August 21, 2008

Here We Go Again: MASN Files FCC Complaint Against Comcast

We thought the hatchet had been buried when Comcast launched MASN in Aug '06 after facing FCC pressure to carry the DC-Baltimore RSN. But MASN has filed a program carriage complaint against the MSO, which currently carries both MASN and MASN 2 in the DC area. An FCC order released Wed granted MASN an extension to respond to Comcast's answer in a program carriage complaint captioned "MASN vs Comcast." Cfax was unable to obtain a copy of the complaint by press time, and MASN declined to comment. While we haven't seen a copy of the complaint, our understanding is the beef is over whether Comcast is obligated to launch the channel in additional markets, including Harrisburg, PA, and Roanoke, VA. Comcast did chime in on the programmer's grievance. "MASN signed an agreement almost 2 years ago to be carried on Comcast systems, and now MASN has simply decided that it no longer likes the deal it made," a spokeswoman said. "Comcast has fulfilled its part of the bargain and intends to hold MASN to the deal it struck. The complaint filed by MASN is completely without merit." Comcast and MASN's 2-year-old agreement was prompted by the FCC's order outlining the approval of Comcast and Time Warner Cable's acquisition of Adelphia. In the order, the FCC gave MASN 10 days to decide whether to use an arbitrator or an FCC administrative law judge to intervene in the spat. Instead, the 2 reached a carriage pact, which Comcast says is for 2.1mln subs.