Yankees win keeps Fox's hope of World Series leverage against Cablevision alive

The Yankees defeating the Texas Rangers Wednesday afternoon to stay alive in the playoffs is not only good news for New Yorkers, but also Fox.

That's because the Yankees still have a chance to make it to the World Series and if they do it will give Fox a lot of leverage in its fight with Cablevision Systems Corp.

Fox has the rights to the World Series and should the Bronx Bombers make it, pressure will increase on Cablevision in its negotiations with News Corp.'s Fox to cut a deal that would restore the signal of Fox's New York and Philadelphia television stations to the cable operator's systems in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Fox will feel heat too, but consumers as rule often blame their cable company when they can't get the channels they want.

Currently, talks are at a standstill. Cablevision continues to insist on arbitration, which Fox is refusing. Politicians are pushing both sides to settle their differences, which have kept the signals off of Cablevision's 3.1 million homes for almost five days. On Tuesday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski took the unusual step of criticizing the behavior of both companies, who in his view have spent more time attacking each other and lobbying politicians than trying to reach an accord.

However, as the past shows, Cablevision doesn't bend too often. It kept the YES Network, the local sports cable channel that the Yankees own and use to carry the team's games, off its systems for a year until New York's then-Attorney General Eliot Spitzer got the two sides to make a deal.

The World Series is a little different though, and if 3 million Cablevision subscribers in the New York region can't see the Yankees, politicians will be all over both companies to at least sign some sort of temporary pact. Furthermore, though so far the loss of Cablevision has not had a big impact on the Fox network, its local station WNYW will feel it in the wallet if the signal is off and the Yankees are in the World Series.

Of course, the Yankees still have to win two more games in Texas to get to the World Series, and that means getting past Rangers ace Cliff Lee, which will be just as hard as getting Fox and Cablevision to agree on a deal.

-- Joe Flint

Photo: Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera. Credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Tom, who has Cablevision in NYC metro area]

Well, I guess if this isn't settled by Game 1 of the World Series, I'll be listening to the game on the Yankees Radio Network for the play by play. Radio was a popular medium for sportscasting before TV. It will be a blast from the past.

[em kent]

FOX is going to end up being the bigger loser here, because they are about to pull their network from DISH as well. They will end up seeing their ratings drop for shows such as HOUSE, GLEE and BONES. Also, new shows such as Raising Hope will start to lose momentum. Plus, you are correct that NY Metro viewers are starting to get used to their morning news from alternative local broadcasts such as channel 11. Lastly, they are losing the good faith of the viewers they clearly care nothing about in this area. They expect us to pick up and change our cable, internet and phone providers for them. That is both arrogant and bullying. In this day and age, when people are struggling to pay the mortgage and put food on their table, they want what they pay for. And, it is FOX withholding it, not Cablevision. Bad faith, FOX. There was life before 21 JUMP STREET hit the airwaves, and there will be life without FOX too.

[M.R. Perez]

Hey everyone, all you have to do to see your favorite shows that cannot be seen on local channels is to connect your tv to rabbit ears. You can do this as long as your tv has the ability to show digital channels regardless if you have sat/cable/fios or ATT.

I have Dish and several channels owned by FOX is pulled of the air and soon they are threatening to pull off FOX 11. I don't care, because many shows on FOX don't interest me and I also have the ability to switch from SAT to OTA with a line switcher.

One thing that bugs me is the fight over money that involves Fox, Dish or many other systems, is that they are fighting over something that people can receive for free over the air (OTA).

I believe local stations that show OTA programming for free, charge sat/cable systems etc. to show their channels as part of their line up.

[tknightfield]

Bollocks to Fox....Yankees are going down, Go Rangers!

[DurableGood]

OTA hasn't much life left, as those very same 'altruistic' private companies are lobbying hard to seize the last of the bandwidth owned by the public for over the air broadcast. Analog made way for digital, and a vast frequency spectrum was given to the Telecoms, and now there's this nice chunk left to plunder.

Advertiser supported 'free' TV has been a great business model for sixty years, but the Big Boys want more- and their D.C. lobbyists know just how to get it.

Privatize, privatize, pluck out your eyes.