Midnight Deal Struck, Time Warner Subscribers Still Get Their MTV

Don't be fooled, the kid plays hard ball for money...

TIME WARNER CABLE subscribers rang in the new year still being able to watch MTV, VH1 and all VIACOM content, as the cable system reached a deal not long after a midnight deadline set LAST NIGHT (12/31) to continue carriage. The deal's terms were not disclosed, the AP reports, and details still must still be finalized.

The two sides quarreled over proposed fee hikes, prompting VIACOM to set a deadline that would have cut off shows such as "The Daily Show" and "The Hills" to about 15.7 million subscribers in NEW YORK STATE, THE CAROLINAS, OHIO, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA and TEXAS, as well as customers of BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS in MICHIGAN, INDIANA, CALIFORNIA, ALABAMA and FLORIDA.

"We are pleased that our customers will continue to be able to watch the customers will continue to be able to watch the programming they enjoy on MTV Networks," TIME WARNER CABLE CEO/Pres. GLENN BRITT said. "We are sorry they had to endure a day of public disagreement as we worked through this negotiation."

Dora Turns The Screws

VIACOM, which stated that it, too, was pleased with the deal, nevertheless turned the screws on TW CABLE by mounting a last-minute ad campaign in major newspapers and websites from THE NEW YORK TIMES and TVGUIDE.COM, featuring a tearful DORA THE EXPLORER crying and clinging to her monkey pal, BOOTS. "Why is DORA crying?" the ad read. "Tonight you will lose NICKELODEON and 18 other channels from your TV." It then prompted people to call their cable company to complain.

Now, of course, they won't call back to complain ... unless, perhaps, TW CABLE decides to pass along the rate hike.

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