Cablevision-Viacom suit could change the way you pay for cable TV

Cablevision is suing content provider Viacom. The cable company says it shouldn’t have to pay for channels that aren’t popular with subscribers.

The way it works now, Cablevision can’t get Viacom’s popular channels — like Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon — without also paying for its less popular ones, such as VH1 Classic and CMT. Some media companies have called this payment structure “bundling.”

Cablevision is now arguing that bundling is unfair to subscribers, especially as the cost of cable is on the rise.

To hear and how and when this could impact the way you pay for cable, click on the audio player above.