(Spencer)– Spencer Municipal Utilities cable television customers could see some channels go dark over the next few days–not because of technical difficulties, but due to a breakdown in negotiations with programming providers.
That word from SMU Sales and Marketing Director Amanda Paulsen. She tells KUYY news SMU is a member of NCTC, a national not-for-profit cable t.v. cooperative that negotiates programming fees for one thousand cable companies across the U.S. Paulsen says NCTC is negotiating with MTV Networks and that MTV Networks may remove their channels from SMU’s system and other cable companies NCTC represents until negotiations conclude.
For SMU customers, the affected channels include MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, Spike TV, TV Land, CMT and Comedy Central…all on SMU’s expanded basic tier. SMU also carries some MTV Network channels on its digital basic tier that would also be affected. They include Nick Junior, Nick Tooons, TeenNick, MTV2, MTV Hits, VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul and CMT Pure Country.
One network, MTVTr3s, is included in SMU’s digital spanish package.
Paulsen says they’re confident an agreement will be met in the future, adding the channels will return to the line-up once that happens.
