Nats TV: Comcast and MASN settle, channel goes on 9/1
Comcast Will Air Nats Games, Ending Dispute – The Post
The last of “the long Nationals nightmares” appears to be over. The bullheaded organizations that are Comcast and MASN have agreed to a cease fire, effective now, that will likely result in MASN being available to D.C. area Comcast subscribers on Sept. 1. An anonymous source at Comcast told The Post that there could be delays in arranging the channel lineup though.
It appears that the external pressure from local governments, but mostly the FCC, finally forced Comcast to deal with MASN. The Wash. Times report indicated that MASN cut their rate by 5% as well.
My friend Fritz called this is a Pyrrhic victory for Washingtonians and I am inclined to agree. The high cost was the further empowerment of Peter Angelo$ owner of MASN and the AAAA franchise up I-95. Angelo$ successfully manipulated politicians and MLB to do his bidding. I found it quite distasteful that local elected officials at the city, state, and federal level were so eager to help Angelo$ get his network on TV; they should have let him do his own dirty work. Angelo$ is now heavily subsidized by Washington, which says to me he believes that Baltimore is minor league town. The NFL, NBA, and even the NHL, leagues without anti-trust exemptions, would have never tolerated this kind of behavior, proving once again that Bud Selig is a national disgrace.
It appears that no one from the Nationals was involved in getting this issue resolved. Team president Stan Kasten was told by a reporter that a truce had been reached and in a nationals.com Q&A published yesterday, Mark Lerner said, “We are not in control of our own destiny. It is a very difficult situation. Hopefully, Comcast and MASN will come to a settlement in the very near future. We will not be satisfied until all of our games are on TV for our fans.”
The Oriole Park boycott is still on in my eyes, even for Nationals games, as long as Angelo$ controls the Nats TV rights. Angelo$ does not deserve any more welfare from Washington.
More from The Wash. Times: Nats games to air on Comcast cable & The Sun: Comcast says it will carry Orioles-owned MASN network
New Cable Deal Gives Nats Home – The Post
With the cable situation resolved, players stand to make endorsement deals. Their families won’t have to to scramble to find games on TV either.
Alas, it may be too late for a Jose Guillen Easterns Motors ad though.
By the way, the Nats won last night (The Post), 6-2, in San Diego.
This originally appeared on William World News
First of all the fact is that DC is taking revenue away from the Orioles. It’s only fair that the Orioles owns the TV channel that broadcasts them because frankly, its the one of the ways that the Orioles are assured to remain a team. Without this financial backup, how do you expect the Orioles to be competitive? Angelos himself has said that he plans to spend this offseason. I think we should condemn him once and for all if he refuses to spring for the signing of premium players. Because we know for sure now that he has the financial ability to do so.
So, are you saying that Baltimore is a minor league city that cannot get by without Washington welfare?