Author Topic: MASN seppuku - cuts staff, coverage, but frees Gary Thorne  (Read 4888 times)

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Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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tried to sort this out. we now have 3 masn threads - streaming, negotiations, and cuts

Offline imref

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tried to sort this out. we now have 3 masn threads - streaming, negotiations, and cuts

maybe file a lawsuit to get it straightened out? :)

Offline nfotiu

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I'm not sure I am posting in the right place.  But lots of rumblings of the Orioles financial status after these announcements.

I understand the $100 million judgement to the Nats was placed in escrow.  But that only covers up until 2016.   There have now been 4 seasons since then, and at least another $100 million would be owed to the Nats.  Might be more too since there were stories about MASN not paying the base rate. 

MASN should still be a cash cow bringing in at least $200 million in revenue per year.  Is there any chance that the Orioles have funneled all that money to themselves since they are probably not bringing in much other revenue?

Also of note is that MASN's carriage agreement with Comcast runs out in Feb.   https://tvanswerman.com/2021/01/01/is-comcast-dumping-masn/

I don't think that is a huge risk, since the FCC has always pressured Comcast to carry competing sports networks because of anti-trust concerns about their vertical integration and owning their own RSN.   But if for some reason they get dropped from Comcast, then a huge chunk of that revenue flow would quickly come to an end.   

Offline UMDNats

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We're the last real World Series champions and stuck with this D-level, small-time, crap-show network run by Baltimore morons. Just a damn travesty.

Offline DCFan

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We're the last real World Series champions and stuck with this D-level, small-time, crap-show network run by Baltimore morons. Just a damn travesty.

Since it's been that way since day 1 after all these years, I'm used to it.  :couch:

Offline nfotiu

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We're probably in a better position than all the teams on Sinclair though.   

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Frankly, I wonder if there's a business law case for wasting an asset.  Isn't there some sort of fiduciary duty for the majority shareholder to operate in the best interests of the company and not itself?  Really what needs to happen is management of the company needs to be separated from the profit allocation, and some sort folks with an interest in maximizing MASN's performance need to take over.

Offline The Chief

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Wow, just wow.

Offline nfotiu

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Frankly, I wonder if there's a business law case for wasting an asset.  Isn't there some sort of fiduciary duty for the majority shareholder to operate in the best interests of the company and not itself?  Really what needs to happen is management of the company needs to be separated from the profit allocation, and some sort folks with an interest in maximizing MASN's performance need to take over.
Technically speaking, they are not financially harming MASN, and actually probably doing what's best for the company from a short term financial perspective.   The fact that they carry the games is all that really matters in the negotiations for rates paid by cable/sat companies.  In the long run, they are hurting the marketing of the baseball teams, and that would eventually result in less people caring about the teams, and less leverage to get carriage.  But other factors (esp cord cutting) have far more influence on their bottom line. 

Offline varoadking

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The loss goes well beyond on-air personnel...I would think that producers, cameramen, truck drivers, office support staff and other such needs get axed in the process...

Offline skippy1999

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This so blows!!! I haven’t gotten MASN since I got rid of directv a couple years ago and I cannot tell you how much I have missed the pre and post game shows!! Sure I can still watch the games with The mlb app but the postgame was just as fun for me a lot of times, I cannot imagine just not having it for anyone anymore!! They’re slowly killing all of the fun things baseball brings with it  :'(
Gratuitous pic of me and Dan the Man Kolko who I ran into at the stadium the night of the first meet n greet, he could not have been more awesome. This SUCKS!   

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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  • babble on

Offline nfotiu

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Kolko still sounds hopeful something will work out.  https://twitter.com/masnKolko/status/1354115638265044992

Offline RobDibblesGhost

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Alex Chappell has joined the Evil Empire (Amazon, not the NYY):

https://twitter.com/AlexChappell/status/1358827106457780230?s=20

Offline DCFan

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Alex Chappell has joined the Evil Empire (Amazon, not the NYY):

Makes sense that she's doing something in the cloud as she's already a little piece of heaven.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Alex Chappell has joined the Evil Empire (Amazon, not the NYY):

https://twitter.com/AlexChappell/status/1358827106457780230?s=20
fp had a good one on there about how much he loved the Patriots alternative uniforms last night.

Offline Five Banners

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https://www.wbal.com/article/499473/3/orioles-stadium-authority-agree-to-two-year-lease-extension-for-camden-yards

“”The MSA board of directors approved the amendment at an ad hoc meeting. The lease, due to expire at the end of the year, will now expire Dec. 31, 2023. The Orioles have the option to exercise a one-time, five-year extension by Feb. 1, 2023.

"”The MSA and the Orioles are currently discussing terms of a new lease and capital reinvestment that would keep the team playing in an upgraded Oriole Park at Camden Yards that would offer increased economic benefits from both baseball and year-round, non-baseball uses,” stadium authority Chairman Thomas Kelso said in a statement.”


This follows what came up last June about adding events to the stadium:

https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/sports/mlb/2020/06/15/baltimore-orioles-stadium-authority-consider-new-camden-yards-lease/3190595001/

“The negotiations: The lease talks, while just beginning, appear to offer further reassurance. While negotiations began in early spring, there was informal dialogue before that, and the club has spoken publicly about its hopes of capitalizing on the stadium’s popularity by using it increasingly for non-baseball activities such as music or other year-round activities.

“The elder Angelos doubted whether concerts made economic sense at the ballpark and worried about their impact, telling The Sun in 2000 that he was “not going to have it become some kind of honky tonk for various and sundry rock 'n' roll bands.” But his sons are more open to the idea and last July, Camden Yards hosted a successful Billy Joel concert.“

Offline UMDNats

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looks like MASN isn't even going to bother broadcasting any spring training games

small-time network in a small-time city run by small-time people

Offline NJ Ave

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https://www.wbal.com/article/499473/3/orioles-stadium-authority-agree-to-two-year-lease-extension-for-camden-yards

“”The MSA board of directors approved the amendment at an ad hoc meeting. The lease, due to expire at the end of the year, will now expire Dec. 31, 2023. The Orioles have the option to exercise a one-time, five-year extension by Feb. 1, 2023.


Wait, are the Orioles trying to bluff their way into stadium improvements? Camden Yards is literally the only good thing about that franchise.

Offline DCFan

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looks like MASN isn't even going to bother broadcasting any spring training games

That was something they had already broadcast.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Wait, are the Orioles trying to bluff their way into stadium improvements? Camden Yards is literally the only good thing about that franchise.

This is puzzling. Once their lease is up, are they going to walk away? Move the franchise? Please. OPACY is iconic.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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This is puzzling. Once their lease is up, are they going to walk away? Move the franchise? Please. OPACY is iconic.
as long as nashville, charlotte, and montreal want teams, it is a viable threat

Offline NJ Ave

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as long as nashville, charlotte, and montreal want teams, it is a viable threat

Yeah but as long as Baltimore is worse than an expansion roster, its not :)

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Yeah but as long as Baltimore is worse than an expansion roster, its not :)
still amazed at waiving Renato Nunez.  It's a stretch and a heck of a prediction, but I'd love to see this rank up with the Twins waiving David Ortiz.  I would have loved to have seen Nunez here.  Didn't even have to be at the expense of Face if we could have signed him to a minor league contract or as 26th man.  IF only we had an NL DH . . .

Offline HalfSmokes

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This is puzzling. Once their lease is up, are they going to walk away? Move the franchise? Please. OPACY is iconic.

not enough suites to make money for the Angelos. I can't imagine Baltimore city building him something new. Timmonium Orioles?