(Image Source: Nickelodeon ) BY ELISA LOPEZ AGUADO AND JONAS BRUUN Intriguing news for TV viewers tired of paying for channels they never watch. After prolonged disputes within the television industry over how channels are packed and priced, the fifth-largest U.S. TV-provider, Cablevision, sued Viacom in federal court Tuesday, alleging antitrust violations. Bloomberg explains what’s at stake. “If Cablevision wins, this is a very big deal. It changes the fundamental way that deals are done between pay-TV operators and programmers and that could have wide-ranging effects.” The controversy stems from a programming agreement Cablevision signed with Viacom in December. Cablevision was buying franchise networks like Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central from Viacom. But Cablevision also had to pay for 14 lesser popular networks; a practice widely known in the TV industry as bundling. In a statement Tuesday, Cablevision attacked the TV programmers for being distortive, saying: “Viacom’s abuse of its market power is not only illegal, but also prevents it from delivering the programming that its customers want and that compete with Viacom’s less popular channels.” Viacom immediately countered that argument, saying that: “ Viacom and other programmers have long offered discounts to those who agree to provide additional network distribution” and that “these arrangements have been upheld by a number of federal courts and on appeal.” By suing Viacom, Cablevision could also be paving the way to let TV consumers buy only the content they really want to watch. The New York Times Blog asks its readers, “Why am I paying so much money for channels I never watch?.” And responds. “ Cablevision has an answer: it’s Viacom’s fault.” The Wall Street Journal is also pondering what seems to be the near future for the TV world. “Could this change the way you and I and most consumers pay for their cable channels? ” “ Well, the answer is hopefully. There is a way to supplant that with cheaper options online and there is a lot of tension in that.”