The Islanders, who "are being kept off" TV by
Cablevision, owners of the NHL Rangers, are "thereby
threatened as a viable franchise," according to Larry Brooks
of the N.Y. POST. Brooks: "At a time when the Rangers
appear on the precipice of their darkest period in decades,
their owners have used contractual muscle to keep a
competitor off the air. And nobody knows why." Fox Sports
NY "has had some say" in the decision not to televise three
of the Isles' first four games, but "it is Cablevision
calling the shots." Brooks wrote that "no one is buying
Cablevision's dual explanation of channel clearance problems
plus a weak advertising market as a legitimate excuse for
keeping the Islanders in the dark." The Isles have
"repeatedly offered to cover all costs that would accompany
adding an outlet to cover their games," but have been
"emphatically rejected, without explanation." Brooks added
that Cablevision is paying $13M a year for the Isles' TV
rights, "apparently not to televise very many of their
games. ... Is this the first step in hitting the Islanders
hard enough in the wallet in order to force the team out of
the area?" (N.Y. POST, 10/18). Also in N.Y., Bob Raissman:
"If you own everything and have no competition you can do
what you please. So, in the future, if it doesn't make
'business sense' to air a Nets, Rangers or of the any other
teams' games, there is absolutely nothing to stop MSG/FSNY
suits from taking a few contests off the air. ... All of
this shows a growing disregard for fans by MSG/FSNY and
Cablevision" (Bob Raissman, N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/18).
