Hays Post

Eleventh-hour negotiations between representatives of Eagle Communications and Viacom continue as of mid-morning Tuesday.

The National Cable Television Cooperative, which represents approximately 5 million cable customers nationwide including Eagle subscribers, has received several extensions during its negotiations with Viacom, which had initially demanded significant rate increases.

The extensions began at 11 p.m. Monday, when the channels were scheduled to “go dark.”

“The negotiations continue because we didn’t agree to their demands for a large fee increase, which we believe would have costly repercussions for our customers,” said Travis Kohlrus, Eagle Communications Broadband Division general manager. “While we are restricted from talking about specific rates, Viacom demanded a rate increase that’s 40 times the rate of inflation. Imagine pulling up to the gas pump and finding that gas has gone from $3.50 a gallon to $6 – overnight. That’s the scale of some of these large increases.”

The extensions are currently being added “an hour on top of an hour” as NCTC representatives attempt to hammer out a deal.

A majority of a customer’s cable bill consists of monthly programming fees from the cable networks that are carried, Kohlrus said. Today’s entertainment marketplace is changing rapidly, and many major media companies have consolidated. These mergers allow large programming companies significant leverage over independent cable companies such as Eagle Communications.

Eagle is joining with cable providers across the nation in standing up to the proposed rate increase.

“When a multi-billion-dollar company such as Viacom demands an unprecedented increase in its monthly fees, we believe it’s our responsibility to take a stand,” Kohlrus said. “Our goal is to protect our customers from significant programming fee increases. These large increases impact all of us throughout central and western Kansas and we want to make sure our customers know we are working on their behalf.”

Viacom offers popular channels including MTV, Nick and Comedy Central. However, in order to run those channels, cable companies also are required to carry networks that aren’t as well-known, including MTV2, MTV Hits and VH1 Classic.

For the latest information on the Eagle/Viacom negotiations, customers are encouraged to visit www.TVOnMySide.com.

Check Hays Post for news on the negotiations.