BUFFALO, N.Y. - New York State Senator Mark Grisanti hopes a change in state law can bring about quicker resolutions to the disputes between cable companies and the stations they offer, the likes of which have resulted in the current absence of Buffalo Sabres games on Time Warner cable.
Many Sabres games are produced and broadcast by MSG, and until recently, had been featured on Time Warner Cable.
The Sabres games (as well as other MSG programming such as New York Knicks games) disappeared from the televisions of Time Warner Subscribers after a carriage agreement between the two companies expired on January 1st.
The two sides have accused each other of making unreasonable demands for the continuation of the agreement and talks have broken off, leaving customers in a lurch. "I'm not saying either company is wrong. I'm just saying that each one of them is stuck in a position where they think that they're correct," Senator Grisanti told 2 On Your Side by phone from Albany Monday.
Grisanti is proposing a change in the NYS Public Service law, which would not only require that cable companies "negotiate fairly" when it comes to carriage agreements, but perhaps more importantly, the amended law would require that -- when terms of a carriage agreement can't be reached, -- that the two sides be compelled to enter into arbitration of the matter.
This would at least force both sides to the table, something that can't currently be done.
Click this link to read the proposed law.
MSG spokesman Dan Schoenberg responded Monday to our request for an interview on this matter by saying by E-mail, "No new update. No meaningful discussions between MSG and Time Warner Cable. Nothing more to add."
Time Warner Cable spokeswoman Joli Plunkette-Farmen responded, "There are no new updates to provide as to the status of negotiations. As a response to Senator Grisanti's proposal...we still hope to reach a reasonable agreement with MSG for our customers through direct negotiations."
So can they handle the negotiations on their own, or should the government be trying to solve private business negotiations? "Both sides have to follow the Public Service Law. I don't think it's proper that when you have a stalemate either side is just sitting there waiting for the other side to flinch, or blink, because they both think they're right, and then who's suffering is the ratepayers."
The new law, if passed, would take effect immediately and would apply to any agreement between which was entered into on or after January 1, 2011.
Grisanti is joined in proposing the new law by two downstate Senators.
On Sunday, MSG Networks and the Buffalo Sabres announced they will make the February 11th Sabres vs. Lightning game available to fans who have been shutout of watching their favorite team after Time Warner Cable dropped MSG and MSG+ from their channel lineup back on January 1st. The game will air on Channel 2.
Faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. followed by a Countdown 2 Faceoff special on Channel 2 at 6:30 p.m.