NEW YORK (AP) - DirecTV subscribers are losing access to "The Daily Show" and "SpongeBob SquarePants."
DirecTV Group Inc. stopped carrying channels owned by Viacom Inc. because of a contract dispute. They include MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central.
The dispute is over how much DirecTV should pay to carry the Viacom programming. The two companies blamed each other for the shutdown.
"Unfortunately Viacom has decided to take their
customers away from their channels, it's a temporary and regrettable tactic to
try to force you to pay substantially more for their networks, even the ones
you don't watch or care about," said Mike White, CEO of DirecTV.
Viacom and DirecTV have had an agreement for seven years, which Viacom says meant that it has been paid below-market rates for the programming. DirecTV, meanwhile, says Viacom is asking for too much money.
DirecTV has 20 million U.S. subscribers.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
A DirecTV satellite receiver dish is displayed on a home in Simi Valley, Calif. (Credit: AP)
