Padres Plan Direct Talks With Time Warner Cable Regarding RSN Carriage Dispute

The Padres are "planning to talk directly with Time Warner Cable to end the Fox-Time Warner impasse" that last season blacked out 42% of San Diego County from receiving the team's telecasts, according to Bill Center of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Padres Owner & Exec Chair Ron Fowler said, "We are working very hard on the Time Warner situation. ... Our commitment is to do everything we can to get it resolved. Fox wanted to take the lead for a significant period of time. We have to pull ourselves away from that." Center notes Padres games "were carried by Cox and DirecTV last season, but not by Time Warner and AT&T U-Verse, although AT&T U-Verse reached an agreement on the final day of the season." Fowler said that he is "hopeful a television agreement with Time Warner can be reached before Opening Day." Fowler: "Am I encouraged? Yes. Am I going to guarantee it? No" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 1/16).