Comcast Exec in the Oregonian

[soona]

http://http//www.oregonlive.com/bus...ssf?/base/business/123751951139500.xml&coll=7

With a cable TV price hike in the offing, a complex switch to digital cable under way and a controversial deal to carry Portland Trail Blazers games still angering fans, Comcast has been catching plenty of flak from viewers in Oregon and southwest Washington.

Stephen Burke, the Philadelphia company's chief operating officer, stood up for Comcast during a visit to Portland last week.

There's a lot of controversy over the Comcast SportsNet deal with the Blazers. Fans are angry because Comcast hasn't reached a deal to license the games to satellite TV operators. For all the bad press and hard feelings that's caused, why not just get that done?

Burke: We'd like to. It's in negotiation. We'd like to get it done. We've done deals with a lot of other cable companies, and if DirecTV wants the product on the same basis that the other cable companies have paid for it, we'd love to sell it to them.

I think the price that the other cable companies are paying is reflective of the rights fees that the network is paying, and DirecTV should pay that price. It's a complicated negotiation. I think it will be worked out at some point. I'm not sure when.

 

[hasoos]

You know what? I am sick of Comcast lies. Hasn't it been like almost 2 years now? And to top it off they are going to jack their prices up? I had Dish until they dropped KATU and never got CSNW, and were jacking their prices up. I swapped to DirectTV and now save $36 bucks a month. After having a Sat dish, I will never go back to Comcrap again.

 

[BlazersBlood]

FUCK YOU, COMCAST!

 

[tlongII]

It is extremely irritating. I bet the local Sports Bars love it though...

 

[alex42083]

Yeah, F Comcast. I'm tired of their crap all the time.

 

[hasoos]

When does this fucking contract with Comcast end? Does anybody know?

 

[barfo]

When does this fucking contract with Comcast end? Does anybody know?

I believe it was a ten year contract, so presumably sometime around 2016?

barfo

 

[Boob-No-More]

When does this fucking contract with Comcast end? Does anybody know?

It's a 10 year deal. So, we've got another 8+ years of lies, bullshit and high prices.

Oops, I just described the Comcast business model.

BNM

 

[alex42083]

Wow... 10 years. Right when our championship window starts to end. Good deal Blazers and Comcast.

 

[hasoos]

Maybe the fans should organize and file their own lawsuit. Doesn't this seem like a monopoly to you? Aren't monopolies illegal? Hmmmm.

 

[mgb]

What is such BS is they mention other cable companies they've made deals with, even put that in their commercials, but what naitional provider have they made a deal with? Not a single one and that's the difference.

They are doing here what they did in Philly.

Unlike most other cable networks, CSN Philadelphia is only distributed via microwave and fiber optics. The infrastructure Comcast uses for this was left over from the now defunct PRISM Network. Since CSN Philadelphia does not uplink its signal to any satellite, Comcast is able to avoid an FCC regulation that requires most television channels to be offered to direct broadcast satellite (DBS) companies. Lawyers for DirecTV and Dish Network have attempted to show that Comcast Corporation, who owns both CSN Philadelphia along with most of the cable systems in the Philadelphia market, is acting in restraint of trade because it does not uplink CSN Philadelphia to satellite. However, so far neither the FCC nor the federal courts have forced Comcast to make CSN Philadelphia available to the DBS services. Thus, DBS customers in the Philadelphia region do not get access to the network or any of the local teams' games. However, cable companies other than Comcast within the designated CSN Philadelphia market do have access to the channel. In December 2006, Comcast even made a deal to place CSN Philadelphia on Verizon's competing FiOS systems.[2] All of the other members of Comcast SportsNet are available to DBS subscribers, with the exception of CSN Northwest (however this is only because DirecTV and Dish Network have not been able to reach a carriage agreement with Comcast).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSN_Philadelphia

The reason no deal is made is all Comcast. Only the Blazers have a chance to change that.

 

[julius]

You know what really sucks for Dish customers?

Let's say the Blazers make the finals and the games are on ABC..

 

[hasoos]

You know what really sucks for Dish customers?

Let's say the Blazers make the finals and the games are on ABC..

Yep thats one of the reasons I ditched my "DISH NETWORK".

 

[TehChad]

Notice something that MGB quoted:

All of the other members of Comcast SportsNet are available to DBS subscribers, with the exception of CSN Northwest (however this is only because DirecTV and Dish Network have not been able to reach a carriage agreement with Comcast).

Now think about that for a second. So, an agreement was made with EVERY OTHER CSN channel. Every one. But when Comcast gets exclusive rights of the Blazers AND a good portion of Ducks programming as well (both very attractive markets), things are at a standstill. So....does that mean ALL of these other companies suddenly expect to pay substantially less money, or does it mean Comcast got greedy and wants way more money for CSN Northwest?

I'm glad to see I'm far from being the only one who's very upset over the whole ordeal, and trust me, you ARE hurting this company by spreading bad word of mouth. So far I've gotten about two dozen subscribers to cancel their deals with this company, and will probably have at least two more before the end of the month. So that's what, 2-4k per month that I've cost them so far? (I don't know what Comcast's rates are) That's a good chunk of change right there, especially when you consider that 2-4k is now going towards their competitors. That's a 4-8k swing right there, and that's just in a MONTH

Anyway, I could probably right 100 pages of text about this, but I'd better stop before I get carried away and actually do Bottom line: Keep attacking this company! FORCE them to fucking get a grip and negotiate a deal!

 

[Bob Dobalina]

You know what really sucks for Dish customers?

Let's say the Blazers make the finals and the games are on ABC..

You get some rabbit ears and watch it in HD!!!

 

[MARIS61]

Blazers have a clause where they can void this contract and Comcast's inflexibility on price and refusal to make games available to fans legitimizes the clause.

The ball is in Allen's court.

 

[gatorpops]

You know what really sucks for Dish customers?

Let's say the Blazers make the finals and the games are on ABC..

Where I live (Albany OR - but no Comcast available at our address and won't be I guess) I have DirecTV and the Local broadcasts option so I can get KGW etc.

Is this not an available option on Dish?

 

[alex42083]

Where I live (Albany OR - but no Comcast available at our address and won't be I guess) I have DirecTV and the Local broadcasts option so I can get KGW etc.

Is this not an available option on Dish?

KATU/ABC is not available on Dish Network. They couldn't get a deal done.

 

[ehizzy3]

Blazers have a clause where they can void this contract and Comcast's inflexibility on price and refusal to make games available to fans legitimizes the clause.

The ball is in Allen's court.

i hope he exercises this clause in the off season

 

[Boob-No-More]

Blazers have a clause where they can void this contract and Comcast's inflexibility on price and refusal to make games available to fans legitimizes the clause.

Do they? This is the first I've heard of any such clause. Can you provide a link please?

BNM

 

[MARIS61]

Do they? This is the first I've heard of any such clause. Can you provide a link please?

BNM

Someone did on BBF last fall I believe, anyway that's where I read it.

 

[Ed O]

Notice something that MGB quoted:

Now think about that for a second. So, an agreement was made with EVERY OTHER CSN channel. Every one. But when Comcast gets exclusive rights of the Blazers AND a good portion of Ducks programming as well (both very attractive markets), things are at a standstill. So....does that mean ALL of these other companies suddenly expect to pay substantially less money, or does it mean Comcast got greedy and wants way more money for CSN Northwest?

It's probably that they want more money. I'd imagine that's because they pay more for the aforementioned Blazers and Ducks content.

Why should they pay a premium for content and then not expect a premium from their customers?

Ed O.

 

[mgb]

It's probably that they want more money. I'd imagine that's because they pay more for the aforementioned Blazers and Ducks content.

Why should they pay a premium for content and then not expect a premium from their customers?

Ed O.

More than for every other pro franchise? Doubt it. Most likely they are hoping people will switch so are asking a unreasonable price. After all they both know what the standard is because they've managed deals with many other cities.

And how long have they had the Ducks? That has been much more recent than the Blazers deal.

 

[mgb]

Someone did on BBF last fall I believe, anyway that's where I read it.

Someone said that after two years if no deal has been made they would void the deal, but the was false. I email my ticket rep complaining that it'd take two years and I found out that they are very happy with Comcast and will only 'talk' to them after this season if no deal is done.