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Blues Fans Latest Held Hostage In NHL Rights Fee Wars


Thursday night's Blues game in Phoenix was an entertaining contest even though the Coyotes won in overtime. If you live in St. Louis and subscribe to Dish Network or you live in another part of the region and subscribe to MediaCom cable, you couldn't see the game through conventional means. Everyone who has DirecTV who couldn't see the season opener know how you feel: like the rope in a tug of war between cable channels with hockey broadcasting rights and the providers asked to pay more at contract time. It sucks, and it's a familiar feeling.

According to Dan Caesar at STLtoday, when Fox Sports Midwest upped its coverage to 74 Blues games this season they asked cable and satellite carriers to help pay for the cost of the increase. Many of the carriers struck deals with the regional network that has tentacles across Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and who knows where else.

I can understand the increased cost in rights fees and production costs. And if the advertising isn't there to support the increase, then the only revenue stream is the fee charged to carriers. In the end, it's the fan who either pays for the increase or pays by not seeing the games. It's a familiar situation for hockey fans.

Think about when you talk with a non-hockey fan and you're trying to convince the person how great the sport is, how it's fast and exhilarating and simply awesome to follow. And the non-hockey fan friend says, "Eh. I'll just watch more college football." Fox Sports Midwest is putting the hard sell on Dish Network and pushing all the great things about the team's potential and probable ratings performance. And Dish Network says, "Eh. We'll settle with hours of Best Damn Sports Show Period list show reruns."

I'm sick and tired of being the rope in a tug of war between companies with competing interests when the bottom line is going to be either me missing games I want to see or an increase in my TV bill (Remember back in the 1970s and part of the 1980s when television was free? At least radio is still free. Unless you want commercial-less channels. Sigh.) St. Louis Cardinals fans don't have to go through this. St. Louis Rams fans don't have to go through this (for road games). But hockey fans, and this time Blues fans specifically, are the knot between a regional sports network that shows a lot of shows people don't watch and media companies many people hate paying each month because they don't feel valued as customers.

Somehow this season Charter Communications, the predominant cable monopoly in the area that has been through bankruptcy and customer service problems in recent years, comes out looking great to hockey fans because they have Vs., they had the Blues game Thursday night, they carry NHL Network (on the Sports Tier) and Center Ice (NOT IN HD!!!!). Shocking.

Hey Fox Sports Midwest, Dish Network and MediaCom. Fucking fix it.

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As I said last night

For once I’m glad I have charter.
The world must be going to end.
I guess everyone needs to start networking with their friends that have charter. But they have to have wireless to chat too.
I’m in Arnold if anyone wants to show up Sat night. BYOB and snacks

by luvhockey on Oct 16, 2009 8:49 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

On the bright side

it’s easier to follow the GDT without that distracting hockey game on.

by Mr. Particle on Oct 16, 2009 9:18 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

I've already submitted a threat to Dish Network.

Maybe I can capitalize on this by getting some free shit.

Stupid cable companies. If the other team doesn’t show a feed, I’m pretty much screwed.

by HuntsvilleBlues on Oct 16, 2009 9:23 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

That brings another question..

Is Saturday’s game being televised by Anaheim? I hope so.

by HuntsvilleBlues on Oct 16, 2009 9:24 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

the war is on

there was a card on my car after thursdays game telling me what hockey games i was going to miss if i had the dish, so it isnt just between the pay tv companies and the pay channels, it will now get into a free-for-all between the companies and the fans.

p.s. i don’t care what your selling, if your selling it by sticking something on my car i ain’t buying.

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Oct 16, 2009 9:28 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

siigh

i mean saturday’s king game, if it matters to anyone :)

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Oct 16, 2009 9:39 AM CDT up reply actions   0 recs

Wow.

So that’s what is going on with Mediacom. I didn’t realize they were just being tightwad pricks. The worst part is that I’m stuck in an apartment where satellite of any flavor is not an option. Gah! The other bad part is that I live in Springfield, MO. I’m pretty sure there aren’t enough Blues fans here to unite, and cancel their cable in an attempt to encourage Mediacom to pay for the FSMW feed. What a kick in the teeth.

by SouthernBlue on Oct 16, 2009 9:22 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

ok the math doesnt work

if the blues moved 25 kplr games to fsmw, how come fsmw only went from 51 to 74 games ( a 23 game increase) yet passing this "cost " on to dish network causes dishnet work to drop 35 blues games

A strong anvil fears no hammer

by Childhood Trauma on Oct 16, 2009 9:30 PM CDT reply actions   0 recs

Madison Communications is my provider . . .

and they didn’t have it either. Being a cable provider that serves a small area of small towns (to put it in perspective, my hometown is approx. 5,000 people and it’s the biggest community they serve), it’s not shocking they’d get fucked on that one.

But still. I was beyond pissed Thursday. Fucking stupid bullshit.

One day, David Backes and Albert Pujols will combine forces to become the most awesome piece of violent force known to man.

by Donut King on Oct 17, 2009 8:24 AM CDT reply actions   0 recs

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Keystone Lake Zamboni falls through thin ice


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A driver was grooming the lake at about 6:15 p.m., when the ice cracked and the 7,000-pound machine began to sink at about 6:15 p.m. As a precaution, skaters were cleared from another area of the 5-acre pond, resort spokesman Ryan Whaley said. The driver was not injured.
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