Whether DirecTV or Viacom Can "Win" in the Long Term is the Real Issue

You can take your pick about which partner--DirecTV or Viacom--has more leverage in the programming dispute that has taken all the Viacom channels off DirecTV, at least temporarily.

Some might argue it is a mistake for DirecTV to risk consumer irritation when some popular channels “go dark,” the theory being that it is the programming people pay for, so one distributor risks losing customers, eventually, should a major network such as Viacom be dropped on a permanent basis.

Some might argue that no matter the outcome, the whole video ecosystem is becoming unworkable. That, at least, was what Robert Johnson, founder of the BET cable channel, recently warned.