Nickelodeon UK And Argos Launch Exclusive "Winx Club" Competition To Win Magical "Winx Club" Merchandise

To celebrate Nickelodeon UK premiering the brand new CGI animated "Winx Club" movie "Winx Club: The Secret of the Lost Kingdom" on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK on Saturday 21st July 2012 at 7.30am (repeated at 8.30am on Nickelodeon UK's plus one (+1) timeshift channel, Nick Replay UK), the official Nickelodeon UK and Ireland website, Nick.co.uk, have teamed up with the United Kingdom's largest general-goods retailer, Argos, to unveil an exclusive "Winx Club" Competition where viewers of Nickelodeon UK/HD and fans of the popular animated series the "Winx Club" could win some magical Winx prizes!

Below is more information about Nickelodeon UK's brand new and exclusive "Winx Club" contest from the official "Winx Club Competition" webpage on the official Nickelodeon UK website at Nick.co.uk, where you can also enter Nick UK's "Winx Club" competition:

Winx Club

WIN! All new magical Winx prizes!

In association with Argos

Discover the magic!

To celebrate the Winx Club movie on Nickelodeon, you could win magical prizes, in association with Argos.

Discover whether Bloom and the rest of the Winx Club can save Domino, in the all new Winx Club Movie: Secret of the Lost Kingdom. All you have to do is tune in to the movie and answer the question below for your chance to win!

Be one of the first to own the all new Winx Club range.

One lucky winner will be one of the first to own a complete set of the Winx Club dolls plus a Rock concert stage play set and more!

And five lucky runners-up will win one of five complete sets of the Winx Club dolls, so you can share with your friends.

Tune in to the Winx Movie: Secret of the Lost Kingdom premiere on Saturday 21st July at 7.30am on Nickelodeon

Good Luck!

To be in with the chance of winning, simply answer this question

Where is the Mountain of Rock?

Domino
Alfea
Obsidion

Closing date for entries is 10am on Monday 30th July 2012.

Entrants must be aged between 5 and 15 years old to enter.

One main prize [first prize] of a complete set of the Concert Collection Winx Club dolls, plus a Rock Concert Stage Play Set, Feature Transformation Station, Deluxe Fashion Dolls and Believix Action Figure Dolls.

Five runner up prizes of Concert Collection dolls.

Tune into the premiere of Winx Movie: Secret of the Lost Kingdom on Saturday 21st July at 7.30pm [7.30am] on Nickelodeon

Everyone's a winner! with Nickelodeon

Get a code with any Nickelodeon purchase and win!

You can enter Nickelodeon UK's exclusive "Winx Club" competition here on the official Nickelodeon UK website at Nick.co.uk.

The Official Nickelodeon UK Website Unveils Their Brand New Official "Alien Surf Girls" Website

To celebrate Nickelodeon UK premiering and showing the UK premiere of the brand new Australian live action television series called "Alien Surf Girls" (also known as "Lightning Point") on Nickelodeon UK and Ireland and Nickelodeon HD UK from Monday 23rd July 2012 at 6.00pm and 9.00pm (repeated at 7.00pm and 10.00pm on Nickelodeon UK's plus 1 (+1) timeshift channel, Nick Replay UK), the official Nickelodeon UK and Ireland website, Nick.co.u, has unveiled their brand new official "Alien Surf Girls" website to accompany the brand new series on Nickelodeon, which you can view here at Nick.co.uk/shows/aliensurfgirls.

Nickelodeon UK's brand new "Alien Surf Girls" website features online "Alien Surf Girls" streaming video clips featuring short video clips from the show, character bios featuring information about each character in "Alien Surf Girls" - Amber Mitchell (Philippa Coulthard), Zoey (Lucy Fry), Kiki (Jessica Green), Brandon Benedict (Andrew James Morley), Luca Benedict (Kenji Fitzgerald), and Madison (Paige Houden) - and a photograph gallery featuring still from Nickelodeon UK's lates brand new show.

"Alien Surf Girls", a brand new Australian science fiction/fantasy television program for children, pre-teens and teenagers produced by Jonathan M. Shiff ("H2O: Just Add Water" and "The Elephant Princess"/"The Rock Princess") for the Australian commercial television network 'Network Ten' in association with Nickelodeon Australia and German public broadcaster ZDF and filmed on location at the Gold Coast in 2011, is about two irrepressible girls from another galaxy called Zoey and Kiki who become castaways in the quiet, Australian seaside town of Lightning Point, where they recruit local girl Amber to keep them undercover. But the whole town is soon abuzz with the sighting of UFOs and the girls soon realise that they may not be the first intergalactic visitors.

Nickelodeon UK To Air Sneak Peek Preview Of The Brand New Nickelodeon Series "Fred: The Show" Soon

Nickelodeon UK and Ireland have announced and revealed in their brand new "the special preview of Fred: The Show" teaser trailer/promo (below with transcript) that Nickelodeon UK will be showing a special sneak peek preview of the brand new Nickelodeon series "Fred: The Show", which is based on the adventures of Fred Figglehorn, a character created and played by internet sensation Lucas Cruikshank (who once guest starred on the Nickelodeon show "iCarly"), and follow's the crazy things which go on in Fred's daily life, soon, possibly in August 2012 as part of "Summer on Nickelodeon" 2012, confirming the Nickelodeon UK News that Nickelodeon UK will be debuting the brand new Nickelodeon series "Fred: The Show" soon:

[Fred Figglehorn (Lucas Cruikshank): Guys, it's Fred!]

Get ready for the screams.

[Fred (to his Mom): MMOOOMMMMMAAAA!!!!]

The special preview of Fred: The Show, coming soon, only on Nickelodeon!

Also available on Nickelodeon HD

Nick.co.uk

Nickelodeon's 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Helps To Remind Vermont, USA College Graduates Of Their Childhood

From The Huffington Post:

Spongebob Reminds College Graduates of Their Childhood

For a generation of students, the little sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea represents childhood dreams and optimism for the future.

Spongebob Squarepants reminded students at the University of Vermont of these life lessons right before they were handed their tickets into adulthood -- college diplomas.

At UVM's commencement ceremonies May 20, students were surprised by the guest appearances of voice actors Tom Kenny and Bill Fagerbakke, respectively Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star on the popular children's television show.

Cyma Zarghami, president of Nickelodeon and UVM's commencement speaker, said she wanted to slime the 2012 graduates, but lamented that "the grownups said no."

Instead, Zarghami invited the actors on stage at the conclusion of her speech.

When Zarghami announced she had a surprise for the crowd, UVM graduate Megan Barros said students were at the edge of their seats with excitement.

"When people found out Cyma Zarghami was speaking, we were all joking about somebody getting slimed or a cartoon guest appearance, but I don't think we actually expected anything to happen," Barros said.

Kenny and Fagerbakke performed a short skit and rapped to the song "Graduation (Friends Forever)" by Vitamin C with a few of their own lyrics mixed in.

With references to UVM life and Burlington, such as Mount Mansfield, Lake Champlain, Mr. Mikes Pizza and Phish, Barros called the song touching and exciting.

"I'll probably forget what almost everyone said that day, so many people spoke, but I will never forget Spongebob and Patrick rapping at my graduation," she said. "It was like my childhood and my adulthood were coming full circle."

Graduate Amanda Burdick said she and the crowd of students around her were shocked when the actors took the stage.

Burdick went on to say that the performance was excellent comic relief, but it also had other messages.

"In [Zarghami's] speech she said the idea of Spongebob is that every day is the 'best day ever,' Burdick said. "Even with all the adversities in life, he, like our generation, is always optimistic and living in the moment.

"It certainly made sitting outside in the heat in long black robes worth it," she said.

The Origin Of Nickelodeon's Famous Slime / Every Item Inside The Nickelodeon Time Capsule That Nickelodeon Buried At Nickelodeon Studios In Orlando, Florida, USA In 1992

From mental_floss:

How Did Nickelodeon Make Green Slime?

Getty Images

Nickelodeon's iconic slime made its first appearance on You Can't Do That on Television, the Canadian-made sketch comedy show that ran from 1979 to 1990. From there, it became a staple of almost everything the network did, with regular slimings on many programs, at the Kids' Choice Awards and at the Nickelodeon Studios attraction at Universal Studios Florida.

According to Bill Buchanan, a crew member on You Can’t Do That on Television for its whole run, the slime was invented early in the show’s history. He was working in the props department one weekend when he got a rundown of items needed for an upcoming show. One of the sketches called for “this kinda disgusting slimy green stuff,” but there were no further details, or even an indication of how the stuff would be used.

Another propmaster, Paul Copping, was given the task of making the slime, and even after asking the director and the scriptwriter, he couldn’t get any more details on what the slime was suppose to be. So, he just went with his gut and mixed up a whole garbage can full of slime. Buchanan says he knows the color came from green latex paint, but didn’t know what else was in it. It smelled and looked foul. People avoided the can while walking through the studio. Bits of sausage may have been floating in it.

The day the slime scene was shot, the propmasters learned the slime's purpose. It was supposed to be dumped on one of the actors. There was an argument. The producers wanted to go ahead and do the scene, but the prop guys were worried there was something in there that could hurt the actor or make them sick. The sketch got pulled until a new slime could be made. While the old stuff stayed in the garbage can and festered in a corner of the studio, Buchanan, Copping and company got started on a new formula that could get in someone’s eyes and mouth without causing any problems.

This second batch was made mostly from green Jell-O that had been set in the fridge, then pulled out the day before shooting to liquefy and get mixed with flour.

That slime recipe was used for a while, but it required too much preparation time. If the crew had to have the slime ready earlier than expected, it wasn’t fluid enough and had solid chunks of Jell-O in it. They needed a way to make lots of slime on short notice, and turned to Quaker Oats Crème of Wheat for the next generation of slime. They’d basically stir the cereal up cold on the spot in whatever amount they needed, and then dump in green food coloring. The problem with that recipe was that it turned pasty as it dried, and the actors found they couldn’t get it out of their hair. They countered that problem by adding a couple of drops of baby shampoo to the mixture, and stopping tape after a sliming so the actors could rush off the set and into the showers before the slime hardened.

JEFF CHRISTENSEN/REUTERS/LandovSlime evolved for other shows over the years. As Double Dare host Marc Summers explained, most of the slime used on his shows was made of “vanilla pudding, applesauce, oatmeal, green food coloring, and by the third day, anything else that was on the obstacle course.” Yum.

Also from Mental Floss:

Every Item Inside the Time Capsule Nickelodeon Buried in 1992

In 1992, Nickelodeon got together with the Kids World Council (also known as “minors who were allowed to call in and vote”) to decide what was most important to kids at the time. Then they assembled those items, put them in a big orange time capsule, and buried it in front of Nickelodeon Studios in Universal Studios ["the first world headquarters for kids"]. Here’s a list of everything inside:

1. Movies

Home Alone and Back to the Future on VHS.

2. CDs

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em by MC Hammer and Michael Jackson's Dangerous album.

3. A Nintendo Game Boy

4. Rollerblades

5. Reebok Pump sneakers [trainers]

6. A jar of Gak

At the request of a remarkably sub-par Dr. Emmett Brown impersonator, who showed up in a real DeLorean and fake hair.

7. One of Joey Lawrence's "Whoa! 92" hats, which he stopped by to present

8. News reports

Girl standing atop Soviet tank in Red Square during the Communist hard liners’ coup attempt in August 1991.

Coverage of the AIDS crisis, Desert Storm, and the end of the Soviet Union.

9. Books

A world atlas, history book, comic book, phone book, the Orlando TV Guide for the week of April 30, 1992, and a copy of the Book of Endangered Species

10. An issue of Nickelodeon magazine

11. A Nicktoons t-shirt featuring Ren & Stimpy

12. A piece of the Berlin Wall

13. A Barbie doll

14. Pencils

15. A skateboard

16. A baseball

17. Twinkies

Image credit: Flickr user WaffleWhiffer

18. A stick of bubble gum (though no one seems to know which kind)

19. Photos of things too big (or alive) to fit inside

Including bicycles, planes, trains, cars, politicians and celebrities.

20. A videotape

Which was a recording of the live ceremony, shot by a girl named Vicky who stood onstage to operate the Kid Cam.

21. The camera recording the tape

This appears to have been unplanned. Mike O'Malley and Joey Lawrence both looked baffled about how to remove the tape from the camera, so the whole setup was tossed in at the last minute.

Image credit: UmmYeahOk/FlowerMound.net

After Nickelodeon Studios closed in 2005, the time capsule was moved to Nickelodeon Suites Resort [Nick Hotel/Nickelodeon Hotel] in Orlando. It will be removed and opened April 30, 2042 — 50 years after it was first buried. We promise full team coverage that day.

And of course someone has uploaded footage of all this to YouTube:

BBC's 'Ouch!' Interviews Team GB Paralympic swimmer Amy Marren

From 'Ouch!', a BBC blog and internet talk show which goes beyond the headlines to reflect disability life:

13 Questions: GB Paralympic swimmer, Amy Marren

Amy Marren will be one of the youngest members of the British team at the London Paralympics.

The 13-year-old from Hornchurch in Essex [she celebrates her 14th birthday on 13 August] started swimming when she was aged four at Romford Town swimming club and will make her Paralympic debut on home soil.

She swims in the S9 category and holds British records in the 200m backstroke and 800m freestyle. Here she answers our 13 quick questions.

My earliest memory is...
Going to Australia with my grandparents when I was three and a half to see my aunt who lives on the Gold Coast.

The three words I'd use to describe myself are...
Talkative, bubbly and loud.

A little known fact about me is...
I went on a singing competition on Nickelodeon when I was younger. I didn't win and I got gunged. The slime was in my hair for a couple of days. It was embarrassing.

Given half a chance I'd relish the opportunity to bore you stupid about...
Science. I love science and pay attention in the class. I love biology and also telling people useless facts like nuclear waste is stored underground and then put into shipping crates.

I can't resist...
A chocolate milkshake.

During my time off I...
Chill with my friends and catch up with them.

Before I die I want to...
Travel the world - especially India because it looks so beautiful and there is always something going on.

If I suddenly became able bodied I would...
Try a different sport or see what swimming is like with two hands.

Someone should invent...
A time machine because that would be the coolest thing ever! I would go back to olden-day London because I love history.

My ideal dinner guest would be...
Justin Bieber.

Competing at London 2012 will be...
Amazing and memorable, and I want to enjoy it.

To win a medal would be...
Absolutely phenomenal. I definitely wouldn't forget that in a hurry.

For disabled people in the UK, London 2012 will be...
Really inspirational to see other people with disabilities giving it a go and winning medals. And it might lead them to take up sport.

- Amy Marren was interviewed for Ouch! by Elizabeth Hudson, BBC Sport.

* For the latest Paralympics news and analysis, go to the BBC Disability Sport website.

* Watch an interview with Amy Marren on YouTube.

DIRECTV And Viacom Reach Agreement To Renew Carriage Of Viacom's Networks In North America

Below is a Viacom Inc. Press Release via PRNewswire:

DIRECTV And Viacom Reach Agreement To Renew Carriage Of Viacom's Networks

All 26 Viacom Networks, Including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, CMT, Logo, Spike, TV Land, MTV2, VH1, VH1 Classic, Palladia, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, TeenNick, Tr3s and Centric, to Return to DIRECTV Immediately

Download image [of Viacom logo]NEW YORK, July 20, 2012 /Viacom Press Release via PRNewswire/ -- Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB) today announced that the company has reached a long-term agreement to renew carriage with DIRECTV.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110811/NY51392LOGO )

All 26 Viacom networks, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, CMT, Logo, Spike, TV Land, MTV2, VH1, VH1 Classic, Palladia, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, TeenNick, Tr3s and Centric, will return to DIRECTV's channel lineup immediately. As part of the overall carriage agreement, DIRECTV has an option to add the EPIX service to its entertainment offerings.

Viacom is extremely pleased to bring its programming back to DIRECTV subscribers, and thanks everyone affected by the disruption for their patience and understanding during this challenging period.
SOURCE Viacom Inc.

RELATED LINKS
http://www.viacom.com.

Also, from C21Media:

Viacom nets return to DirecTV

Viacom and US pay-TV operator DirecTV have ended their carriage dispute with a deal that restores Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central to the latter’s airwaves.

Seventeen Viacom nets (26 including HD feeds) had gone dark on DirecTV for nine days after the companies clashed over the remuneration Viacom would receive and it looked like the row would rumble on for some time.

However, the pair has now come to a long-term agreement that restores the channels immediately. The new deal, financial terms of which were not disclosed, gives DirecTV the option to add Viacom’s Epix movie channel service to its entertainment package.

DirecTV’s 19.9 million customers will also be able to access Viacom content across tablets, computers, mobiles and other hand-held devices through the DirecTV Everywhere platform.

The deal had seemed a long way off as recently as yesterday but Viacom said it was “extremely pleased” to reach an agreement. Despite expressing its own satisfaction at the deal, DirecTV maintained Viacom was the cause of the dispute.

“We are very pleased to be able to restore the channels to our customers and thank them for their unprecedented patience and support,” said DirecTV’s Derek Chang, executive VP of content strategy and development. “It’s unfortunate that Viacom took the channels away from customers to try to gain leverage, but in the end it’s clear our customers recognised that tactic for what it was.”

Viacom claimed it was bargaining for just a “few pennies” extra per customer per day, but DirecTV alleged it had been pushing for a rise of more than 30%, equating to an extra US$1bn on the previous agreement.

Chang today claimed media coverage of the high-profile spat had “accomplished one key thing: it serves notice to all media companies that bullying TV providers and their customers with black-outs won’t get them a better deal.”

Spats between content providers such as Viacom and pay-TV platforms have become common in the US. Just this month, satellite platform Dish Network pulled cablenet AMC, which airs Breaking Bad and Mad Men, after failing to agree on terms.

Jesse Whittock
20-07-2012
©C21Media

GENRES: Children's, Factual, Formats
PEOPLE: Derek Chang
COMPANIES: AMC, Comedy Central, DirecTV, Dish Networks, MTV, Nickelodeon, Viacom
SECTIONS: C21 Kids, C21Drama, C21Factual, Formats Lab
COUNTRIES: US

Also, from The Hollywood Reporter:

Viacom, DirecTV Reach New Carriage Deal

UPDATED: The companies end a two-week blackout in DirecTV homes, with the satellite TV giant saying it won't have to carry premium TV venture network Epix under the seven-year pact.

Viacom and DirecTV have reached a new carriage agreement, they said early Friday.

The deal ends a two-week standoff that led to a blackout of such networks as MTV, Comedy Central, BET and Nickelodeon in the about 20 million homes of the satellite TV giant.

Financial and other terms weren't disclosed, but sources said the deal will run for seven years.

DirecTV will carry all 26 Viacom channels, or 17 when excluding HD feeds, but said it is not required to carry Epix, the premium TV joint venture of Viacom, Lionsgate and MGM.

"In addition to the channels' return, DirecTV customers will also gain the ability to see Viacom programming on tablets, laptops, handhelds and other personal devices via the DirecTV Everywhere platform," the satellite TV company said. "Carriage of the Epix movie channel is not required as part of the new agreement."

Viacom said it "is extremely pleased to bring its programming back to DirecTV subscribers and thanks everyone affected by the disruption for their patience and understanding during this challenging period."

Said Derek Chang, executive vp of content strategy and development for DirecTV: "The attention surrounding this unnecessary and ill-advised blackout by Viacom has accomplished one key thing: It serves notice to all media companies that bullying TV providers and their customers with blackouts won't get them a better deal."

He added: "It's high time programmers ended these anti-consumer blackouts once and for all and prove our industry is about enabling people to connect to their favorite programs rather than denying them access."

Also, from Digital Spy UK:

DirecTV and Viacom end contract dispute, sign new long-term agreement

© DirecTVDirecTV and Viacom have ended their contract dispute after signing a new long-term agreement.

Viacom pulled 17 channels from DirecTV on July 10, after the two companies failed to reach a new contract.

However, those 17 channels, which included MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, BET and Spike, are once again available for DirecTV customers.

DirecTV's executive vice president of content strategy and development Derek Chang said in a statement: "We are very pleased to be able to restore the channels to our customers and thank them for their unprecedented patience and support.

"It's unfortunate that Viacom took the channels away from customers to try to gain leverage, but in the end, it's clear our customers recognised that tactic for what it was."

In their press release, Viacom expressed: "Viacom is extremely pleased to bring its programming back to DirecTV subscribers, and thanks everyone affected by the disruption for their patience and understanding during this challenging period."

The agreement comes in time for new shows to make their upcoming season or series debuts, such as the Inbetweeners remake on August 20 on MTV.

The Inbetweeners is a revamping of the UK comedy series, which provoked a negative reaction from fans after the first trailer was recently released.

Watch the trailer for The Inbetweeners [here on the official Digital Spy UK website, DigitalSpy.co.uk]

Also, from the Daily Mail:

Snooki, SpongeBob, and the South Park gang are back! DirecTV to restore Viacom channels to 20M customers after nine-day blackout over contract dispute

* 20m DirecTV users will again have access to Viacom channels that were lost after contract dispute

* Cable networks like Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and MTV were not available for nine days

* Sources say DirecTV will pay Viacom $600m - 20% more - than last year's $500m agreement

Twenty million DirecTV subscribers will again have access to television favourites like SponeBob SquarePants and Snooki after the satellite TV provider reached a deal to restore Viacom’s networks.

The loss of 26 networks – including Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, and Nickelodeon – to 20million homes means the size, length and scope of this programming blackout was unprecedented to date in the U.S. pay-TV industry.

Contentious relationships between program distributors and program makers are on the rise as the industry's growth appears to have peaked.

[click here] for video

Restored: DirecTV and Viacom have reached a contract agreement after nine days' dispute, restoring all 20 channels, including MTV's Jersey Shore featuring Snooki, and SponbeBob SquarePants [...]'The Viacom/DirecTV dispute may be remembered as a critical turning point in programmer, distributor negotiations,' Bernstein Research analyst Todd Juenger told Reuters. 'For the first time in memory, it was the distributor that won the public relations war.'

While distributors typically take the brunt of the complaints about network blackouts, DirecTV argued that the increasing number of disputes with other distributors had educated customers that they would face the same problems with their rivals.

'By showing their willingness to take a blackout, and arguably winning the battle for the hearts and minds of their customers as a result, DirecTV may extract better terms from other programmers down the road,' said Juenger.
Viacom said it restored all of its cable networks, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV and BET, which became unavailable to DirecTV customers from July 10.

Restored: Viacom said it restored all of its cable networks, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV and BET, which became unavailable to DirecTV customers from July 10The channels went off air after DirecTV balked at what it saw as a steep increase which it said Viacom was demanding. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the new contract.

But people familiar with the talks said DirecTV will pay Viacom around $600million in the first year of the seven-year contract with subsequent mid-single digit percentage increases.

That would be a 20 per cent increase over the previous contract's $500million a year that was publicly stated by DirecTV Chief Executive Mike White.

DirecTV previously said Viacom sought a 30 per cent increase in carriage fees, equalling $1billion over five years - a boost that DirecTV said was not justified.

Viacom countered that its networks represented about 20 per cent of all viewing on DirecTV but accounted for less than 5 per cent of its programming costs.

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said in the memo to staff that on Thursday afternoon the two companies had made a 'decisive push to hammer out a deal that we believe is fair and mutually beneficial.'

In particular, DirecTV had pushed back against having the Epix movie channel tacked on the agreement, at a price of around $500million.

'They took Epix off the table in the last 24 hours and we could move ahead with a deal,' said Derek Chang, DirecTV's top programming negotiator.

RESTORED! THE CHANNELS DIRECTV USERS WILL AGAIN HAVE

Nickelodeon (HD)
Comedy Central (HD)
MTV (HD)
BET (HD)
VH1 (HD)
CMT (HD)
Spike (HD)
Logo
TV Land
MTV2
VH1 Classic
Palladia
Nick Jr.
Nicktoons
TeenNick
Nickelodeon West
Tr3s
Centric
MTV India

'The attention surrounding this unnecessary and ill-advised blackout by Viacom has accomplished one key thing: it serves notice to all media companies that bullying TV providers and their customers with blackouts won't get them a better deal,' said Chang.

On July 1, AMC Networks, the company behind shows such as Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and Mad Men, was removed from the Dish Network after the two companies failed to reach a new contract.

Similar blackouts have taken place in recent years between Cablevision and Walt Disney Co's ABC; News Corp and Cablevision; and News Corp and Dish; and Time-Warner Cable Inc and Hearst Corp.

Time Warner Cable Inc, the second largest U.S. cable provider, said late Thursday it had reached a deal with Hearst Corp after 16 broadcast stations were blacked out in 14 markets for eight to 12 days.

DirecTV and Viacom had been in talks over a new contract but could not agree on terms before the July 10 deadline.

The nine days of the blackout resulted in Viacom's channels such as Nickelodeon losing ground to competitors like The Disney Channel. DirecTV also shed some customers in the period.

The new contract will let DirecTV customers view Viacom's programming on tablets, laptops, handhelds and other personal devices.

Viacom shares were up 9 cents at $46.74 on the Nasdaq on Friday. DirecTV shares were down 6 cents at $48.89, also on the NYSE.

TV BANNED: THE DAILY SHOW REACTS TO DISPUTE

Master of satire Jon Stewart of the Daily Show poked fun at the severe manner with which the blackout was being reported. ‘Viacom and DirecTV, what are you doing here? Telling people to rise up and demand it like it's some sort of basic cable Arab Spring? I got news for you – it's not! None of this is indispensable!’

But so some of the 20million viewers would still get the full Daily Show experience, he sent correspondent John Oliver to a couple’s home in Montclair, New Jersey, to tell them – verbatim – what they were missing.

No doubt viewers of the comedy news show will be relieved to get the real thing back.

Watch the video [here on the official Daily Mail website, DailyMail.co.uk]

Also, from Examiner.com:

Great news for DirecTV Nickelodeon viewers!

DIRECTV VS VIACOM

An agreement has finally been reached between Viacom and DirecTV, making Nickelodeon channels again available to DirecTV viewers! Many Nickelodeon fans that use DirecTV as their service provider were upset when their favorite Nick shows were taken off the air. Renee of Mansfield, Ohio, along with many other viewers, expressed outrage over losing their family’s favorite shows that they had watched on a regular basic. What a relief it was for them to turn on a Nickelodeon channel again on Sunday, after nearly two weeks of being off the air!

Nickelodeon Animation Studio is located in Burbank, California and has some of the top rated cartoons and family friendly shows in the world! Viacom, who owned the selected air time on DirecTV for all Nickelodeon channels, had originally wanted a 30% increase charge, which would affect many DirecTV viewers! Viacom had decided to remove all Nickelodeon channels from DirecTV on July 10th, in an effort to get DirecTV to increase their cost. A new long-term agreement was finally reached this past week between Viacom and DirecTV, although no details on the terms have been given to the general public. Viacom has restored 17 Channels, some of which include Nickelodeon, CMT, TV Land and many others. In addition, DirecTV customers can also now gain the ability to see Viacom programming on tablets, laptops and other personal devises. DirecTV viewers can visit directvpromise.com for more information.