SPORTSCHANNEL LOOKING TO REDO ISLES MONEY MAKING DEAL?

     SportsChannel New York is "negotiating a possible
restructuring" of its $12M a year deal with the Islanders,
according to Steve Zipay of NEWSDAY.  The deal, signed for '82
through 2012, is "by far the most lucrative in the NHL."
SportsChannel is reportedly seeking a reduction in the rights fee
of several million dollars a year, or other concessions, "in
exchange for an extension and other considerations."
SportsChannel execs declined to comment.  Zipay writes the team's
play is "a factor" (7-18-3 thus far), while the new logo and
former GM Don Maloney are both "widely scorned."  Attendance is
also down "sharply" with just over 8,000 fans attending a game
against the Penguins last week.   Some observers believe an
extension might make the team more "appealing to prospective
buyers, although the Coliseum needs renovations as well."
Sources deny Islanders Majority Owner John Pickett, currently ill
in Florida, "prompted" the request for restructuring (NEWSDAY,
12/12).