As Tom Paciorek would say, "Whoa."

by Basil on Aug 4, 2006 7:17 PM EDT in News

According to the Post, Comcast has agreed to carry MASN, starting September 1. Just in time for the stretch drive!

This gives me some pause, however:

"I literally have just signed the agreement," Comcast Corp. Executive Vice President David Cohen said in an interview, adding that the cable company would start airing the sports network "basically in the Washington and Baltimore markets on Sept. 1."

I live neither "basically" in Washington nor in Baltimore. I live in Richmond; I suppose I'll be out of luck. Oh well. Terms haven't been disclosed, but the only reasonable conclusion is the one presaged by Curly W: Comcast lost.

Hat-tip, as per usual, goes to District of Baseball.

Update [2006-8-4 19:28:39 by Basil]: The joint press release just popped into many, many inboxes, including mine. It says:

Washington DC (August 4, 2006) ? Comcast and MASN today announced an agreement to bring the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) to 1.6 million customers on Comcast?s Expanded Basic cable lineup in the Washington DC Metro, Baltimore and Salisbury areas beginning in September. MASN will be made available to an additional 600,000 customers over the next two years.

?Comcast is pleased to have reached an agreement with MASN. We?ve always wanted to bring the Nationals to Comcast customers and want to thank everyone on Comcast and MASN?s team who have worked to bring baseball to our DC area customers,? said David L. Cohen, Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation.

"This is great news for sports fans throughout the mid-Atlantic region,? said Peter Angelos, managing partner of the Orioles. ?We are pleased to have reached this agreement with Comcast, which will allow both the Nationals and the Orioles to maximize their exposure throughout the territory. We are grateful for the support we have received from public officials from Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, whose support was critical to getting the games on television.?

Hey, if you're in DC, Bal'mer, or Salisbury, have a blast. I'll catch you in two years, I suppose---well, that or move.

At any rate, is this good news? You make the call. I suppose it is. It completely legitimizes MASN, but I suppose that was inevitable. It would have been considerate of the Powers That Be to have allowed the Nationals to negotiate their on darn television contract, but what's past is past.

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Richmond needs Nats

I thought the same thing when I read that the "Washington-Baltimore corridor" was getting coverage. At least there are no legal hurdles left to getting coverage in Richmond -- if Comcast doesn't bring it of their own volition, Richmonders like us can probably convince them to carry MASN if we make our feelings heard loudly enough.

by Rich from Richmond on Aug 6, 2006 5:23 PM EDT reply actions

Angelos

And don't ya just love how Angelos seems to take credit for the agreement? As if his huge freakin' ego wasn't to blame for the problem in the first place.

by Rich from Richmond on Aug 6, 2006 5:24 PM EDT reply actions

Anybody watching?

Hernandez is throwing 63mph curve balls and confusing the Padres to no end....

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man (38927) on Aug 6, 2006 6:05 PM EDT reply actions

Comcast on MASN in Richmond

I emailed Comcast customer support yesterday about carrying MASN in the Richmond area -- here's the response I got.
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We anticipate making MASN available in the Richmond area, however, due to a number of factors, it is not possible to launch MASN in these areas at this time. Comcast is dedicated to providing you with the best service possible. Your inquiry to have this channel added has been forwarded to our Marketing Department for consideration. Please be assured that you will be notified, should we be able to add your request to the channel lineup in your area. We apologize that we do not offer this channel
at this time.
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by Rich from Richmond on Aug 9, 2006 8:07 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks, Rich

Rich,

Thanks for posting the inquiry and response. I've heard rumors that MASN will be added to the Richmond-area lineup by next spring, hopefully for spring training. But they're only rumors. In the meantime, I guess it's noteworthy that WXGI will be a fulltime radio network affiliate next season.

Washington Nationals 2006: Now Without Vinny Castilla! And Brian Lawrence!

by Basil on Aug 14, 2006 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions