PTC President Calls Viacom Bundle Announcement a “Distinction Without a Difference”

Viacom's "cheaper solution" solves nothing.

The Parents Television Council responded to Viacom CEO Bob Bakish’s announcement that the company is expected to offer consumers a TV bundle without news and sports costing $20 or less per month.

“Once again cable programmers are rearranging the deck chairs on their Titanic. Unless and until cable customers are able to receive the products they want to purchase -- rather that the products that the cable industry wants to sell them -- we will continue to see annual declines in subscriber numbers,” said PTC President Tim Winter. “Mr. Bakish’s announcement offers consumers a distinction without a difference. All that this cheaper ‘solution’ will do is bundle fewer networks that people want with fewer networks that people don’t want. How will this appeal to cord cutters, or to families who are frustrated that they must underwrite network programming they find harmful to their children? “We hope that the cable TV industry will embrace a model where consumers can choose -- and pay for -- only the networks they want to purchase.”