MSG Says Time Warner Dispute Could Last Through NBA, NHL Seasons

MSG Media President Mike Bair yesterday said that "no meaningful discussions have occurred" between MSG and Time Warner Cable since the net went dark on TWC systems in New York on Jan. 1, according to Mike Farrell of MULTICHANNEL NEWS. Bair said, "We do think that there will ultimately be a deal, but we can't predict when and we can't [offer] any assurances that it will even happen during the 2011-2012 seasons." He also "disputed published reports that said MSG was asking for a 53% increase in rates and that Time Warner Cable was willing to pay a 6.5% hike, but did not offer any details." He said, "I can only tell you that those numbers are in some cases inaccurate and in some cases gross mischaracterizations of anything that is on the table that we've talked about." Other reports have said that MSG's "insistence that carriage of its music channel Fuse be included in any deal," however Bair called that assumption false. While MSG said that the "carriage dustup has not had a big effect on the channel -- Bair claimed that ratings for MSG were up in the calendar first quarter and that CPM prices for the channel are rising -- that might change given TWC subscribers number about 30% of MSG's total viewers and 17.5% of Fuse watchers" (MULTICHANNEL.com, 2/8).

SECOND QUARTER RESULTS: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Georg Szalai notes MSG yesterday reported that Q2 financials were "hurt by the delayed start to the NBA season." Quarterly earnings were $25.6M compared to $32.7M in the year-ago period. The results "exceeded Wall Street expectations." Revenue declined 13.8% to $373M. As a result of the delayed start to the NBA season, the company's Knicks "only played six pre-season and regular season games in the latest quarter, compared with a combined 40 games in the year-ago period" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 2/8).

LETTER OF THE DAY: In N.Y., Nina Mandell notes five-year-old Bodie Seidle recently was "treated to sixth-row seats, a chance to shoot hoops on the famed Madison Square Garden court and a meet-and-greet with many Knicks players after MSG Network spotted a letter he wrote to Time Warner Cable, asking them to turn the MSG Network back on." The MSG PR staff "saw his story in The Daily News and called him to try to make his season a little brighter" (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 2/8).