EchoStar Sues Viacom Over CBS Rights

[Chris Blount]

Thu Jan 8,12:25 AM ET Add Business - Reuters to My Yahoo!

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Satellite TV provider EchoStar Communications Corp. asked a federal judge on Wednesday to block Viacom Inc. from pulling the plug on its broadcasts of local CBS stations in U.S. cities, including New York and Los Angeles.

In a lawsuit filed with a federal court in San Francisco, EchoStar said Viacom, which owns the top-rated CBS broadcast network, had threatened to withdraw rebroadcast rights for CBS stations in 15 major cities as of Wednesday.

The two sides have been negotiating since September to renew a three-year deal that expired on December 31, EchoStar said in its filing.

Representatives of EchoStar and Viacom were not immediately available for comment late on Wednesday.

In its lawsuit, EchoStar said Viacom had insisted in negotiations that any deal for rights to the local CBS affiliates must include arrangements for Viacom-owned cable networks, including a new offering, Nicktoons.

MORE (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040108/bs_nm/media_viacom_echostar_dc_1)

[newsub]

Thu Jan 8,12:25 AM ET Add Business - Reuters to My Yahoo!

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Satellite TV provider EchoStar Communications Corp. asked a federal judge on Wednesday to block Viacom Inc. from pulling the plug on its broadcasts of local CBS stations in U.S. cities, including New York and Los Angeles.

In a lawsuit filed with a federal court in San Francisco, EchoStar said Viacom, which owns the top-rated CBS broadcast network, had threatened to withdraw rebroadcast rights for CBS stations in 15 major cities as of Wednesday.

The two sides have been negotiating since September to renew a three-year deal that expired on December 31, EchoStar said in its filing.

Representatives of EchoStar and Viacom were not immediately available for comment late on Wednesday.

In its lawsuit, EchoStar said Viacom had insisted in negotiations that any deal for rights to the local CBS affiliates must include arrangements for Viacom-owned cable networks, including a new offering, Nicktoons.

MORE (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040108/bs_nm/media_viacom_echostar_dc_1)

I personally would enjoy seeing nicktoons, mtv hits, vh1 mega hits and vh1 country added to dish network's lineup.

[Bobby94928]

I personally would enjoy seeing nicktoons, mtv hits, vh1 mega hits and vh1 country added to dish network's lineup.

While it sounds nice, what is the price??? If Viacom wants mucho dinero for the add-ons and is holding the CBS networks to Dish hostage then that is not so nice.

[James Long]

Yeah, they may have to raise AT100 by $1 and AT150 by $2 --- which they are doing anyways. And they only thing we get are new package names! :(

Without those channels they will do another Charlie Chat where those channels are mentioned tell us that they are "in negotiations" as they have done before. Viacom is demanding to be able to get those channels to us and E* is refusing. OK.

The bottom line is their customers want the channels.

JL

[Chris Freeland]

As I said in another thread here, I believe that E* and Viacom will come to an agreament soon similar to the one which D* just signed with Viacom, which includes the addition of Nicktoons but nothing else that E* does not already carry.

[newsub]

As I said in another thread here, I believe that E* and Viacom will come to an agreament soon similar to the one which D* just signed with Viacom, which includes the addition of Nicktoons but nothing else that E* does not already carry.
digital cable has all of those channels why can't dish get those channels as well? The more channels dish carries that digital does the more likely people are to switch.

[wcswett]

Satellite TV provider EchoStar Communications Corp. asked a federal judge on Wednesday to block Viacom Inc. from pulling the plug on its broadcasts of local CBS stations in U.S. cities, including New York and Los Angeles.

Since local into local is a protected monopoly, Viacom should not be allowed to use CBS as a negotiating chip in selling its "cable" channels and a federal judge should block the attempt.

--- WCS