Last week during the Republican National Convention, CBS Late Show host Stephen Colbert brought backhis arch-conservative former alter ego — also named Stephen Colbert — from Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report to comment on the goings-on in Cleveland. The brief stunt apparently didn’t go over well with the lawyers at Comedy Central, forcing Colbert to a new intellectual property work-around: introducing a completely new character who just happens to look and sound exactly like him. [More]
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Sony’s Online Pay-TV Service To Launch With Channels You Might Actually Want To Watch
By 9.10.14
After what seemed like an eternity of news leaks, rumors, and promises of an online-only pay-TV service from Sony, the company has finally announced that it will indeed be launching that cloud-based service, and that it will start with a slate of channels including some that humans actually watch. [More]
Court Won’t Let Viacom Stop Cablevision’s Anti-Bundling Lawsuit
By 6.23.14
Sick of being forced to accept Viacom’s massive bundle of barely watched cable channels — Palladia and MTV Hits, anyone? — just to get the handful that its subscribers want to watch (MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Nickelodeon), New York-based Cablevision sued Viacom in early 2013, alleging the broadcaster was violating federal antitrust laws. Viacom has since tried to have the case dismissed, but a U.S. District Court has ruled that the case can move forward. [More]
Sick Of Being Forced To Pay For Channels No One Watches, Cablevision Sues Viacom
By 2.26.13
Among the biggest bones of contention in the now-frequent carriage fee disputes between broadcasters and cable/satellite companies is broadcasters’ insistence that carriers buy an entire bundle of channels just to get the one or two networks people actually watch. Today, Cablevision declared “Enough!” and filed suit against Viacom. [More]
“No Deal In Sight” To End Viacom Blackout On DirecTV
By 7.18.12
It’s been a week since DirecTV and Viacom’s contract dispute resulted in nearly 20 million satellite customers staring at blank screens instead of MTV, Comedy Central, Vh1, Nickelodeon and several other Viacom-owned stations. Now the broadcaster is telling viewers not to get their hopes up for a quick resolution. [More]
Viacom Puts Full Daily Show & Colbert Report Episodes Back Online
By 7.17.12
For DirecTV subscribers, the ongoing Viacom blackout means it’s been nearly a week since they’ve been able to watch MTV, Comedy Central, Vh1, or Nickelodeon — at least without going to the neighbor’s house. In a move to win viewers over to its side of the battle, Viacom has decided that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to remove those full episodes of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report from the Comedy Central website. [More]
Viacom Tells DirecTV Customers To Complain In Order To Get Free Stuff
By 7.13.12
We’re now a few days into the fight between Viacom and DirecTV that has left nearly 20 million of the satellite service’s customers without 26 channels, including MTV, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central. And while the two parties are reportedly trying to hammer out a resolution, Viacom’s Twitter account is only stoking the anti-DirecTV fires. [More]
Viacom Takes Down Full Episodes Of TV Shows To Punish Everyone For DirecTV Dispute
By 7.12.12
The catfight between DirecTV and Viacom took a nasty turn this afternoon, as the broadcaster decided that it would temporarily stop streaming full episodes of some its shows simply because DirecTV pointed out to its ticked-off customers they could get some of their blacked-out favorites online. [More]
Should DirecTV Customers Get Refunds For Going Without Viacom Channels?
By 7.11.12
It’s one day into the standoff between DirecTV and Viacom and neither side is showing signs of backing down (though, the way these things go, they could be kissing and making up within the hour). In the meantime, millions of DirecTV customers have to go to their friends’ houses to watch Teen Mom reruns. So what’s the satellite company doing to make up for the 26 missing channels? [More]
MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Others Disappear From DirecTV
By 7.11.12
As we reported early Tuesday morning, contract negotiations between DirecTV and Viacom had broken down in recent days, meaning nearly 20 million satellite subscribers could be without 26 channels, including basic cable mainstays like MTV, Vh1, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon. The deadline has come and gone, and those channels have vanished from DirecTV. [More]
Daily Show & Colbert Report Returning To Hulu
By 2.3.11
It’s been almost a year since a squabble between Viacom and Hulu ended up with Comedy Central’s one-two punch of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report being pulled from the online video site. But now the two sides have reached an accord that will bring both of these shows, along with a bunch of other Viacom content, back to Hulu. [More]
South Park Sued By Folks Behind 'What What (In The Butt)'
By 11.17.10
It hasn’t been a laugh-filled autumn for the people at South Park. First they had to issue a public apology after plagiarizing a portion of a College Humor parody of the movie Inception. Now they are facing legal action from the makers of the so-awful-you-send-it-to-your-friends YouTube music video “What What (In the Butt),” alleging copyright infringement. [More]
Apple: Sorry About South Park
By 12.21.06
Apple is trying to set things right with customers who complained after they bought a “South Park Season Pass” that was only good for half the season. According to MacNN, “Comedy Central had decided to ‘split’ the season into two halves for $11.99 each, confusing many customers who thought they were purchasing the entire South Park season.” Apple changed the name of the download to reflect the two halfs of the season, and is offering customers who purchased the first half under the confusing title the opportunity to download part B for free. Let us know how that turns out. —MEGHANN MARCO
