Strasburg interest could benefit fans

The Washington Nationals pitcher may only be scratching the surface. When he isn't appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman or on the cover of Sports Illustrated, he may have the power to break a three-year stalemate and get MASN on Time Warner Cable.

Want to see Strasburg pitch? It’s on satellite

Some arm on that Washington Nationals rookie Stephen Strasburg, huh?  
Too bad no Time Warner cable subscriber around here will see him on their home TV for the pitcher’s second major-league start Sunday.

Time for FCC to play ball

For the past three years, it has been easy to blame Time Warner Cable for the absence of this area's duly designated baseball coverage on cable TV.

The dispute between MASN, the network that carries the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, and the cable giant has dragged on through arbitrators and government agencies long enough to buy a few dozen lawyers a few dozen new yachts. Every decision MASN won, Time Warner would appeal. Litigation spawned litigation.

Time Warner Cable's rates rise

Time Warner Cable has raised the rates for some of its services by as much as 15 percent, blaming sports programs and network television.

The rate hike, which went into effect Sunday, marks the company's fourth consecutive annual increase. Last year, the company raised cable rates between 4 percent and 9 percent, depending on service level, over 2008 prices.

Time Warner Cable rate go up this month

Time Warner Cable is raising its rates again, an annual occurrence the company blames on its programmers.

Most of the increases are between $3 and $5 a month. Time Warner's letter to customers says the that sports and broadcast programming are the biggest contributor to the price increases.

Suddenlink, MASN still in stalemate over placement

Even after a few years of mulling their respective positions, the two entities in control of who does and does not see East Carolina football games on television in Greenville are holding their ground.

A fundamental disagreement between local cable provider Suddenlink Communications and the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network about where on the cable dial the regional sports network would be placed is what's keeping MASN off the air, and has been for some time.

MASN to air ECU-Rice game

MASN will exclusively produce and televise East Carolina's home football game against Rice on Oct. 17.

The newly-added broadcast, which was announced Friday, will increase the number of Pirate games being televised by MASN this year as part of the network's partnership with ECU to nine.

The ECU-Rice game will feature veteran Pirates broadcaster Patrick Kinas and former ECU kicker Kevin Miller.

MASN, TWC issue ongoing

For years, the Triangle got a steady dose of Baltimore Orioles games on cable, on what was variously called Home Team Sports (HTS) or FSN South. That changed in 2007, when the Orioles and Washington Nationals moved to the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN).

DirecTV and Dish Network added the channel, as did a handful of cable providers in eastern North Carolina, but not Time Warner.

WBTW files FCC complaint against Time Warner Cable

WBTW-TV filed a Emergency Enforcement Complaint with the Federal Communications Commission on Friday, asking the agency to issue sanctions against Time Warner Cable.

The complaint centers around Time Warner Cable's decision to remove WBTW from select cable systems impacting viewers in such communities as Johnsonville, Effingham, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island, Georgetown as well as Richmond and Brunswick counties in North Carolina.

Local viewers can't see Nationals, O's

Two arbitrators and the Federal Communications Commission media bureau chief already have ruled in favor of MASN, saying the cable company discriminated against the regional sports network by not making its programming available on its basic digital service. TWC has insisted on putting MASN on a more expensive digital sports tier.

Despite its 0-3 record, Time Warner has appealed the most recent ruling to the full FCC, and there's no indication when that five-member body will deal with the issue. The FCC lists it as an "item on circulation," and it is not on the agenda for the commission's meeting today.