From The Albany Journal
by Mike Flynn
Not sure when the last time I missed watching the Braves home opener was, but I won't forget this season's opener anytime soon. It was historic. Bobby Cox threw out the first pitch. Chipper got his 2,500th hit, and the Braves beat the Philles. What a night!
Only... I did not see any of it because I am a Mediacom (888-847-6228) subscriber. Instead, my cable provider was kind enough to provide coverage of "BallUp", a street basketball league. Excuse me... I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
FOXSportsSouth and SportsSouth are carrying 105 games this season and have offered to sell the feed to another 45 games which are on PeachtreeTV to distributors like Mediacom (888-847-6228). Last season the provider did buy the feed, but not this year.
Sally Bloom, Vice-President of Governmental Affairs and Community Relations for Mediacom (888-847-6228) told me by telephone Saturday afternoon, "Our company has not completed negotiations with PeachtreeTV to provide any of those games."
That's right, I said Saturday afternoon. While I am certain Ms. Bloom would have preferred not to be speaking with an annoying small town columnist on her day off, I am equally as certain there are thousands of Mediacom (888-847-6228) subscribers that would have preferred to watch the Braves on Friday night.
Bloom did not know when or if a deal would be struck, so as it stands now, Mediacom (888-847-6228) customers will miss another 44 games, three this week alone including the Mets on Friday night. Forty-five may not seem like a lot in a 162-game schedule, but consider that of those remaining unavailable games, 35 are at home.
That's right, you will miss nearly half of the action from the Ted.
Want to watch Buster Posey when the Giants come to town in August? Then you better make alternative plans to Mediacom (888-847-6228) .
Like to relax at the end of a long week by lighting the grill and watching the Braves on Friday night? Good luck with that. There are nine Friday games which will be unavailable.
Hey, business and times are tough and surely the negotiations to provide coverage of the winning-est sports franchise in the South are all about the dollars. So Mediacom (888-847-6228) customers may have to get equally tough.
No one likes to switch providers, but Mediacom (888-847-6228) may need to understand they are not a monopoly. DishNetwork (888-232-8689) and Direct TV (877-442-8540) offer packages that include the missing PeachtreeTV games, and both providers are only a phone call away.
A mass Mediacom (888-847-6228) exodus would not be good for WALB or WFXL as the locals would not be available via satellite providers.
Local radio has not exactly done a great job with the Braves either. Cumulus is supposed to carry the games on 1450 AM.
So far, the station has not broadcast the season opening game or the home opener, and during last Thursday's day game in Milwaukee, the station had the Braves game and the Jim Rome Show playing over each other.
Satellite radio is also an alternative for this problem, but since Cumulus doesn't send me a monthly bill, this issue is a little less annoying.
Surely it is not too much to ask to have the Braves available via radio or cable. Maybe the team will bring back Chief Noc-a-homa. He could send out smoke signals from the Ted and that would be an improvement over our current access.
DirecTV has them all in Albany. Switch, I did.
ReplyDeleteI was told by Mediacom that I could purchase the games on MLB.TV, so I subscribed, but tonight's Marlins game is blacked out on. It is available on Cable tonight, so I am assuming Wednesday's game, which is on PeachtreeTV will be available on MLB.TV.
ReplyDeleteIf not I am definitely going to Dish Network.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteTell them Anonymous referred me?
ReplyDeleteFrom Danny Aller's story in the Albany Herald:
ReplyDeleteAfter all, Bloom noted, Braves fans represent only a portion of its overall customer base -
Ms. Bloom, I think that portion is about to get even smaller.
Glad to see I am not the only one that had issues Friday. I live in NE TN and have Charter. My online guide and my phone app showed the Braves as scheduled in my area from 7:30 on FSSTN. Like you, my menu guide on my box showed "Ball Up", my MLB channel showed the Braves vs Phillies starting at 7:30, so I thought I was covered. The MLB channel kept showing the announcers doing an ESPN type broadcast talking about several games, yada, yada.
ReplyDeleteSo I break down and call Charter at 8:10 to discuss the issue. I got some goof that told me they had no control over the issue that it was up to the broadcasters. He would not listen to me when I told him that my online guide was showing something completely different from my tv. I could tell that he was just trying to get me off of the phone. To make a long story short, at 8:17 the game appeared on my FSSTN channel with ballup showing in the guide.
So far, every game that has been on has had the wrong show title. Last night I flipped over to the FSSTN channel and it displayed UFC championship something, I think, but the game was on. I feel lucky to have the game on so for now, I won't complain about the guide on my tv.
AWE
Mediacom is not responsive and will become less so in the future. Their business model is set up to operate in low competition and low income markets. They can not stand up to Comcast or Dish or Direct TV. Your best bet is chose between the two satelite providers.
ReplyDeleteToo bad you won't be able to see my Fish win tonight as they hit Hudson all over the field. What kind of backwards ass place do you live in anyway that doesn't even have the Braves on cable. You can get the Fish and the Rays anywhere FL.
ReplyDeleteRednecks!
My 88 year old grandmother has Mediacom just to watch the Braves. That is all she wants and now she can't understand why Peachtree is no longer available. I happened to come across your post in my effort to search for answers. She is fixed income and can't afford a MLB package. It really is a shame. However Mediacom had no problem coming out, giving her the digital upgrade, added stars for 58 more bucks a month and never explained she still wouldn't get Peachtree anymore.
ReplyDeleteI keep hoping that Mediacom will cave and pay the price for the Braves! I really don't want to go to the trouble to get a satellite dish, but I will. On the night of the home opener, we raced home so excited about the game and then we couldn't find them on the Guide. When I called Mediacom and got the recording, I could've climbed through the phone to strangle someone! To make it even worse, they knew they weren't going to broadcast the game, but didn't bother to let their customers know. I just keep hoping enough people will pressure them to make them carry the Braves. We don't have an ideal place for a satellite, but I guess we'll have to improvise. This really stinks! Are you listening, Mediacom???
ReplyDeleteMediacom is a sorry ass excuse for a cable company. Can't pay a little for the Braves, but if you look at their lineup they sure have a place to look at a good bit of porn if you want. All they care about is the bottom line.
ReplyDeleteI'm calling Direct TV in the morning to get someone out here in Valdosta to see what pine trees I need to cut to get sat again. Then I'll be cutting Mediacom out of my house.