Viacom, Charter talks extended

US media companies Viacom and Charter Communications have agreed a short-term extension of their carriage renewal deadline, according to reports.

The two are locked in a dispute over how much Charter should pay Viacom for its channels, which include Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon.

Charter has launched a web page telling its customers that Viacom is requiring them to “overpay” for their channels, while Viacom has been showing messages on its channels warning viewers that the networks may come off the air.

US reports state the two have agreed to extend their talks, which has retained Viacom’s channels on Charter’s Spectrum service for the time being.

It is estimated Spectrum has around 16.6 million subscribers and Reuters reports Viacom stands to lose US$760m, or around 16%, of its annual affiliate revenue if no deal is reached, according to an analyst at Viacom shareholder Gabelli & Co.