You know how everyone was all back-slapingly happy last week when Comcast and MASN finally came to an agreement? The era of good feelings seems to be over. The following is a press release from MASN "on Comcast['s] annual rate hike":
"This is a deceitful effort by a cable monopoly that made a half-billion dollar profit last quarter to find a scapegoat for its annual rate increases. Comcast is gouging its subscribers once again and misrepresenting the amount it is paying to carry the Nationals games.
The truth is that Comcast is only paying $1.25 per subscriber for carrying the Nationals games this year. Next year, when the Orioles join MASN, there should be no net increase to Comcast customers, since they are already paying for Orioles games on Comcast SportsNet.
Comcast will also recoup 25-30 percent of this cost through advertising, thereby making its net cost approximately one dollar per subscriber.
MASN pays annual rights fees to the Nationals and the Orioles. In 2006, MASN paid the Nationals $20 million. In 2007, MASN will pay $25 million to the Nationals and $25 million to the Orioles in rights fees.
It is deceitful for Comcast to blame MASN, especially when Comcast regularly raises its subscribers' rates by 5 percent or more, regardless of whether it offers new programming.
This is one more effort by Comcast's David Cohen to spread falsehoods about MASN. He knows full well what the contract provides because he signed it."
{list of national Comcastic rate hikes snipped}
I really could go two ways on this. On the one hand, I could parse this statement, do some research, and try to figure out to the best of my ability as a blogger---as opposed to an industry analyst, journalist, or even citizen journalist---who's scamming whom, i.e., who wants to scam the customer more. On the other hand, I could express a genuine sentiment---one you might also harbor---that I'd wish both of those wretched, horrible, corrupt, sniveling, craptastic parties would shut the hell up already.
Upon reflection, I think I'll go with the latter. Just showed the damned games, jerks.