Shame on You MASN! Shame on you MLB!
Look, in today's era of technology, you can not call yourself a "sports network" without providing at least some of your games in high-definition. Last year MASN with it's monopoly coverage of both baseball teams in the mid-atlantic region, declared that some of their games would be broadcasted in HD in 2008. As this article points out, we are only two months away from opening day and no plans for the upgrade have been announced.Nationals fans have Bud Selig to thank for this. Back when the DC area was granted a baseball team, their television rights were given to the Orioles as a consolation for allowing the Expos to move there. Does this make any sense at all? When will major league baseball get with the times. Did the Redskins or Capitals receive anything when the state of Carolina was granted NFL and NHL teams? Both of those teams had claimed their territory through the Tar Heal state since their inceptions. Unbelievable.
Get with the times MASN. High-Definition is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.
And get with the times MLB. Franchise territories change over time. What a concept huh?
Article courtesy of TVPredictions.com.
MASN: Still Working On HDTV In 2008
The network is the last holdout in offering high-def broadcasts of Major League Baseball.
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (February 1, 2008) -- MASN, which has the broadcast rights to the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles, says it's still working to air "some" games in High-Definition during the 2008 season.
MASN's lack of HD coverage to date has become both a local and national issue for baseball fans. As of now, the Orioles and Nats are the only two Major League Baseball teams that will not be broadcast locally in High-Definition during the 2008 season.
Many Nats and O's fans have expressed their displeasure on baseball message boards -- and in e-mails sent to TVPredictions.com.
But Todd Webster, a MASN spokesman, told TVPredictions.com today that the regional sports network is still talking to cable and satellite operators about providing high-def coverage this season.
"We're still planning for some (Nats and O's) games (in HD) this season," he said. "We're working with the affiliates (cable and satellite operators) to expand their capability for (MASN in HD.)
But Webster acknowledged that "not much has changed in the last six months" in those discussions. "But we are still trying to work it out."
The regional sports network told the Baltimore Sun last year that it might offer high-def coverage of the Nats and Orioles this year. But today, less than two months before the 2008 season begins, the network has still not announced its high-def plans.
Every other MLB team has already announced that its regional sports network will provide some games in high-def this year, including the Kansas City Royals, which were not broadcast locally in high-def last year.
Webster said it's still possible that MASN could make a HD announcement by Opening Day.
In the past, MASN has said it has not offered the two teams in high-def because it did not have a dedicated HD channel.
However, the sports network could broadcast some games in high-def and offer them to cable and satellite providers who in turn could show them on their HD channels. It could also launch a high-def simulcast channel and ask the cable and satellite operators to carry it.
In addition, MASN could offer some HD games to Washington area station WDCA (channel 20), which can transmit in high-def. The sports network has shown standard-definition Nationals games on WDCA during the past three seasons.
MASN's lack of HD coverage to date has become both a local and national issue for baseball fans. As of now, the Orioles and Nats are the only two Major League Baseball teams that will not be broadcast locally in High-Definition during the 2008 season.
Many Nats and O's fans have expressed their displeasure on baseball message boards -- and in e-mails sent to TVPredictions.com.
But Todd Webster, a MASN spokesman, told TVPredictions.com today that the regional sports network is still talking to cable and satellite operators about providing high-def coverage this season.
"We're still planning for some (Nats and O's) games (in HD) this season," he said. "We're working with the affiliates (cable and satellite operators) to expand their capability for (MASN in HD.)
But Webster acknowledged that "not much has changed in the last six months" in those discussions. "But we are still trying to work it out."
The regional sports network told the Baltimore Sun last year that it might offer high-def coverage of the Nats and Orioles this year. But today, less than two months before the 2008 season begins, the network has still not announced its high-def plans.
Every other MLB team has already announced that its regional sports network will provide some games in high-def this year, including the Kansas City Royals, which were not broadcast locally in high-def last year.
Webster said it's still possible that MASN could make a HD announcement by Opening Day.
In the past, MASN has said it has not offered the two teams in high-def because it did not have a dedicated HD channel.
However, the sports network could broadcast some games in high-def and offer them to cable and satellite providers who in turn could show them on their HD channels. It could also launch a high-def simulcast channel and ask the cable and satellite operators to carry it.
In addition, MASN could offer some HD games to Washington area station WDCA (channel 20), which can transmit in high-def. The sports network has shown standard-definition Nationals games on WDCA during the past three seasons.
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