One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Opening Day 2015: Still little hope for a Dodgers TV deal
The Dodgers started last season in Australia against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This one begins Monday against the the San Diego Padres in Chavez Ravine, but for the majority of fans who can't watch the game, it might as well be taking place 13,000 miles away.
(
Jeff Gross/Getty Images
)
Listen
0:52
Opening Day 2015: Still little hope for a Dodgers TV deal
It’s opening day, the beginning of a fresh start for the Los Angeles Dodgers. But it’s the same old story for the roughly 70 percent of fans who still can’t watch most games on television.
If you're curious about the reasons behind the dispute over Dodgers TV, you can read my Q & A from last year here. Unfortunately for fans, little has changed.
And here’s how bad things have gotten: Last season, Time Warner Cable and its main antagonist, DirecTV, would regularly talk to the media to make their case. Now, still far apart on pricing, they’re not even doing that, much less negotiating with each other.
Each side would only release the tersest of statements, both of which indicate little progress.
"As the new Dodger season approaches, we hope to work with the Dodgers and Time Warner Cable to find a creative means to provide fans an opportunity to see the games without burdening non-fans with a significantly higher bill," DirecTV said.
“Despite our repeated attempts, other providers are unwilling to engage in any discussions. If Dodger fans want to enjoy SportsNet LA this season, we encourage them to switch to a provider that carries the network,” TimeWarner Cable said.
The problem with that is the only major provider carrying Sportsnet LA is Time Warner itself — which is only available in about one third of Southern California households — so switching providers is not a real option for most people.
Sponsored message
Any potential solution between Time Warner Cable and DirecTV is also complicated by the fact that the federal government is still reviewing potential mergers of Time Warner Cable and Comcast and of DirecTV and AT&T.
The Dodgers — who receive more than $200 million in rights payments from Time Warner Cable annually — are saying little publicly, though Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten told the Orange County Register recently that he feels "horrible" about the impasse:
"How many times can I tell people how bad I feel? Yeah, I feel terrible about it," Kasten said Wednesday. "It’s the single biggest customer problem I’ve had in my whole career — and the one we’ve spent the most time on.
"Obviously everyone is waiting to see what happens in the larger-scale corporate dealings. Failing that, I know there’s a lot going on behind the scenes, a lot of talk — but, no, I’m not aware of anything that’s going to bring about an imminent settlement. We hope and we keep working at it. But I don’t have any news."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
