Who is holding whom hostage in this dispute?

Hm, good point.

I think i'm going to say fuck it all, get the NHL gamecenter live, cancel cable TV, and stop paying out the ass to watch these jokers do 60 minutes of ice capades 3 times a week.

MSG-Time Warner breakdown sign of times
By Kristi Dosh

MSG Network’s announcement Saturday night that its programming -- including live coverage of the Knicks, Rangers, Sabres, Islanders and New Jersey Devils -- will be removed from Time Warner Cable is just the latest example of what’s become a seemingly regular battle between broadcasters and carriers.

The issue in each case: carriage fees -- the amount of money carriers or cable operators pay to networks to carry their programming. When those go up, cable bills usually rise, too, so cable companies try to hold ground to avoid angering subscribers.

The current rate for MSG and MSG Plus is about $4.65 per subscriber per month, according to media researcher SNL Kagan. A recent Wall Street Journal article called that rate higher than “almost any other regional sports network” and noted it had risen 70 percent in five years. By comparison, ESPN cost operators on average $4.69 per month in 2011.

Time Warner said MSG is seeking a 53 percent fee increase, much higher than a 6.5 percent increase the cable operator said it has been willing to pay. MSG disputes it asked for the 53 percent increase but has yet to make public what it has sought.

Time Warner said the problem is deeper than simply the rate for MSG, though. Time Warner spokeswoman Maureen Huff said a deal nearly happened at a 6.5 percent increase until MSG learned that Time Warner planned to drop the MSG-owned music channel FUSE. Time Warner said the network sought to double its rate if FUSE were dropped. MSG disputed that -- a spokesman called the allegations surrounding the FUSE issue “categorically untrue.”

Another item in dispute is whether Time Warner offered to continue carrying MSG through the current NBA and NHL seasons at a 6.5 percent increase. Time Warner said MSG declined the offer but MSG disputed the offer was made or declined.

The impasse affects some 2.8 million subscribers in the New York and New Jersey areas. Nearly 400 live games a year are broadcast on MSG.

“The decision to remove their programming from our lineup rests entirely with MSG,” said Time Warner spokesman Alexander Dudley. “By making that decision well in advance of the deadline, MSG has again shown that they are more interested in holding New York sports fans hostage than in negotiating a deal. Rather than engage in a war of words, they should come back to the table and get a deal done.”

MSG on Saturday night detailed the network’s value in its press release about the negotiations, pointing out that ratings for the Knicks were up more than 100 percent last season, the Rangers had a double-digit increase in viewers, and that the Sabres were the highest-rated American team in the NHL.

A number of communications from MSG have referenced Time Warner’s deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, reportedly worth $5 billion. MSG noted that deal again Saturday night and said “we expected that they would be eager to continue to deliver top New York sports programming to their customers, who are unfortunately caught in the middle of this dispute.”

But the comparison isn’t entirely apples-to-apples given Time Warner will be developing two regional sports networks, one in English and one in Spanish, with the Lakers as part of the new deal.

This debacle is going to just piss the Sabres off to the point where MSG loses the rights to them entirely at the end of this agreement and we sign a deal with another carrier, or Pegula creates his own television network.

It's a joke that MSG wants the same money as ESPN. They dont do a good daily show covering all sports (sportscenter) or cover any quality college football, baseball, or anything. They have specialized coverage of NYC teams, and the Sabres. The truth is 99% of Buffalo couldn't care less about NYC sports save for the Yanks, who have their own tv network anyway. This is an example of MSG trying to screw TWC. TWC isn't going to eat the cost, and doesn't want to pass it on to their customers either.

That being said a deal will be done before too long, but this is just a stand off between two big companies, trying to see who can survive without the other. It's a fucking joke, and another example of corporate greed fucking the American public.

I don't agree that it's the going rate - Dish didn't pay it.

The fact that Dish doesn't have MSG because of the same type of situation, and that Fios had to take MSG to court to get their HD feeds does NOT reflect welll on MSG.

What people ARE paying for something is the going rate, not what they aren't. I never said anything about how things reflect on MSG. The market will decide that. Fact is the Sabres can bitch all they want, but they've already made an agreement, so they should probably stfu, and honor it for now.

Uh the sabres have nothing to do with the issues between MSG and TW. They can put their two cents in but Ted Black as already publicly said that they have no say in anything that is happening. Also, when the Sabres resigned with MSG they could never had forseen this happening. If they saw this coming I'm sure they would have looked at other avenues.

MSG is a local cable channel, that's it. ESPN is a national channel so they would demand more since they probably have several more millions viewers. MSG have that attitude that the world should revolve around them since they hold the key to NYC/Sabres sports, well they need to get over themselve and realized that the world doesn't revolve around them or NYC.

I'd like to know, in real dollars and cents, what the increase would be to TWC customers.

What people ARE paying for something is the going rate, not what they aren't. I never said anything about how things reflect on MSG. The market will decide that. Fact is the Sabres can bitch all they want, but they've already made an agreement, so they should probably stfu, and honor it for now.

But we don't know that providers ARE paying that. DirecTV signed a contract with MSG in 2009, we do not know what they were asking back then. Since then, Dish has refused to pay what MSG has requested, and so has TWC.

Yes, the market will decide fair value...and right now, it appears MSG is asking too much - because providers aren't paying!

Sabres aren't involved in this debacle...other than the fact that they are losing out.

They shouldn't "STFU"...it's both them and their fans that are hurting. They lose out because they can't be seen by a good part of their fanbase and market, and the fans lose out because they can't watch the team.

The Sabres are getting the raw end of this deal and they have every right to be upset.

I'd like to know, in real dollars and cents, what the increase would be to TWC customers.