Michael Schneider posted:H2 Viewers Aren't Happy About Viceland Taking Over Their Channel
H2 viewers encountered quite a rude awakening over the past week.
Fans expecting to see shows like Ancient Aliens and Modern Marvels instead stumbled across a new crop of series with titles such as Balls Deep, F*ck That’s Delicious and Weediquette.
Nope, it’s not your father’s secondary History Channel anymore. Viceland, the new youth-skewing 24-hour cable channel from Vice Media and A+E Networks, replaced H2 on February 29. And although both media coverage and A+E trumpeted the news for weeks leading up to the switch, it still caught several audience members off guard.
“The only reason I didn’t get rid of cable was because of the H2 network,” one reader posted on Channel Guide’s website, which has now clocked more than 1,000 comments about the flip (many of them vulgar). “The new change is horrible. I now can leave cable and go back to streaming what I want.”
Another reader added: “The sad truth is that we are no longer the demographic to which the TV stations are marketing. They believe the under-30 crowd will produce the marketing dollars. Prepare for more of the same.”
An A+E Networks insider said the company was receiving the same volume of phone calls it gets from any show cancellation. “It’s pretty minimal,” he said. “We were pretty proactive about telling fans what was happening and where the programming would be available.”
And on the flip side, some reaction on Viceland's Facebook page has been positive to the new channel: "I just stumbled upon this TV channel recently and i had never even heard of it, but now i am addicted to it," wrote one poster. "I love all the variety it has and the different cultures. It truly is different and i like it a lot so far. Balls Deep is my favorite one so far. Viceland is one of my new favorite channels." Added another, about Ellen Page's new show Gaycation: "Incredible! So refreshing to watch something hard hitting & real. The interviewing, subject matter is just so touching & heartfelt."
