this challenging period."

Said Derek Chang, executive vp of content strategy and development for DirecTV: "The attention surrounding this unnecessary and ill-advised blackout by Viacom has accomplished one key thing: It serves notice to all media companies that bullying TV providers and their customers with blackouts won't get them a better deal."

He added: "It's high time programmers ended these anti-consumer blackouts once and for all and prove our industry is about enabling people to connect to their favorite programs rather than denying them access."

Also, from Digital Spy UK:

DirecTV and Viacom end contract dispute, sign new long-term agreement

© DirecTVDirecTV and Viacom have ended their contract dispute after signing a new long-term agreement.

Viacom pulled 17 channels from DirecTV on July 10, after the two companies failed to reach a new contract.

However, those 17 channels, which included MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, BET and Spike, are once again available for DirecTV customers.

DirecTV's executive vice president of content strategy and development Derek Chang said in a statement: "We are very pleased to be able to restore the channels to our customers and thank them for their unprecedented patience and support.

"It's unfortunate that Viacom took the channels away from customers to try to gain leverage, but in the end, it's clear our customers recognised that tactic for what it was."

In their press release, Viacom expressed: "Viacom is extremely pleased to bring its programming back to DirecTV subscribers, and thanks everyone affected by the disruption for their patience and understanding during this challenging period."

The agreement comes in time for new shows to make their upcoming season or series debuts, such as the Inbetweeners remake on August 20 on MTV.

The Inbetweeners is a revamping of the UK comedy series, which provoked a negative reaction from fans after the first trailer was recently released.

Watch the trailer for The Inbetweeners [here on the official Digital Spy UK website, DigitalSpy.co.uk]

Also, from the Daily Mail:

Snooki, SpongeBob, and the South Park gang are back! DirecTV to restore Viacom channels to 20M customers after nine-day blackout over contract dispute

* 20m DirecTV users will again have access to Viacom channels that were lost after contract dispute

* Cable networks like Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and MTV were not available for nine days

* Sources say DirecTV will pay Viacom $600m - 20% more - than last year's $500m agreement

Twenty million DirecTV subscribers will again have access to television favourites like SponeBob SquarePants and Snooki after the satellite TV provider reached a deal to restore Viacom’s networks.

The loss of 26 networks – including Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, and Nickelodeon – to 20million homes means the size, length and scope of this programming blackout was unprecedented to date in the U.S. pay-TV industry.

Contentious relationships between program distributors and program makers are on the rise as the industry's growth appears to have peaked.

[click here] for video

Restored: DirecTV and Viacom have reached a contract agreement after nine days' dispute, restoring all 20 channels, including MTV's Jersey Shore featuring Snooki, and SponbeBob SquarePants [...]'The Viacom/DirecTV dispute may be remembered as a critical turning point in programmer, distributor negotiations,' Bernstein Research analyst Todd Juenger told Reuters. 'For the first time in memory, it was the distributor that won the public relations war.'

While distributors typically take the brunt of the complaints about network blackouts, DirecTV argued that the increasing number of disputes with other distributors had educated customers that they would face the same problems with their rivals.

'By showing their willingness to take a blackout, and arguably winning the battle for the hearts and minds of their customers as a result, DirecTV may extract better terms from other programmers down the road,' said Juenger.
Viacom said it restored all of its cable networks, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV and BET, which became unavailable to DirecTV customers from July 10.

Restored: Viacom said it restored all of its cable networks, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV and BET, which became unavailable to DirecTV customers from July 10The channels went off air after DirecTV balked at what it saw as a steep increase which it said Viacom was demanding. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the new contract.

But people familiar with the talks said DirecTV will pay Viacom around $600million in the first year of the seven-year contract with subsequent mid-single digit percentage increases.

That would be a 20 per cent increase over the previous contract's $500million a year that was publicly stated by DirecTV Chief Executive Mike White.

DirecTV previously said Viacom sought a 30 per cent increase in carriage fees, equalling $1billion over five years - a boost that DirecTV said was not justified.

Viacom countered that its networks represented about 20 per cent of all viewing on DirecTV but accounted for less than 5 per cent of its programming costs.

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said in the memo to staff that on Thursday afternoon the two companies had made a 'decisive push to hammer out a deal that we believe is fair and mutually beneficial.'

In particular, DirecTV had pushed back against having the Epix movie channel tacked on the agreement, at a price of around $500million.

'They took Epix off the table in the last 24 hours and we could move ahead with a deal,' said Derek Chang, DirecTV's top programming negotiator.

RESTORED! THE CHANNELS DIRECTV USERS WILL AGAIN HAVE

Nickelodeon (HD)
Comedy Central (HD)
MTV (HD)
BET (HD)
VH1 (HD)
CMT (HD)
Spike (HD)
Logo
TV Land
MTV2
VH1 Classic
Palladia
Nick Jr.
Nicktoons
TeenNick
Nickelodeon West
Tr3s
Centric
MTV India

'The attention surrounding this unnecessary and ill-advised blackout by Viacom has accomplished one key thing: it serves notice to all media companies that bullying TV providers and their customers with blackouts won't get them a better deal,' said Chang.

On July 1, AMC Networks, the company behind shows such as Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and Mad Men, was removed from the Dish Network after the two companies failed to reach a new contract.

Similar blackouts have taken place in recent years between Cablevision and Walt Disney Co's ABC; News Corp and Cablevision; and News Corp and Dish; and Time-Warner Cable Inc and Hearst Corp.

Time Warner Cable Inc, the second largest U.S. cable provider, said late Thursday it had reached a deal with Hearst Corp after 16 broadcast stations were blacked out in 14 markets for eight to 12 days.

DirecTV and Viacom had been in talks over a new contract but could not agree on terms before the July 10 deadline.

The nine days of the blackout resulted in Viacom's channels such as Nickelodeon losing ground to competitors like The Disney Channel. DirecTV also shed some customers in the period.

The new contract will let DirecTV customers view Viacom's programming on tablets, laptops, handhelds and other personal devices.

Viacom shares were up 9 cents at $46.74 on the Nasdaq on Friday. DirecTV shares were down 6 cents at $48.89, also on the NYSE.

TV BANNED: THE DAILY SHOW REACTS TO DISPUTE

Master of satire Jon Stewart of the Daily Show poked fun at the severe manner with which the blackout was being reported. ‘Viacom and DirecTV, what are you doing here? Telling people to rise up and demand it like it's some sort of basic cable Arab Spring? I got news for you – it's not! None of this is indispensable!’

But so some of the 20million viewers would still get the full Daily Show experience, he sent correspondent John Oliver to a couple’s home in Montclair, New Jersey, to tell them – verbatim – what they were missing.

No doubt viewers of the comedy news show will be relieved to get the real thing back.

Watch the video [here on the official Daily Mail website, DailyMail.co.uk]

Also, from Examiner.com:

Great news for DirecTV Nickelodeon viewers!

DIRECTV VS VIACOM

An agreement has finally been reached between Viacom and DirecTV, making Nickelodeon channels again available to DirecTV viewers! Many Nickelodeon fans that use DirecTV as their service provider were upset when their favorite Nick shows were taken off the air. Renee of Mansfield, Ohio, along with many other viewers, expressed outrage over losing their family’s favorite shows that they had watched on a regular basic. What a relief it was for them to turn on a Nickelodeon channel again on Sunday, after nearly two weeks of being off the air!

Nickelodeon Animation Studio is located in Burbank, California and has some of the top rated cartoons and family friendly shows in the world! Viacom, who owned the selected air time on DirecTV for all Nickelodeon channels, had originally wanted a 30% increase charge, which would affect many DirecTV viewers! Viacom had decided to remove all Nickelodeon channels from DirecTV on July 10th, in an effort to get DirecTV to increase their cost. A new long-term agreement was finally reached this past week between Viacom and DirecTV, although no details on the terms have been given to the general public. Viacom has restored 17 Channels, some of which include Nickelodeon, CMT, TV Land and many others. In addition, DirecTV customers can also now gain the ability to see Viacom programming on tablets, laptops and other personal devises. DirecTV viewers can visit directvpromise.com for more information.

Viacom Says DirecTV Talks Are Now At An 'Impasse'

From Bloomberg:

Viacom Says DirecTV Talks Are Now At 'Impasse'

Viacom Inc. (VIAB), owner of MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, said program-fee talks with DirecTV stalled, signaling a longer blackout for 20 million subscribers who lost the pay-TV networks nine days ago.

“We've reached an impasse,” Denise Denson, executive vice president of content distribution at New York-based Viacom, said yesterday in a phone interview. “They’re not negotiating productively. I don’t see any end to this blackout.”
DirecTV said Viacom was misrepresenting the talks. The El Segundo, California-based satellite-TV provider said it had agreed on major points for a new fee agreement restoring the channels, and that an accord was close until Viacom demanded the movie channel Epix be included.

“Viacom insists that we carry the Epix channel at an additional cost of more than half a billion dollars,” DirecTV (DTV) said in a statement. “We know our customers don’t want to pay such an extreme price for an extra channel, they simply want the ones they had returned to them.”

DirecTV, the second-largest pay-TV provider in the U.S., pulled 17 standard-definition and nine high-definition Viacom channels on July 10 after the two companies failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. Since then, DirecTV customers have been without popular cable shows such as “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central.

DirecTV said on July 17 it was closer to restoring Viacom’s channels as talks continued. The company reiterated that view yesterday, calling Viacom’s characterization “completely inaccurate.”

Epix Channel

Viacom “made a proposal last night for our carriage of the 17 channels they pulled from DirecTV and we accepted all material terms for those channels, including an increase that was more than fair," DirecTV said in the e-mailed statement.

Epix, a movie channel that Viacom's Paramount Pictures started in 2009 with Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (LGF) and Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., has gained limited distribution on pay-TV systems. The three biggest, Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp., DirecTV and New York-based Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC), don’t offer the channel.

DirecTV has said Viacom is asking for a 30 percent rate increase over the term of the new contract, amounting to more than $1 billion in additional costs. DirecTV has forecast that its total programming expenses will rise almost 10 percent this year.

‘Deny,’ ‘Delay,’

Viacom has countered by saying its fees account for less than 5 percent of the satellite service’s programming expenses.

Viacom's Denson said yesterday that DirecTV has spent little time on contract talks.
“They spend 10 minutes a day negotiating the deal,” Denson said. “That’s all the time they devote to this -- it’s deny, delay, deceive.”

Meanwhile, Viacom’s audience has shrunk 20 percent since the blackout began, estimates Todd Juenger, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York.

Viacom Chief Executive Officer Philippe Dauman met with DirecTV CEO Mike White last week during Allen & Co.’s media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, according to Denson. Over the course of a 30-minute talk, Dauman offered a compromise that White said he would consider, she said, declining to discuss specifics.

“Mike never called back,” Denson said.

Also, from C21Media:

Viacom, DirecTV: No deal in sight

Viacom has warned that there is “no deal in sight” in its carriage dispute with DirecTV, as the latter claimed unreasonable demands regarding paynet Epix were holding up talks.

As the war of words escalated between the two firms yesterday, DirecTV said it was “ready to close” a deal to reinstate the 17 (26 including HD feeds) channels that were pulled from its platform last week. It said it had “accepted all material terms” with Viacom to do so.

However, in a statement, the firm added that Viacom insisted it also carry Epix – its joint venture with MGM and Lionsgate – at an additional cost of more than US$500m.

“We know our customers don’t want to pay such an extreme price for an extra channel. They simply want the ones they had returned to them,” DirecTV said.

Viacom hit back, dismissing the claims as a “complete work of fiction.”

In a blog post, the company said: “We’ve offered DirecTV various compromise proposals – proposals without Epix, proposals with Epix, and proposals with significant incentives to carry Epix. DirecTV did not accept all material terms for our channels, nor are we asking for a sum of US$500m.”

Earlier in the day Viacom alleged that DirecTV had shown no urgency in working out a resolution to the spat, which saw networks including MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central go dark on the platform over a week ago.

Viacom claimed that it had made “a significant and comprehensive compromise proposal to DirecTV last Thursday” that could have restored all its channels by the following morning. It also said that it had since made “several additional compromise proposals,” as recently as Tuesday night. It said negotiations were now at an “impasse.”

The news came as Time Warner Cable (TWC) issued its own statement in favour of DirecTV, claiming that “consumers are tired of these disputes and so are we.”

TWC is currently embroiled in its own carriage dispute with Hearst, with 13 of the latter’s local stations going dark on its platform last week as a result.

“Television networks can’t continue to demand huge price increases and expect us to silently pass those cost increases on to our customers,” said TWC, citing its own platform, DirecTV and satellite rival Dish Networks, which recently dropped AMC’s channels in a carriage dispute.

“We will continue to stand up for consumers against programmers’ outrageously large price increases that serve no purpose other than to line network pockets at our customers’ expense.”

Hearst Television president David Barrett hit back: “Warner Cable is refusing to participate in a negotiating process that has enabled us to conclude more than 150 agreements, without service interruptions, in recent months,” he said.

He criticised TWC for conducting a “public relations bandwagon” that included “various unrelated negotiations with programme providers.”

Andrew McDonald
19-07-2012
©C21Media

TAGS: Cable TV, Carriage, Channel distribution
PEOPLE: David Barrett
COMPANIES: AMC, DirecTV, Dish, Epix, Hearst, MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, Time Warner Cable, Viacom
COUNTRIES: US

Also, from the Associated Press via The Huffington Post:

TV Channel Blackouts Stall Profits

LOS ANGELES — Channel blackouts such as the one that resulted from the recent spat between Viacom and DirecTV have become far more common over the past three years. Consumers can thank the changing dynamics of the entertainment industry.

Media companies such as Viacom and Disney have become steadily more profitable since the gloom of the recession lifted in early 2010. But the cable and satellite providers that pay to carry their channels have seen profitability virtually stagnate as they fight each other for subscribers.

The squeeze has prompted distributors such as Dish and DirecTV to revolt against higher programming costs. Consumers are left in the crossfire.

DirecTV subscribers haven't been able to view Viacom channels such as Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and VH1 since Tuesday, when the two companies failed to reach a contract agreement over content fees. The companies are still negotiating, but the channel blackout for consumers has continued through the weekend.

The industry's cost pressures mean such fights are likely to continue.

"I think this is the new normal," says Barton Crockett, an analyst with Lazard Capital. "It's getting to be a little bit more of a battle between life and death for these guys."

The rising number of disputes is largely the result of the stagnant market for pay television. Simply put, there aren't many new households being formed in the sluggish economy, and those who want to pay for TV already do. Some 101 million American households subscribe to cable or satellite service. That's about 87 percent of homes, a proportion that has remained unchanged since 2009, according to Leichtman Research Group, which studies media and entertainment.

TV distributors pay media companies a few cents per channel per subscriber each month. In turn, they try to sell packages of channels for more. As costs for those channels rise, so do monthly service bills, but not always by enough to offset the increasing fees cable and satellite providers are paying to media companies. In addition, distributors spend money on special promotions to woo subscribers from competitors. As a result, some companies' expenses are rising faster than revenue.

That has prompted cable and satellite service providers to fight back against cost increases, even when it means blacking out channels until they can eke out a better deal. Satellite TV companies like Dish and DirecTV are in an even tighter squeeze than cable companies because they can't make up for higher costs by providing Internet or phone service.

Major cable and satellite TV distributors DirecTV, Dish, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision and Charter have increased profitability over the last few years, but that's tapered off, according to an Associated Press review of FactSet data.

Back in December 2009, they kept 15 cents of profit after subtracting operating expenses from every dollar of services they sold. That grew to 19 cents last September. But since, cable and satellite companies haven't found a way to wring more profitability from their business.

Meanwhile, prominent media companies that produce and bankroll the shows – Disney, Time Warner, News Corp., Viacom, Discovery, CBS and AMC – have kept expanding their profit share. They grew operating profits from 16 cents to 19 cents per dollar over the same period. That kept climbing to 20 cents per dollar by March.

Media companies have posted gains in part by extracting higher fees from distributors in bare-knuckle contract negotiations. Those gains have come directly at the distributors' expense.

To be sure, each company is different. Disney, for instance, has assets such as theme parks that skew the analysis.

But distributors are no longer enjoying a post-recession bounce. The media companies are. These diverging fortunes have coincided with an outsized revolt by distributors.

In the first six and a half months of this year, 22 fee disputes involving the price of broadcast TV signals have caused channel blackouts, according to the American TV Alliance. That's up from 15 blackouts in all of 2011. There were just four in 2010.

Dish Network Corp. dropped AMC Networks Inc. channels on July 1, two weeks ahead of the premiere of the final season of "Breaking Bad" on Sunday. DirecTV dropped more than a dozen Viacom Inc. channels on July 10. Time Warner Cable Inc. gave up on a Fox Sports channel covering the San Diego Padres in April and on July 9 it let 15 Hearst television stations go dark, complaining of a four-fold fee hike demand.

Distributors say they must hold the line on their biggest expense _programming_ even if they risk having customers defect.

"I don't think the industry can sustain this kind of behavior," says DirecTV's executive vice president of strategy, Derek Chang, who accuses Viacom of trying to raise rates by 30 percent. "Ultimately, it'll drive costs up to the end user."

Viacom argues that DirecTV is out of step with higher-paying competitors now that its seven-year-old contract has ended.

Amid the war of words, one thing is clear: the price of TV is going up.

People already have been paying more and more. In April and May, 1,369 Americans who were surveyed by the Leichtman Research Group reported that their monthly TV bill rose an average of 7 percent from a year ago, to $78.63. That's largely in line with annual single-digit percentage increases historically.

What's different for distributors lately is that they also have to pay for broadcast TV station signals, which they used to get for free in exchange for carrying upstart new channels. In recent years, broadcasters like CBS have demanded cash from TV distributors for broadcast signals, even though consumers who go through the trouble of setting up an antenna could get them over the air at no charge.

Such "retransmission fees" are expected to double industry-wide from $1.8 billion this year to $3.6 billion in 2017, according to research firm SNL Kagan.

"That's an expense that really didn't exist five or 10 years ago," says Leichtman Research Group's president Bruce Leichtman. "That's putting the biggest stress on the system."

The battle ends up hurting consumers the most.

Russell Hawkins, a 36-year-old food company marketer in Clinton, Mich., says that because of the dispute between Dish and AMC, he's decided to end his four-year relationship with Dish and has asked his Internet provider, Comcast Corp., to hook up cable TV in a week. He had no problems paying $70 a month, but the prospect of losing AMC was too much.

"They can't be dropping channels on people," he says.

Now he'll save $40 a month by getting Internet and phone service bundled, and Comcast threw in HBO and Showtime for 2 years for free. His friends are contacting him about how to get the same deal. "A lot of others are going to do the same thing."

David Jacobs, a 48-year-old social media consultant in Damascus, Ore., says he signed up with Dish just six months ago to pay for upwards of 100 channels for around $50 a month. But now, he's locked into a two-year contract and will have to pay hefty penalties if he cancels. He'll now have to scramble to find a way to watch the premiere of "Breaking Bad," his favorite show, which airs on AMC.

AMC has offered to stream the episode free online for Dish subscribers. But he's not sure what to do. His options include paying extra for a download from Apple's iTunes or Amazon.com, or resorting to an unauthorized download from a pirate site.

"These are big multimedia corporations," Jacobs says. "But me – the little guy who's struggling every day to get by and live life – I'm left holding the bag. That's what makes me the most angry."

Also, from the Lost Angeles Times:

Nickelodeon ratings tumble from loss of carriage on DirecTV

"SpongeBob SquarePants" has taken a hit from losing DirecTV viewers. (Nickelodeon / July 16, 2012)Ratings for Viacom's Nickelodeon have fallen dramatically in the days since the channel was dropped from satellite broadcaster DirecTV over a fee dispute.

On July 10, the last day Nickelodeon had distribution on DirecTV, its total day audience was about 1.8 million. On July 11, that figure fell 33% to 1.2 million. On Friday, the average was up slightly to 1.3 million.

Losing carriage on DirecTV couldn't have come at a worse time for Nickelodeon. The cable network, which caters its programming to kids and teens with shows that include "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Dora the Explorer," has seen its audience shrink over the past year while rival Disney Channel has made gains.

While talks are ongoing between DirecTV and Viacom, neither side has indicated that a deal is near. Viacom took out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times today encouraging DirecTV subscribers to switch services.

A Viacom spokesman noted that the ratings drop is not surprising given how popular Nickelodeon is on DirecTV. "It's the most watched cable network on DirecTV," the spokesman said.

Other Viacom channels have also seen a loss of viewers. MTV's total day average went from almost 500,000 viewers on July 10 to 273,000 on July 13, a 43% dip. VH1 has dropped almost 30% of its audience and Comedy Central is off 21% for the same period.

Also from the Lost Angeles Times:

Nickelodeon ratings down 20% after DirecTV drops network

The kids' channel is one of several Viacom-owned networks that have disappeared from DirecTV viewers' homes as the companies argue over a new distribution deal.

SpongeBob SquarePants is getting the life squeezed out of him.

Ratings have plummeted more than 20% at Nickelodeon, home of "SpongeBob SquarePants," "iCarly" "Dora the Explorer" and other popular shows, in the week after satellite broadcaster DirecTV stopped carrying the kids' channel.

Other Viacom Inc.-owned networks, including MTV, Comedy Central and VH1, have also seen their ratings fall since disappearing from the homes of about 20 million DirecTV subscribers.

The two companies have been arguing over terms for a new distribution deal. DirecTV has said the long-term agreement that Viacom is seeking is an increase in value of $1 billion over the previous contract. Viacom countered that the number is "significantly less than that."

The battle has been particularly nasty. Viacom has been running ads in print, television and radio using its TV characters to encourage DirecTV consumers to find a new pay-TV provider. DirecTV has fired back that Viacom is trying to gouge its subscribers and that "moms and dads are already fed up with Viacom using SpongeBob and Dora to frighten their children."

The situation may only get worse. A top Viacom executive said Wednesday that the company had stopped negotiating with DirecTV.

"I really don't see any end in sight, truthfully," said Denise Denson, Viacom's executive vice president of content distribution. "Nothing about negotiating with them is productive."

Whether that is a negotiating ploy is likely to become apparent in the days ahead. A spokesman for DirecTV said it had a deal to put the channels back on its service when Viacom pushed for carriage of its movie channel Epix at a cost of more than $500 million as part of the pact.

"We know our customers don't want to pay such an extreme price for an extra channel.... We stand ready and willing to work with Viacom to get this done and, once again, ask Viacom to do the right thing and restore these channels to our customers immediately," the DirecTV spokesman said.

Fights between programmers and distributors are nothing new, but usually agreements are reached without channels being dropped. Once that point of no return is crossed, however, negotiations can drag on as neither feels deadline pressure to reach an accord and both sides start to dig in their heels. In 2010, News Corp.'s Fox went off Cablevision in the New York City area for two weeks until a new deal was struck.

In the short term, it is Viacom that is absorbing more punches. Nickelodeon's rivals have seen significant ratings gains in the days since DirecTV stopped carrying the channel.

Walt Disney Co.is benefiting the most from Nickelodeon's woes. Not only has Disney Channel's audience jumped 20%, DirecTV has also added Disney Jr., a relatively new network, to its service to help fill the void left by Nickelodeon. The numbers for Disney Jr. have been solid enough that DirecTV said it will continue to make it available to all of its subscribers even after it reaches a new accord with Viacom and brings back Nickelodeon.

For Nickelodeon, the loss of DirecTV couldn't come at a worse time. The cable network has already seen its ratings fall sharply this year. A long, drawn-out fight with DirecTV may make it difficult for the channel to fully recover.

"The central question is: How much of that audience will come back when Nickelodeon returns?" said Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Todd Juenger. "Certainly a percentage of the kids will get hooked on Disney programming and stay with it."

Other, smaller kids' channels such as the Hub and Sprout are also picking off discarded Nickelodeon viewers. The Hub said its total audience was up more than 100% and among kids 6 to 11 it saw a gain of almost 80%. Sprout's audience grew more than 60%.

"We're definitely getting a spike from this," Sprout President Sandy Wax said.

DirecTV could eventually face blow-back from the fight with Viacom as well. Although DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer said the El Segundo company has lost only a few subscribers since the Viacom channels came off, that could change if no new deal is imminent.

"Disconnects should be a greater issue as the dispute drags on," Greenfield said in a recent report. Although Viacom is "clearly in pain," Greenfield noted that it will be easier for the programmer to recapture lost advertisers and viewers than for DirecTV to replace lost subscribers.

Viacom's Denson said the New York company will start aggressively persuading other cable and satellite operators that carry its channels to use that to market against DirecTV.

Some rival distributors, including Cox Cable, have made a point of publicly siding with DirecTV in its battle with Viacom. But others are finding subtle ways to let consumers know there are other options. Satellite broadcaster Dish Network Corp. has ads on Facebook that include characters from popular Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central programs. SomeComcast Corp.cable systems are running radio ads encouraging consumers to switch pay- TV providers.

"They are actively marketing behind the scenes, taking advantage of the situation," Denson said. "Everyone is starting to play against DirecTV."

Also from the Lost Angeles Times:

Viacom and DirecTV continue to negotiate but remain far apart

Viacom and DirecTV are still trying to hammer out a new deal that will bring MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and more than a dozen other channels back to the satellite broadcaster.

But in between the talks, the two sides are still taking shots at each other.

Interviews with the chief negotiators for both parties reveal that there is still a wide gulf dividing the companies.

"Their ratings have dropped on a lot of their major networks. It's hard to justify significant increases," said Derek Chang, a DirecTV executive vice president. DirecTV claims that Viacom wants an increase of 30% to carry its channels, which translates into $1 billion.

Viacom's Denise Denson, executive vice president of content distribution, countered that the media giant's channels represent 20% of all viewing on DirecTV and yet "we get about 5% of their license fees. That's the real crux of it."

DirecTV's Chang said there is more than money dividing the two companies. He does not like that Viacom puts much of its content on its websites for free.

"It certainly undermines the value of what they are selling to us," Chang said, adding, that "if people are viewing their stuff online and not on our platforms, why would we pay as much?"

Denson responded that Viacom's research has not shown that free offerings of its shows online have hurt the ratings for its cable channels.

"We use it as a marketing tool to drive people back to our channels," Denson responded when asked why the company offers so much content for free online.

As for reaching an agreement, both sides expressed optimism that it will happen but neither would specify when.

"We don't expect this to last too long," Chang said. "We're in open discussions and working hard to try to close a deal," Denson added.

Chang said DirecTV is willing to put the channels back on while talks continue, but Viacom isn't interested.

For DirecTV subscribers wondering about getting a rebate or some sort of discount for the days they were deprived of Viacom's channels, Chang said that would be determined "down the road."

Also, from The Hollywood Reporter:

Analysts Weigh in on Viacom-DirecTV Carriage Dispute

One analyst calls the stand-off a "lose-lose" situation, while another one says it could be "a serious mistake" for any pay TV operator to not carry the Viacom channels.

Analysts late Tuesday started to weigh in on the networks carriage dispute between entertainment conglomerate Viacom and satellite TV giant DirecTV, predicting who would be hit harder by any fallout if the two sides don't reach an agreement quickly.

Most highlighted Viacom's broad viewership strength despite near-term ratings challenges at some flagship networks. But before Viacom channels, including MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, went dark in DirecTV homes at midnight ET, Evercore Partners analyst Alan Gould described the showdown as a lose-lose situation for the two companies.

"We estimate that DirecTV represents 12-13 percent of Viacom's domestic media affiliate and advertising revenue," he wrote in a report. "Viacom claims its programming represents 20 percent of the viewing on DirecTV, so we would assume DirecTV would lose some subscribers, particularly families that want Nickelodeon."

He estimated that Viacom generally receives about $3 per subscriber per month for its 17 channels, or 26 when including HD feeds. Given their just-ended carriage deal is seven years old, DirecTV likely pays less than $2.50 per subscriber per month, he added.

In his worst-case scenario, Viacom's channels would be off DirecTV for a full year. "We estimate the impact would be about $300 million after-tax to Viacom, or 63 cents per share, a 13 percent hit to our fiscal year 2013 [earnings] estimate," Gould said. "If the channels were off for a year, it would likely reduce Viacom's aggressive share repurchase plan."

Credit Suisse analyst Spencer Wang also warned that Viacom could be exposed to risk in the carriage showdown. Viacom draws a big audience, but doesn’t own a broadcast network, broadcast stations or a major sports asset, which peers like News Corp. can use for leverage during carriage and re-transmission consent talks, he argued.

Nomura's Michael Nathanson said though that Viacom should end up getting things its way, highlighting that of total live TV viewership, Viacom has eight channels in the top 30.

"We expect Viacom to ultimately receive affiliate fee step-ups of at least high single digits with DirecTV over the life of the deal, consistent with prior guidance," he said. "We do not believe Viacom is worried about the short-term quarterly impact, and although companies try to avoid public negotiations, we believe Viacom should be able to use this spotlight to prove its affiliate fee worth."

He entitled his report "Will DirecTV Make Dora Cry?" in a reference to Nickelodeon character Dora the Explorer, which the company showed crying during a carriage dispute with Time Warner Cable a few years ago. "Viacom ultimately largely received the increases they were seeking during the company’s Time Warner Cable affiliate fee negotiations on New Year’s Eve Dec. 31, 2008," Nathanson highlighted.

BTIG analyst Richard Greenfield also wondered if DirecTV CEO Mike White was risking too much with a stand-off with Viacom. "Will Mike White Make the Same Mistake as Charlie Ergen?" his report asked in reference to the Dish chairman who has been in various high-profile carriage battles.

"While Viacom’s ratings have definitely softened from where they were 12-18 months ago (MTV's Jersey Shore highs along with Nick's share loss to Disney Channel), we believe a multichannel video programming distributor would be making a serious mistake to not carry the Viacom suite of channels," Greenfield wrote. "While the demographics of Viacom’s cable network viewers may be the most exposed to finding Internet-based alternatives, the viewership of online programming is still dwarfed by the size and scale of Viacom’s content."

North American Satellite Broadcasting Service DirecTV Says It's Closer To Deal With Viacom

From Bloomberg:

DirecTV Says It's Closer to Deal With Viacom

DirecTV (DTV) is closer to restoring Viacom Inc. (VIAB)'s 26 channels, including MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, as discussions between the two sides continue, according to the satellite-TV provider’s head of content.

“There's been progress,” Derek Chang, DirecTV's executive vice president of content, strategy and development, said yesterday in a phone interview. “We’ve been getting closer. We would love to be done with this thing, but we have to do it in a way that we can protect our customers.”

DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite-TV provider, lost 17 standard-definition and nine high-definition channels from Viacom on July 10 after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. Viacom demanded the networks be dropped and threatened to sue El Segundo, California-based DirecTV if it didn’t comply, Chang said.

Viacom is asking for a 30 percent rate increase over the term of the new contract, Chang said, amounting to more than $1 billion in additional costs. DirecTV has forecast that its total programming expenses will rise almost 10 percent this year.

Viacom has countered by saying its fees account for less that 5 percent of the satellite service's programming expenses.

Viacom began offering new episodes of "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" on the Web yesterday after pulling some of its online programming last week. The New York-based company said in a blog posting that the decision was meant to be “helpful to our fans with DirecTV.”

Back on TV

"We're happy Viacom has put programming back on the Internet because it allows our viewers to watch those shows," Chang said. "But clearly we want to get the programming back on TV at a reasonable price."

Mark Jafar, a Viacom spokesman, declined to comment.

DirecTV rose 1.2 percent to $48.78 yesterday in New York trading. The shares have climbed 14 percent this year. Viacom’s Class B stock, up 3.4 percent to $46.96 in 2012, was little changed yesterday.

DirecTV isn’t the only pay-TV broadcaster locked in a contract dispute. Dish Network Corp. failed to reach an accord with AMC Networks Inc. and replaced its channels on June 30, affecting 14 million customers.

Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC), the second-largest U.S. cable provider, voiced support for DirecTV and Dish in a statement yesterday, saying television networks were demanding “huge price increases.”

“We will continue to stand up for consumers against programmers’ outrageously large price increases that serve no purpose other than to line network pockets at our customers’ expense,” the New York-based company said.

DirecTV Drops 26 Viacom Channels, Including Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., NickToons, TeenNick, Nickelodeon West, Nick @ Nite, And Nickelodeon HD

From Blog.Viacom, the official blog of Viacom Inc., who is the parent company of the Nickelodeon brand:

DirecTV Drops 26 Viacom Channels

July 11, 2012 @ 12:08 AM

by Mark Jafar, Viacom

The eleventh hour has come and gone and, unfortunately, the unthinkable has happened.

At approximately 11:50 p.m., DirecTV dropped 26 Viacom channels, including:

Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, VH1, CMT, Logo, Spike, TV Land, MTV2, VH1 Classic, Palladia, Nick Jr., NickToons, TeenNick, Nickelodeon West, Tr3s, Centric, MTV India, Nickelodeon HD, Comedy Central HD, MTV HD, BET HD, VH1 HD, CMT HD and Spike HD.

DirecTV dropped the channels without giving Viacom advanced warning. The last time Viacom was contacted by DirecTV was at approximately 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

Here's the official statement from Viacom:

We are deeply disappointed that DirecTV dropped Viacom’s channels before our midnight deadline this evening, severing our connection with its nearly 20 million subscribers nationwide. We proposed a fair deal that amounted to an increase of only a couple pennies per day, per subscriber, and we remained willing to negotiate that deal right up to this evening’s deadline. However, DirecTV refused to engage in meaningful conversation. We are hopeful that DirecTV will work with us toward a resolution, and stop denying its subscribers access to the networks they watch most.

Check back here and at www.whendirectvdrops.com and www.facebook.com/whendirectvdrops for updates.

Viacom have also posted an update about the dispute on the official Viacom blog, Blog.Viacom:

Update on State of Talks with DirecTV

July 11, 2012 @ 10:17 AM

by Mark Jafar, Viacom

DirecTV dropped Viacom's channels at precisely 11:46 p.m. ET last night, replacing most of our networks with a looping video message from their CEO, and replacing Nickelodeon with a mosaic image of non-Viacom kids’ programming available on DirecTV.

After doing so, DirecTV told the press that Viacom ignored attempts to reach a deal. This is not true.

The following is a statement from Denise Denson, our Executive Vice President of Content Distribution and Marketing, that clarifies the events that led up to DirecTV removing our channels last night:

"The last time we spoke with DirecTV was at 11:00 a.m. yesterday morning and there were no new ideas offered for resolution. In fact, the last proposal DirecTV had made was lower than anyone else pays in the industry, and a deal we said we would not do out of fairness to other distributors. It is essentially the same proposal they had been talking about for three weeks, and one we continually said we would not do. DirecTV also refused to engage with us on any issues related to the deal beyond the rate increase. We are ready to talk at any time."

Nickelodeon USA's "DirecTV Is Dropping Nick" Trailer/Promo:



Also, from TheWrap TV:

So Long, Snooki: Viacom Networks Go Dark for DirecTV Customers

Viacom networks including MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon went dark for DirecTV subscribers at midnight ET as Viacom and DirecTV squabbled over fees.

The outage came as a deadline in the dispute passed without a resolution. Both sides said in statements that no deal had been reached.

Viacom said 20 million customers lost their networks. DirecTV said Viacom is seeking a 30 percent increase -- equaling more than a billion dollars -- in the fees it receives from DirecTV. Those costs would likely be passed on to customers.

Derek Chang, DirecTV executive vice president of content, strategy and development, said in the company's statement that Viacom was pushing for the fee increase "despite the fact that the ratings for many of their main networks have plummeted and much of Viacom’s programming can be seen for free online.”

He was referring especially to struggling kids' network Nickelodeon, which began registering significant ratings slides in the fall.

Viacom, meanwhile, complained in a blog post that DirecTV had "dropped the channels without giving Viacom advanced warning," and that the two sides had not been in direct contact since 11 a.m. Tuesday morning. Viacom said DirecTV dropped the channels just before the midnight deadline.

"We are deeply disappointed that DirecTV dropped Viacom’s channels before our midnight deadline this evening, severing our connection with its nearly 20 million subscribers nationwide," Viacom said. "We proposed a fair deal that amounted to an increase of only a couple pennies per day, per subscriber, and we remained willing to negotiate that deal right up to this evening’s deadline. However, DirecTV refused to engage in meaningful conversation. We are hopeful that DirecTV will work with us toward a resolution, and stop denying its subscribers access to the networks they watch most."

In the hours leading up to the blackout, DirecTV subscribers were subjected to on-screen messages from both DirecTV and Viacom, with each claiming the other was to blame.

"This is [...] annoying," tweeted DirecTV subscriber Christopher J. Ortiz, who posted the image above. "#Viacom and #DirecTv, you guys are acting like 5th graders. Half my screen is filled."

Seventeen Viacom networks are affected: Palladia, Centric, Tr3s, CMT, Logo, NickToons, VH1 Classic, TeenNick, Nick Jr., Nick@Nite, Spike, BET, VH1, TV Land, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and MTV.

Viacom said before the blackout that the two sides had been "negotiating for months" and that it had offered to extend its seven-year-old contract with DirecTV further past its June 30 expiration date. It also said the two sides had made recent progress in negotiations, but that "DirecTV has rejected all of our proposals to renew our agreement."

DirecTV, meanwhile, contended that Viacom "sent a letter to our executives forcing us to take the channels away in order to gain leverage against us in negotiations."

Also, below is a DIRECTV press release about the dispute via Business Wire:

Viacom Drops 17 National Networks from DIRECTV Lineup After Ignoring DIRECTV’s Latest Proposal

Viacom Sends Letter to DIRECTV Demanding Channels be Removed; Pushing DIRECTV Customers to Pay a 30 Percent Rate Hike for Channels In a Ratings Slide

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DIRECTV customers were left without Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and 14 other channels today, after Viacom dropped its networks from DIRECTV at approximately midnight EDT. DIRECTV executives reached out to Viacom both yesterday and today with a new proposal and a request to keep the channels on while we continued to negotiate, but never heard back, so DIRECTV had to comply with their demand to take the channels down or face legal action.

“Viacom sent us a letter last night that outlined our obligations to remove the channels by midnight or face legal action just as they were falsely telling viewers DIRECTV was responsible. Let’s be clear, Viacom took these channels away from DIRECTV viewers.”

“We have been very willing to get a deal done, but Viacom is pushing DIRECTV customers to pay more than a 30 percent increase, which equates to an extra $1 billion, despite the fact that the ratings for many of their main networks have plummeted and much of Viacom’s programming can be seen for free online,” said Derek Chang, DIRECTV executive vice president of Content, Strategy and Development. “Viacom sent us a letter last night that outlined our obligations to remove the channels by midnight or face legal action just as they were falsely telling viewers DIRECTV was responsible. Let’s be clear, Viacom took these channels away from DIRECTV viewers.”

On its Website www.directvpromise.com, an information resource for customers affected by programming disputes, DIRECTV pointed out that Viacom is demanding an exorbitant increase for many Viacom channels that customers may never watch. DIRECTV stated that if Viacom believes all of its networks are worth so much extra money, DIRECTV customers should have the right to choose which Viacom channels they want to pay to keep and which ones they don’t.

“We have absolutely no problem compensating Viacom fairly, but they have now knowingly put our customers in the unreasonable position of either accepting their extravagant financial demands or losing some of their favorite TV shows,” said Chang. “We feel our customers should not have to pay more for these networks than the customers of any other TV provider. We reiterated this to Viacom today and have not heard back from them.”

“We understand that Viacom’s actions are inconveniencing our customers so we are doing everything we can to help them find alternative programming until this gets resolved,” Chang added. “Customers will now see a variety of replacement channels available to them on one screen, in a Mix Channel format, when they tune to a Viacom channel. For instance, those going to the Nickelodeon channel slot will see alternative choices for children’s programming such as The Disney Channel, ABC Family, Cartoon Network, PBS Sprout, The Hub and Boomerang. Customers can also see full-length Viacom episodes for free by going to www.directvpromise.com and clicking on the ‘Other Ways to Watch’ tab.”

About DIRECTV:

DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is one of the world’s leading providers of digital television entertainment services delivering a premium video experience through state-of-the-art technology, unmatched programming and industry leading customer service to 33 million customers in the U.S. and Latin America. In the U.S., DIRECTV offers its 19.9 million customers access to more than 170 HD channels and Dolby-Digital® 5.1 theater-quality sound, access to exclusive sports programming such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET™, Emmy- award winning technology and higher customer satisfaction than the leading cable companies for 11 years running. DIRECTV Latin America, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American countries, leads the pay-TV category in technology, programming and service, delivering an unrivaled digital television experience to 12 million customers. DIRECTV sports and entertainment properties include three Regional Sports Networks (Northwest, Rocky Mountain and Pittsburgh) as well as a 60 percent interest in Game Show Network. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit www.directv.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50337469&lang=en

Contacts

DIRECTV
Robert Mercer, 310-964-4683
rgmercer@directv.com
or
Darris Gringeri, 212-205-0882
dagringeri@directv.com.

Also, from C21Media:

DirecTV turns off Viacom channels

US pay-TV platform DirecTV has pulled the plug on 17 Viacom-owned channels including MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy following a row over carriage fees.

The channels -went dark at 23.50 yesterday after Viacom failed to achieve what it claimed to be a “fair deal” for its content after a series of negotiations with DirecTV executives.

The dispute marks the latest in a long line of clashes in the US between content providers and pay-TV platforms over carriage fees. AMC Networks was embroiled in rows with AT&T and Dish Networks just last week.

DirecTV claims Viacom has been seeking an increase of almost a third on the pair’s previous deal. It said it had made a last-ditch offer yesterday to keep the channels on air but was forced to pull them when Viacom ignored the approach.

“We have been very willing to get a deal done, but Viacom is pushing DirecTV customers to pay more than a 30% increase, which equates to an extra US$1bn, despite the fact that the ratings for many of their main networks have plummeted and much of Viacom’s programming can be seen for free online,” said Derek Chang, the pay-TV operation's executive VP of content, strategy and development.

Chang also alleged Viacom “took these channels away” from viewers, but Viacom countered, saying it was “deeply disappointed” DirecTV had "dropped" them. The number of Viacom nets gone dark rises to 26 if HD versions are also taken into account.

“We proposed a fair deal that amounted to an increase of only a couple pennies per day, per subscriber, and we remained willing to negotiate that deal right up to this evening’s deadline. However, DirecTV refused to engage in meaningful conversation,” Viacom continued in a statement.

Both sides say they are working toward a resolution. For the time being, DirecTV is running replacement channels in the slots vacated. For example, programmes from Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Sprout, The Hub and Boomerang are running in place of Nick. Viacom content is still available free to subscribers via DirecTV’s website.

Jesse Whittock
11-07-2012
©C21Media

TAGS: Channel carriage, Retransmission
SHOWS: Jersey Shore, South Park, SpongeBob SquarePants
COMPANIES: Comedy Central, DirecTV, MTV, Nickelodeon, Viacom
SECTIONS: C21 Kids, C21Drama, C21Factual, Formats Lab
COUNTRIES: US

Also, from Bloomberg:

DirecTV CEO Says Talks With Viacom Continue

DirecTV (DTV) Chief Executive Officer Mike White said talks are continuing with Viacom (VIAB) Inc., even as the two sides remain “pretty far apart” in a dispute over programming fees.

“We’re happy to do a fair deal,” he said today from the Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. “We’re talking.”

July 11 (Bloomberg) -- Laura Martin, an analyst at Needham & Co., talks about a dispute between DirecTV and Viacom Inc. over programming fees. Viacom's 26 channels, including MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, went dark for almost 20 million DirecTV subscribers just before midnight yesterday after the companies failed to reach a new programming-fee agreement. She speaks with Cory Johnson on Bloomberg Television's "Bloomberg West." (Source: Bloomberg)
.
Viacom’s 26 channels, including MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, went dark for almost 20 million DirecTV subscribers just before midnight yesterday after the companies failed to reach a new programming-fee agreement. DirecTV said that Viacom demanded the networks be dropped from its service, which ranks No. 1 in the U.S. satellite-TV market.

The standoff marks the latest fee tussle between a pay-TV provider and program supplier. Such fights have blacked out millions of subscribers in recent years, including 14 million Dish Network Corp. (DISH) customers who lost access to AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX) last month. Viacom said on its blog that its programs amount to 20 percent of the audience at DirecTV. The satellite provider, meanwhile, cited falling ratings at Viacom’s channels as an issue in the dispute.

“It has been inconceivable that any distributor could drop Viacom’s networks, mostly because of Nickelodeon,” Todd Juenger, a Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst in New York, wrote in a note in June. “But ratings are down, often significantly, at networks representing 71 percent of Viacom affiliate fees.”

$1 Billion

White said Viacom is demanding a fee increase of more than 30 percent, amounting to more than $1 billion in additional costs over five years.

“We offered a hefty increase,” he said today in the interview, without being specific. “We always said we’ll pay a fair price consistent with other large distributors.”

Viacom, based in New York, fell 0.3 percent to $46.73 at the close in New York. The Class B stock has gained 2.9 percent this year. DirecTV, up 13 percent this year, declined 1.1 percent today to $48.15.

Viacom President and CEO Philippe Dauman, questioned at the Allen & Co. conference, said he wouldn’t negotiate in public.

“As you can see, we have negotiated with every other pay- TV operator, without problems,” Dauman said. “Our record speaks for itself.”

The parties have been talking for several months and extended their seven-year agreement past the original June 30 expiration while discussions continued, Viacom said. During that time, Viacom allowed its channels to stay on DirecTV.

‘Deeply Disappointed’

DirecTV dropped Viacom's channels about 10 minutes before midnight with no warning, Mark Jafar, a Viacom spokesman, said in a blog post. He said El Segundo, California-based DirecTV “refused to engage in meaningful conversation.”

“We are deeply disappointed that DirecTV dropped Viacom’s channels before our midnight deadline this evening, severing our connection with its nearly 20 million subscribers nationwide,” Jafar said. “We proposed a fair deal that amounted to an increase of only a couple pennies per day, per subscriber, and we remained willing to negotiate that deal right up to this evening’s deadline.”

Viacom today also began limiting the number of programs it lets people watch for free at its websites, after DirecTV created a navigation tool to help customers find the shows they've lost, according to Meghan McLarty, a DirecTV spokeswoman.

Channel Bundling

White said he isn’t looking to break up Viacom’s bundle of channels and buy them individually, even though his customers would prefer not to pay for networks they don’t watch.

“Consumers ask us to do that all the time,” he said. “I don’t think that’s likely because I don’t think the media companies in general would be willing to do that.”

The sluggish economy and online services such as Netflix Inc. (NFLX) and Hulu LLC also may make satellite customers less likely to pay higher rates, White said.

“In this economy, consumers are struggling,” he said. “Their incomes aren’t growing at those rates, and it’s tough for the average consumer. That’s what we care most about.”

Viacom said its fees account for less than 5 percent of the satellite service’s programming expenses, and that DirecTV “enjoyed way below market rates for Viacom’s networks for a very long time.”

Also, from Bloomberg:

DirecTV, Coping With Nickelodeon Loss, Adds Disney Junior

DirecTV (DTV)’s 20 million customers, following the loss of Nickelodeon kids’ programming because of the satellite-TV provider’s dispute with Viacom Inc. (VIAB), will begin receiving the 24-hour Disney Junior channel tomorrow.

Disney Junior, created by Walt Disney Co. (DIS) to target viewers ages 2 to 7, will be permanently added to DirecTV’s lineup as a basic channel, according to a statement today from the companies. Disney Junior began last year as a daytime programming block within the Disney Channel, before becoming its own 24-hour station this year.

The move lets DirecTV bolster its children’s programming after blacking out Viacom’s 26 channels, including Nickelodeon kids’ shows such as “Dora the Explorer” and “SpongeBob SquarePants.” DirecTV dropped the programs just before midnight on July 10 following stalled negotiations over the fees that the satellite company pays for the shows.

Disney Junior’s programs include cartoons and live-action shows, including “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” and “Handy Manny.” The channel also airs movies from Walt Disney Studios and its Pixar division.

The plan to add the channel was already in the works before the Viacom impasse, said Robert Mercer, a spokesman for El Segundo, California-based DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite-TV provider. Even so, the deal mitigates the need for other kids’ channels, he said.

“Given the unsurpassed quality of Disney Junior’s family- friendly programming, there’s no reason to watch anything else,” he said in an e-mail.