This week, Cincinnati-area Altafiber customers are finding blank channels on their TV screen, most notably Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.
It is all the result of the latest dispute over over carrying fees, as programmers demand more and more money from cable companies.
But this time, it's not DirecTV or Dish customers caught in the middle of the dispute. It's local viewers who use Cincinnati-based Altafiber for their TV package who are now missing more than a half-dozen TV channels.
Instead of Nickelodeon, MTV, VH-1, BET, and Comedy Central, Altafiber customers just see a blank screen instead of the Paramount-owned channels.
The screen includes a QR code that you can check for more information.
Why the channels are now missing
Altafiber has sent an email to customers and has posted an explanation on its website:
"Paramount Global was demanding rates that do not reflect the value their content delivers to you, the customer. Paramount has been shifting the majority of its new shows to the Paramount+ app. At the same time, Paramount is increasing prices for cable customers. We believe this is unfair."
So what can you do?
If you rely on some of these channels, the simplest thing is to subscribe to Paramount Plus or a service that still includes Paramount channels.
Services like Pluto, YouTube TV, Hulu, and Sling offer Paramount and most other cable channels for costs ranging from $30 a moNth (Pluto) to as much as $80 a month.
If you decide to go with this option, you can then drop Atafiber's cable package and just use their home internet.
A cheaper option is to simply subscribe to Paramount Plus as an add-on to your Altafiber package, which costs $8 a month for the basic plan.
We have reached out to Altafiber to ask if and when these channels may return. We will update this report when we learn more.
Until then, don't waste your money.
__________________________
"Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").
Follow John:
Facebook:John Matarese MoneyInstagram: @johnmataresemoneyX/Twitter: @JohnMatareseFollow Taylor:
Facebook: Taylor NimmoInstagram:@tnimmsX/Twitter: @tnimmsFor more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com
More Don't Waste Your Money news:
