Where’s my MTV?

PALMER — Negotiations between Alaska independent pay TV providers and Viacom — one of the world’s largest media conglomerates — have been extended. That means some 130,000 Alaska cable subscribers won’t immediately lose between 18 and 26 channels of Viacom content while negotiations continue.

Represented by the National Cable Television Cooperative, Matanuska Telephone Association and GCI are among more than 700 small, independent pay TV operators impacted.

Carolyn Hanson, MTA’s director of marketing and sales, said the increase the cable giant seeks is 40 times the rate of inflation.

“Our goal is to protect our customers,” she said.

Although the agreement between Viacom and the independent cable companies expired at 8 p.m., ADT Monday, Hanson said that deadline was extended one hour in deference to the continuing negotiations. If negotiations should hit an impasse or break down, GCI and MTA would be forced to stop broadcasting those channels, Hanson said.

Visit Frontiersman.com for updates on this continuing story.

• GCI carries 26 Viacom cable networks affected by the National Cable Television Cooperative contract, which expired March 31. They are: BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTA, Nickelodeon, Spike, TV Land, VH-1, Nick Jr., TEENick, Nicktoons, MTV2, MTV Hits, VH-1 Classic, CMT Pure Country, VH-1 Soul, mtvU, Logo, MTV Jams, BET HD, CMT HD, Comedy Central HD, MTV HD, Nickelodeon HD, Spike TV HD and VH-1 HD.

• MTA carries 18 Viacom cable networks affected by the National Cable Television Cooperative contract, which expired March 31. They are: BET, CMT, CMT Country, Comedy Central, MTV, MTV Hills, MTV Jams, MTV2, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Spike, Teen Nick, MTV Tr3s, TV Land, VH-1, VH-1 Classic and VH-1 Soul.