Jim Williams: Comcastic news for Nationals’ fans
Jim Williams, The Examiner
Aug 28, 2006 5:00 AM (8 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 11 of 5,991 articles

BALTIMORE - Here is the news that Nationals’ fans have waited almost two years to hear. On Sept. 8, fans will be able to actually watch the Nationals take on the Colorado Rockies live from Coors Field at 9 p.m. on Comcast channel 42 in Washington, D.C., marking the first-ever Mid-Atlantic Sports Network broadcast on Comcast in Washington.

Between Sept. 8 and 15, Comcast will phase in MASN on the vast majority of their systems in the Baltimore, Washington and Salisbury markets. We have a complete list published with this column, as well as posted on The Examiner Web site.

Much has been said, good and bad, about Comcast in the long dispute the cable company has had with Baltimore-based MASN, but Comcast should be commended for its rapid ability to put the channel on once the two sides agreed to a deal on Aug. 4. Getting MASN on Comcast systems that reach nearly 1.6 million subscribers meant moving existing channels, as well as a number of complex technical issues, but the cable giant did it in just a little over a month, and that is no small task. Additionally, Comcast legally had to provide 30-day notification in areas where channel moves were required.

So now, Comcast subscribers can watch Nationals and Orioles games on MASN. A Comcast spokesperson told me they are already working on the “overflow issues,” so that when the Nationals and Orioles have schedule conflicts starting in 2007, subscribers in the mid-Atlantic area will be able to see both teams.

The news is critical to the future marketing plans of the Nationals, whose games now will be seen on the majority of cable systems in the region, as well as Orioles fans who want to be able to follow the team in 2007.

Putting MASN on Comcast did come at a price to the cable system, though. According to Comcast executive vice president David L. Cohen, “Comcast is pleased to have finally negotiated an agreement with MASN to air Washington Nationals games starting in September, along with other sports programming throughout the year. Comcast has always supported the return of baseball to the Washington area, and we have been unwavering in our desire to carry the games once an agreement could be met that would be fair for customers, the Nationals and fans.

“MASN’s programming is very expensive to distribute — it will cost literally hundreds of millions of dollars over the next decade to provide MASN to our 2.2-million cable customers. As we have stated publicly and in official testimony for more than a year, these are costs that ultimately will have to be borne by cable customers. Comcast does not intend to profit from the carriage of this new network, but its significant cost makes it necessary to pass along a price increase to our customers.”

So the multi-million dollar question is: Will Comcast really pay hundreds of millions of dollars in the next decade to MASN? The answer is yes, and we will explain in this space later this week. For now, mark your calendar and enjoy the game.



MASN Channel Locations & Launch Dates




Baltimore/Salisbury DMAs





Launch date





Channel








Annapolis





9/12/06





45









Anne Arundel/Gambrills





9/12/06





52









Baltimore City





9/08/06





62









Baltimore County





9/08/06





64









Calvert County





9/12/06





63









Cambridge, MD (Dorchester Cty.)





9/08/06





33









Carroll County





9/08/06





76









Charles County/Waldorf





9/12/06





41









Elkton (Cecil County)





9/08/06





57









Harford County





9/08/06





61









Howard County





9/08/06





44









Ocean City, MD (Worcester Cty.)





9/08/06





65









Rehoboth, DE (Sussex Cty.)





9/08/06





33









Salisbury, MD (Wicomico Cty.)





9/08/06





33































Washington Metro DMA











































Alexandria, VA





9/15/06





62









Arlington, VA





9/11/06





62









City of Manassas, VA





9/11/06





36









Culpepper, VA





9/15/06





52









Fauquier County, VA





9/15/06





34









Frederick/Mt. Airy, MD





9/09/06





66









Hancock, MD





9/15/06





28









Jefferson County/Martinsburg, WV





9/15/06





66









Loudoun County, VA





9/15/06





34









Montgomery County, MD





9/08/06





41









Prince George’s

County, MD





9/08/06





62









Quantico/Eastern

Prince William





9/11/15





46









Reston, VA





9/15/06





72































Sharpsburg/Washington County/Keedysville, MD





9/09/06





66









Spotsylvania/Stafford, VA





9/11/06





34









Washington, DC





9/08/06





42









Western

Prince William County, VA





9/11/06





36











Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. You can e-mail him at jwilliamsexaminer@gmail.com.

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