What a bunch of baloney!!!

by StewEck on Apr 16, 2008 10:14 AM PDT

Steweck,

Thanks for the inquiry regarding the number of HD events on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. We plan to show 60 Giants games in HD this season and 40 A’s games, which is more than we’ve ever shown in a baseball season. 43% of our Giants games are in HD and 50% of our A’s games are in HD. Some of the restrictions to showing all games in HD include cost, production truck availability, and transmission availability.

We agree that games in HD are drastically better in quality than SD games. Keeping this in mind, we’ve increased our projected HD events for 2008 to over 200 events.

As for A’s games On Demand, the team holds the rights to putting games On Demand. As of this point, they have not granted us permission to make games available via On Demand.

Regards,

** I say let's put the pressure on Comcast and the A's. This is unacceptable in my view. What do you guys think?

www.comcastsportsnet.com

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Comments

I think that if you are expecting equal treatment

from a company that is 30% owned by the Giants, you’re sorely mistaken.

by mikev on Apr 16, 2008 10:33 AM PDT reply actions

If you want to lobby, it should be the A's

for the On Demand issue

A True American Hero

by Zonis on Apr 16, 2008 10:41 AM PDT reply actions

Seems weird that other Bay Area teams

would be okay with Comcast Sportsnet being partially owned by the Giants. Surely an one-third stake in the channel will create some type of programming bias that will benefit the Giants and leave behind the A’s, Warriors, and Sharks.

I wish the A’s would step up some and maybe align themselves with the Warriors and Sharks (maybe the Earthquakes, too) to create an alternate station. However, I’m not sure it would make financial sense to have two sports channels within one market

I am Ray Fosse's man crushes for Clay Wood and Jason Kendall.

by franks a lot on Apr 16, 2008 10:54 AM PDT reply actions

well, the other teams aren't playing the same sport.

Considering the Warriors are the only Bay Area basketball team, and the Sharks are the only northern california NHL team, they’ve pretty much got the market cornered in their respective sports.

by mikev on Apr 16, 2008 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions

Bingo!

The Warriors and Sharks aren’t really a threat as they’re not directly competing for the same fans in the same sport.

If what the OP reports is true, and I have no reason to think it’s not, then it seems that lobbying the A’s themselves would be the proper route.

"Rebuilding" is loser mentality.

by UncleLeo on Apr 16, 2008 3:48 PM PDT up reply actions

There needs to be a realignment

that would probably include the Sacramento Kings in the package (granted that the Warriors and Kings would be blacked out in each other’s territory). As it stands now, CSN Bay Area is overwhelmed with programming at certain times of the year while CSN West (Comcast’s Sacramento sports channel) has endless time to fill with poker and fishing shows.

With the A’s, Giants, Warriors, Kings and Sharks in the pros, three Division 1-A football teams and about nine schools that play Division 1 college basketball between the Bay Area and Sacramento/Stockton, plus the national contracts that the RSNs have with conferences like the ACC and the Big 12 in addition to the Pac-10, there’s plenty of programming for two separate Northern California sports channels.

by Soaker on Apr 16, 2008 11:06 AM PDT up reply actions

Interesting that the Giants have approx 139 games televised on CSN while the A's only have 80.

Of course Channel 36 has a lot of our games but Channel 2 carries Giants games.

I guess when you own part of the company, you get what you want.

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, YOU'RE RIGHT !"

by Eastbayjim on Apr 16, 2008 11:15 AM PDT reply actions

I thought the Giants moved away from KTVU to KNBC, or something like that

by theblackpearl on Apr 16, 2008 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions

KNTV (channel 11 on VHF, channel 3 on most cable systems)

"Evidently, a large number of people said, 'We really need more vermin at the ballpark, Artie.'" - Nick (AN), 10/7/07

by doctorK on Apr 16, 2008 4:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Like I said in my post

It is in the best interest of the A’s to build up their fan base. I think they will get more fans if they had a long term plan to recruit them. I think the best to do that is allow the fans to have more access to games either at home or away. This team will be GREAT in a few years. The pitching looks good even with our DL list growing. I just hope they seize the moment and do it. They really need to get some offense so that the fans can have something else to look forward to. I know it is early, but too many of our guys look like sure outs. If you add them up it really shortens the game to like 5 innings.

"I hurt people I'm a dick" Garry TA

by Crapper Jon on Apr 16, 2008 11:22 AM PDT reply actions