Suddenlink Can't Get Away With This!

Hours after Suddenlink cable customers in West Virginia had several Viacom-owned channels removed from their cable lineups, the companies disagreed on how negotiations to keep the channels in customers’ cable packages ended. The break-up comes after five months of price negotiations for channels including MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Spike TV, VH-1, BET, TV Land and CMT.

“It’s unfortunate we could not reach an agreement, and we understand the frustration this will cause some customers, but we sincerely hope they’ll give the new channels a try and find those channels as compelling as others have said they do.”

Viacom spokeswoman Carole Robinson said that’s not the case. Viacom offered Suddenlink a one-year agreement to keep its 24 channels on the terms Suddenlink proposed on Sept. 23, Robinson said, but Suddenlink refused. Regardless of who’s to blame, Christine Stephens of Charleston isn’t happy about the move. “I feel like I’m in an abusive relationship with Suddenlink and I can’t get out of it,” “I just feel like Suddenlink didn’t consider their customers,” said Stephens, who’s been a Suddenlink customer for more than 10 years. “I’m not irrational, but I’m handicapped and limited in recreational options.”

For the $160 monthly for cable, phone and Internet, she said, she should have been treated better. Suddenlink rates will not change as a result of the channel switch. Stephens added that she found out about the switch from Viacom, not Suddenlink. By Wednesday evening Suddenlink’s Facebook page was filled with comments about the split from Viacom — mostly negative. Several parents asked what they should tell their kids when they can’t watch Nickelodeon programs, like “SpongeBob Square Pants” and “Dora the Explorer.”

Regan, the Suddenlink spokesman, wrote that, through phone and email surveys, social media polls and calls to its care centers, Suddenlink’s customers consistently told the company they do not value the Viacom channels as much as they value others, they do not want to pay significantly more to keep Viacom channels and they would like other channels added.

“Despite our repeated requests for a reasonable offer, Viacom continued to demand a nearly 50 percent increase in payments and increased their demands even further when we asked for per-channel, stand-alone pricing.” “Because Viacom refused to treat our customers fairly, Suddenlink was forced to make a difficult decision: As of October, we will introduce other channels our customers have requested through polls and surveys and not carry Viacom channels.”