LIU STATEMENT ON MSG CHANNEL BLACKOUT FOR NEARLY 2 MILLION CABLE SUBSCRIBERS

City Comptroller John C. Liu today stated the following about the blackout of Madison Square Garden-owned channels for Time Warner Cable customers:

“New Yorkers deserve to get what they pay for. This ongoing corporate dispute does nothing more than unfairly punish their customers and City residents.  What started as a blackout of the Fuse channel has now escalated to the MSG sports networks, causing nearly 2 million customers to be without access to their beloved Knicks and Rangers. We have asked the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications to step up and hold the company accountable and
make sure it reimburses subscribers for the loss of these channels. Anything less is unacceptable.”

Background:

Last week, Comptroller Liu’s office contacted DoITT concerning the blackout of the Fuse channel for Time Warner customers as a result of the ongoing cable dispute. As the City agency responsible for enforcing cable agreements, Comptroller Liu demanded that DoITT develop a plan for future blackouts, as well as update his office on what discussions have taken place with cable providers regarding consumer protections.

Four months ago, the New York City Franchise Concession and Review Commission authorized cable franchise agreements with Time Warner and Cablevision. As a member of the FCRC, Comptroller Liu expressed concern that the City needed to protect cable consumers during blackouts such as the one that Time Warner subscribers are now faced with.

In addition, Comptroller Liu has written to the FCC expressing support for additional consumer protections during blackouts, as well as DoITT concerning the blackout of the Tennis Channel during the U.S. Open.