I just read in my bill/received a letter that certain channels will no longer be in my TV channel line-up. Why?
Q:
I just read in my bill/received a letter that certain channels will no longer be in my TV channel line-up. Why?
Based on Sparklight Business customer feedback from a survey we conducted earlier this summer, we will be making changes and additions to the channel line-up this fall.
NEW channels will be added to the following levels of service from September 30 – October 4:
Expanded Basic Service* (where available): Hallmark Drama, Universal Kids, Sundance, IFC, Crime + Investigation, TV ONE, BBC America, WE tv and BYU TV (in most areas).
Family Plus Pak: The Blaze, C-SPAN3, ShopHQ, GEM TV, DayStar, and Sonlife (in most areas).
The following channels will be removed by midnight September 30:
Expanded Basic Service (where available): BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount TV, TV Land, and VH1.
Family Plus Pak: BET Her, BET Jams, BET Soul, CMT Music, Nick Jr., Nick Toons, Nick Music, Nick Teen, Nick 2, MTV2, MTV Classic, MTVU, and MTV Tres.
Updated TV channel lineups will be available on September 24. Visit the TV Lineup Page for a printable version of your lineup.
* WE tv will not be available in Calhoun; TV ONE will not be available in Argenta, Calhoun, and Homestead; BYU TV will not be available in Argenta, Calhoun, Leland/Hollandale, Quitman and Waynesboro.
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Q. Viacom is saying you removed their channels because you don’t want to pay them, even though they lowered their rates. Is that true?
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A. Though cost should never be ignored, our decision to discontinue our contract with Viacom was not based on cost, but on the declining viewership of Viacom channels as well as customer feedback obtained earlier this summer via an online survey.
Prior to our contract expiring with Viacom we surveyed our customers about their interest in a variety of channels – both existing and new. The majority of our Sparklight Business customers responded that their interest in much of Viacom programming was low. Our customers also told us that they were more interested in the new channels we proposed. Based on that feedback, we are choosing not to renew our contract with Viacom and will be adding many of the new channels our customers expressed interest in.
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Q: How can I access Viacom programming?
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A. You can still enjoy many of these channels, both online and via streaming services.
Full episodes of many Viacom shows can be found on individual channel websites, which are:
www.mtv.com; www.vh1.com; www.bet.com; www.centrictv.com; www.nick.com; www.nickjr.com; www.teennick.com; www.cmt.com; www.comedycentral.com; www.tvland.com; www.spike.com
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Q. Will I get a credit on my bill since you removed these channels?
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A. Since we are replacing the channels we removed with Hallmark Drama, Universal Kids, Sundance, IFC, Crime + Investigation, TV ONE, BBC America, WE tv and BYU TV on Expanded Basic Service (where available) and The Blaze, C-SPAN3, ShopHQ, GEM TV, DayStar, and Sonlife on the Family Plus Pak (where available), credits will not be necessary.
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Q. If I am willing to pay more for these channels, can I keep them?
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A. Unfortunately, Viacom does not make per-subscriber deals. In order to be able to offer these channels to our customers, we must have a companywide agreement with Viacom that includes all subscribers.
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Q: My letter/bill notification said you surveyed customers about the channels they watch. When did you survey customers? Why didn’t I receive a survey?
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We surveyed all Sparklight cable customers via email this summer (early June). If you didn’t receive the survey, it’s possible that you don’t have a current email address on file with us. We’d be happy to update your email address now so that you don’t miss future notifications from Sparklight Business regarding cable programming, billing, or important information regarding your services with us.
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Q: Still missing a channel?
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A: You can still enjoy many of the shows and channels no longer carried on Sparklight Business’s TV lineup. Viewing options include online and via streaming TV services.
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