Cardinals back on DirecTV

[Scott Greczkowski]

http://www.sj-r.com/sections/sports/stories/112111.asp

Cardinals back on DirecTV

By NICK ROGERS
A&E EDITOR

Published Thursday, April 12, 2007

A blackout on regular-season St. Louis Cardinals games has been lifted for DirecTV customers.

Representatives from Dish Network weren’t available late Wednesday for comment as to whether that company had reached a similar agreement to air the games as DirecTV.

The announcement came as negotiations continue with FSN Midwest to resolve a dispute that led to blackouts of live Cardinals games for all satellite users since last week’s start of the 2007 season. Geoff Goldman, FSN Midwest’s media relations manager, confirmed that the network is working on a resolution with DirecTV.

FSN Midwest airs a majority of the Cardinals’ 162 regular-season games and seeks designation from both satellite companies as a regional sports network. That would mean satellite subscribers wouldn’t have to pay extra, as they do now, to receive the network in premium-program packages.

Insight, a cable company serving Springfield, Champaign-Urbana, Peoria and Bloomington-Normal, recognizes FSN as a regional sports network along with Comcast SportsNet (which airs Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox games). Cable users have not been affected by the blackouts.

DirecTV channel surfers might have caught FSN Midwest’s broadcast of Wednesday’s Cardinals road game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Channel 660. Wednesday’s game was the first under DirecTV’s temporary agreement with FSN Midwest.

Mercer confirmed that broadcasts would be available on DirecTV’s designated channel spot for FSN Midwest.

The next Cardinals game scheduled for broadcast on FSN Midwest is a home game against the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:10 p.m. Friday.

 

[Buzzdar]

any one here able to watch the cards game this evening like that were not able to before? just wondering if this story was really true..

 

[Jimbo]

Has anyone actually heard why the FSN's were pulled in the first place ?
What was it that brought them back, St. Louis at least ?

Jimbo

 

[rcman2]

Has anyone actually heard why the FSN's were pulled in the first place ?
What was it that brought them back, St. Louis at least ?

Jimbo

FSNMW was blacking out games because they were unhappy that D* and E* were not offering them as a default RSN to Cardinal viewers in parts of Iowa, Illinois, and other areas. As an example, you got CSNC in Illinois but you had to purchase the Sportspack to get FSNMW and thus Cardinal games.

I guess there was enough complaints by viewers to D* that they decided to make a deal.

 

[Jimbo]

FSNMW was blacking out games because they were unhappy that D* and E* were not offering them as a default RSN to Cardinal viewers in parts of Iowa, Illinois, and other areas. As an example, you got CSNC in Illinois but you had to purchase the Sportspack to get FSNMW and thus Cardinal games.

I guess there was enough complaints by viewers to D* that they decided to make a deal.

I really wish blackouts would go away, afterall if you have to pay EXTRA money to see the games you should be able to see ALL the games.

Jimbo

 

[garn9173]

any one here able to watch the cards game this evening like that were not able to before? just wondering if this story was really true..

The Cards were on FSNMW last night.

 

[dishrich]

The Cards ARE back on D* for these areas, but you STILL need the sportspak to get FSM & the games. I tested this on a couple customer's that our in our local market that do NOT have the SP & they do NOT get anything on FSM, just CSNC as usual.

ONLY the folks with SP are getting FSM & the games, so it's just back to the way it was before the blackouts...