MASN — Ch. 626?

[Mike McGann]

Uh...anyone notice this blank dead channel called Mid-Atlantic Sports Net?

Any idea what it is? Could it be a placeholder for SNY — awaiting getting the deal done by Thursday (which I hear now is close)?

Inquiring minds want to know, not to mention my message board of rabid Mets' fans.

 

[Mr Tony]

That's the channel that shows Washington National's baseball games

its only up when there is a Nats game

 

[dave26262]

Uh...anyone notice this blank dead channel called Mid-Atlantic Sports Net?

Any idea what it is? Could it be a placeholder for SNY — awaiting getting the deal done by Thursday (which I hear now is close)?

Inquiring minds want to know, not to mention my message board of rabid Mets' fans.

do you hear the deal with SNY is close through your independent sources or is it just what is being typed on these message boards and in the newspapers. it seems they will NOT be up and running by Thursday

 

[Mike McGann]

Through both my Mets' and D* sources (I'm an old technology mag writer/editor), but the same snag seems to have kept this deal tied up for more than a month.

 

[OneEyedWonder]

Do you think the closer they get to the launch date (this Thursday) the more likely a deal will get done or will it be closer to Opening Day (Apr 3)??

 

[bullwinklehdtv]

Uh...anyone notice this blank dead channel called Mid-Atlantic Sports Net?

Any idea what it is? Could it be a placeholder for SNY — awaiting getting the deal done by Thursday (which I hear now is close)?

Inquiring minds want to know, not to mention my message board of rabid Mets' fans.

Its the Mid Atlantic Sports Network, created by Peter Angelos as part of the agreement MLB made with him to allow the Montreal Expos to move to Washington DC. Angelos now owns the broadcast rights to the Orioles and Nationals and he's trying to create his own RSN to compete with Comcast Mid Atlantic Sports Net. The only thing MASN carries now is the Nationals games, so the channel is only active when a game is on. Comcast has the rights to televise the Orioles through the 2006 at which point Angelos plans to move the Orioles to MASN and operate 24/7.
Its a mess right now-Comcast filed a lawsuit (which was dismissed in court) and won't carry MASN, so most of the Nationals fans can't watch their games. The Nationals don't own their own broadcast rights-MLB set a value of $21 million that Angelos pays to the team, but the rights are probably worth more than that and the Nationals (currently owned by MLB) only own 10% of MASN. We're desperately hoping MLB finally names an owner for the Nationals who can start looking out for the team and its fans.