In Houston, David Barron noted Astros TV announcer Milo Hamilton is beginning his final season as a full-time broadcaster, and he plans to "keep doing business as usual through the All-Star break and then begin contemplating" his last season. Hamilton said, "After the All-Star Game, I’ll be seeing guys for the last time like Pat Hughes (with the Cubs) and Bob Uecker (with the Brewers), and I’m looking forward to good visits. ... That’s when things will get nostalgic for me." Hamilton will "take two road trips" this year -- to Miami, as Marlins Park will be the 59th MLB stadium in which he "has broadcast a game," and St. Louis, where it "all started for him." He will "broadcast a few games" in '13, including a trip "to Detroit for ballpark number 60 and, perhaps, a series of 'Milo’s Mondays' home game appearances" (CHRON.com, 4/4).
ON-GOING NEGOTIATIONS: MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said that the talks between the Nationals and Orioles Owner Peter Angelos "over the Nationals' share of the revenue produced by MASN remain ongoing." Selig on Monday said, “Nothing’s been determined by that discussion. I do understand the importance of television. It’s under very serious discussion.” He added MLB has involved itself in the discussions “at the appropriate committee level.” In DC, Adam Kilgore noted the Nationals are “trying to increase their cut of the revenues produced by MASN, the regional sports network they own roughly 13 percent of compared to Angelos’s 87 percent share” (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 4/4).
COVERING N.Y.: CABLEFAX DAILY reports Verizon FiOS is giving N.Y. area subscribers “access to Yankees and Mets games in HD via VOD,” as well as “other popular YES and SNY programming.” Verizon said that it is the “only provider in the NY metro area to offer the content in HD on VOD.” The first HD games available will be the Mets opener against the Braves today and the Yankees-Rays game tomorrow (CABLEFAX DAILY, 4/5).
CONTRACT RENEWAL: BROADCASTING & CABLE’s George Winslow reported MLB Network has renewed its contract with HTN Communications for HTN “to provide fiber backhaul services for the network's Ballpark Cam system.” HTN has served as the “fiber transmission provider for Ballpark Cam since MLB Network's inception in 2009.” The new contract “will extend the partnership for another three seasons.” In addition to “providing live HD transmissions for every MLB game, HTN installed and manages the full-time private fiber network for the Ballpark Cam system” (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 4/3).
