Attn Cablevision NY Customers

[PaceAdvantage]

I just discovered Cablevision is now offering TVG (along with the Golf Channel, and a bunch of other sports-related channels) in a package for an extra $4.95 a month here in NY....

Just lettin you guys know....

[e_r]

Cablevision is doing alot of nice things: for example, their internet, cable tv, and VOIP package is < $90.00.

Of course, that doesn't help those living within the dominion of SLIME WARNER

We don't even get Fox or MSG these days.

[andicap]

Never, ever, ever I thought I would see the day when someone wrote anything nice about Cablevision.

[rokitman]

WHAT?!!! I'm in NY but I have Time-Warner. I think T-W pushed Cablevision off a cliff for my location. And Cablevison was based not far from here at one time! Another outrage perpetrated on me by Magnah Friggin Entertainment Corp!!!

[formula_2002]

I just discovered Cablevision is now offering TVG (along with the Golf Channel, and a bunch of other sports-related channels) in a package for an extra $4.95 a month here in NY....

Just lettin you guys know....

Wow, now I can stop my subscription to BRISBET.COM. It was costing me a hell of a lot more than that to get the signal. :bang:
My cost keeps plummeting. I don’t need All-Ways any longer ($7.00 a card). All I need now is the drf file for a buck along with cj's figs.

With all this money I'm saving I may soon afford a bet>> :jump:

[Tom]

Gotta check this out...I already get the Golf Channel and they just took AWAY MSG and NY sports channel. Not heard word one from them about this.

[formula_2002]

I just discovered Cablevision is now offering TVG (along with the Golf Channel, and a bunch of other sports-related channels) in a package for an extra $4.95 a month here in NY....

Just lettin you guys know....


Thanks for the heads up. It amazing how fast one can get a live person at cablevision when wanting to place an order!!

[andicap]

Gotta check this out...I already get the Golf Channel and they just took AWAY MSG and NY sports channel. Not heard word one from them about this.

Tom,
you're in a Time Warner system, not Cablevision so you're out of luck.

Reason Time Warner "took away" MSG/FSN is because Cablevision is demanding too much money for less product.
And TW did not "take away" MSG/FSN. It's contract was up and Cablevision -- which owns those networks -- refused to renew except under onerous terms which would have raised your rates and you would have just screamed holy hell about how expensive cable is.

MSG/FSN used to have Yankees and Mets. Now they have the Mets. Next year the Mets will start their own network and MSG/FSN will have just some dusty NHL stuff no one cares about, the Knicks and Rangers. You would think Cablevision would lower their rates to cable operators since they no longer pay huge rights fees for the Yankees and Mets. But they are not. So Time Warner has no choice but to refuse Cablevision's terms.

Now I'm no shill for cable operators and I just turned my cable off for satellite. But in their defense:

Cable operators are damned if they do and damned if they don't. If they sign the contract and eventually raise rates to pay for it, people will scream. If they don't sign the contract in order to keep rates competitive with satellite, people will scream.
You may say: How come satellite companies signed and Time Warner didn't?
Well their contacts expire at different times AND the satellite companies have not just spend billions and billions of dollars the last 10 years upgrading their networks to bring you high-speed Internet, excellent AND cheaper phone service (I know, I have phone over cable and its good and it's cheap.) as well as new features like DVRs -- TiVo at a cheaper monthly rate without paying for the hardware and no set-up issues -- and video-on-demand. ($4 movies, uncut, one month behind DVD at your fingertips at any time with full pause, stop, ff, review. And you don't 'have to return them if you put them on your DVR.)

Besides I don't get YES on Dish Network because Dish thinks it's 'too expensive and the Yankees refuse to let it be sold a la carte because they need eyeballs to sell ads.

[e_r]

REALLY?

It's common knowledge that CABLEVISION has offered to turn the matter over to an independent arbiter and abide by whatever decision is rendered.

SLIME-WARNER has refused the offer.

It reasonably follows that the SLIME crew is low-balling CABLEVISION.

[Tom]

Thanks, Andy...it used to be cablevision, now it is Slime-Warner.

Yes-they TOOK IT AWAY..I used to have it, now I don't, still paying the same. They TOOK it away. bstrds.

I was planning to drop cable and road runner both becasue of the extemely poor quality of both - my rabbit ears are FAR superior to the quality of Slime Wraner. I kid you not. I have no reason to keep cable now. And Road Runner is just plain crap.

[Zman179]

REALLY?

It's common knowledge that CABLEVISION has offered to turn the matter over to an independent arbiter and abide by whatever decision is rendered.

SLIME-WARNER has refused the offer.

It reasonably follows that the SLIME crew is low-balling CABLEVISION.

Oh my God, you sound so much like a shill for Cablevision. Are you SURE that you're not one of the Dolan's?

Cablevision wanted a 30% royalty increase in the amount that they had received in the last contract even though they would only have basketball & hockey as of fall 2005. Now, I'm a Time Warner NYC cable customer who really doesn't care AT ALL for TW,but I also understand that I am NOT going to cough up more dough than I already pay just to have two part-time networks. No way.

BTW, here's an editorial column from the New York Post that highlights this problem exactly:
http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/editorial/44624.htm

The people at Cablevision have always been a bunch of slimeballs. They totally overcharge people on Long Island (their corporate headquarters) for cable service by creating multiple channel tiers that you have to pay extra for each one (I've already done the math. If I had the exact same channels with CV that I have now with TW, I'd pay about 20% more), and they've ruined the NY Rangers & Knicks since the only thing that they care about are profits and not about having a winning team.

And lest we not forget, Cablevision was the company that completely denied their own customers access to the YES network for a full season because they wanted to carry the channel as a premium service (i.e. more $$$) and YES wanted to remain a basic channel. And don't buy that bulls*it about Cablevision and binding arbitration. Anybody who's dealt with arbitrators can tell you that they generally make their rulings mainly by observing past practices...which means that Cablevision would still get a big increase for putting out less product.

[e_r]

Point remains: CABLEVISION has offered BINDING ARBITRATION
AND
SLIME-WARNER REFUSES

anything else is really not relevant....

[Zman179]

Point remains: CABLEVISION has offered BINDING ARBITRATION
AND
SLIME-WARNER REFUSES

anything else is really not relevant....

Well ER, if you believe everything that you hear and read, then you'd better not pick up a copy of The Onion.

[andicap]

Point remains: CABLEVISION has offered BINDING ARBITRATION
AND
SLIME-WARNER REFUSES

anything else is really not relevant....

Not at all. The binding arbitration proposal is disingenuous. YES offered it to Cablevision when they had their dispute and Cablevision refused. So why is Cablevision offering it now?
Simply because history shows arbitrator decisions have generally favored the programmers at the expense of the operator, even when the operator had a valid point.
Time Warner would be crazy to submit this dispute to arbitration.
Why play in an unfriendly court?
E R, I write about cable television for a living. Believe me, I know what I am talking about.

[OTM Al]

Have had both (now a Cablevision customer) and frankly they both stink and abuse their monopoly rights. That said......I can't wait to get me my TVG!

[fouroneone]

to all the people in NYC :

What does TVG offer that Ch 71 doesn't, besides less tracks?

[OTM Al]

TVG will give us New Yorkers the ability to watch tracks outside the state while our state tracks are running. Channel 71 (and 73) can only go to "full" coverage after the NYRA track has finished its program for the day.

[fouroneone]

touche


good point

[PaceAdvantage]

Plus you'll get night racing. Out in LI at least, they don't show ANY video after 7pm. I don't know what it's like in NYC.

[OTM Al]

NYC actually runs through the end of racing each night, so in that it is good if you like the trotters or the night T-bred tracks

[Figman]

Capital District OTB in the Albany-Saratoga area does by far the best job in New York State. The station is owned by the OTB corporation and is on most cable systems in northeastern New York State. They carry all races year around from virtually every racetrack except the live NYRA races during the live NYRA-Saratoga meet. TV-12 shows harness and thoroughbreds day and night including a nightcapper in Los Alamitos late at night. Each day and night either the live race or the immediate replay is shown "in-home" depending on the post times. And best of all are the interactive shows on the weekend mornings when their have many national guests talking racing and when the bettors get their general or handicapping questions about horse racing answered. This station should really be the prototype for the Statewide OTB system in New York. They show more races than New York City OTB does on channels 71 & 73 and they don't go off the air in the early evening like the Long Island OTB channels do. Then there is Catskill OTB and Western OTB that don't even believe in an "in-home" presence!

[Zman179]

Back to the original thread title:

Looks like Cablevision isn't looking to end the blackout either.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/story/301252p-257901c.html

Excerpt from article:
"The blackout would end if MSG would agree to mediation, he said. No deal, said Michael Bair, president of MSG, who called for binding arbitration."

[OTM Al]

The thing about NYC OTB is that they only take a limited number of tracks each day. I do not know why they do this, but as a result, that is why what is broadcast on Chs 71 and 73 is limited. For instance, Pollard's Vision, who is a favorite of mine, is entered to run at Hawthorne Saturday, but NYC OTB is not taking that track, so I'll miss that one. I don't know if its a limitation in technology that causes this or what. I'm not much a fan of monopolies, the cable companies being a pretty good example of that, but I would have to think that a better and more stable OTB product could be put out if NYRA (man I can't believe I'm saying this) ran the OTBs as well. Might also reduce on the OTB tax as well

[Zman179]

In regards to the signals offered on Channels 71 & 73: it's because NYRA claims exclusivity when it's program is in progress. No out-of-state racing is allowed to be broadcasted on Channels 71 & 73 until NYRA's card is finished, which is why Finger Lakes & Monticello are the only tracks seen during the day on Channel 73 on Fri, Sat & Sun.

In regards to the tracks that NYCOTB handles: they only take the tracks that give them the lowest cut on handle. Hawthorne had been taken by NYCOTB, but they've since been discontinued after OTB tried to lowball HAW on the fee and HAW balked. OTB did the same to Turfway & Mountaineer, which have been banished from the OTB menu as well (except MNR on Sundays since it's one of the few t-bred signals available on Sunday nights.)

[Figman]

ZMAN179
Sounds like Capital District OTB is a little smarter than NYCOTB. On Capital TV-12 they show out of state thoroughbred individual race replays as soon as the race is official and there is no instate conflict.