DirecTV and Viacom Outage Outrage

As we turned on the TV this morning to Nick Jr., instead of a cartoon, we saw the DirecTV logo. We let the kids watch TV while getting ready for school in the morning and before bed at night. Nick Jr. is our favorite channel with educational programming. After checking that it wasn't a mistake on our side, I turned the channel to Sprout and went in search of a reason for the outrage.

It was not hard to find pages full of search results on the topic. As it turns out, DirecTV and Viacom could not reach an agreement and each is blaming the other for taking the channels down. We really won't miss MTV and Jersey Shores, but Nick Jr and Nickelodeon make up most of TV watching and recordings on the DVR.

We have many recordings on the DVR and most of the programs are also available on Netflix streaming, but watching on TV is more convenient.

The principle of the issue infuriates me. Both parties are pointing fingers at each other and giving their side and how they are looking after their customers. But at the end of the day, they are both greedy! As a consumer, I don't care whose fault it is. I equate it to ordering and prepaying for a burger at the restaurant, and getting jut the bun with a side of excuses that the beef cost is being negotiated. As a customer of DirecTV, I expect my beef and not the substitutions of movie channels we won't ever watch. Another example of greedy corporations, consumers with limited choices (since as a former comcast cable client, they don't win gold stars either), and polarized sides unable to compromise.

You can bet this consumer will be getting a refund at the end of this outage!