Results tagged “cablevision”

Before Cablevision visited her Riverdale home, 79-year-old Elizabeth Bernd says she was active for her age. But when the cable guy arrived, the Daily News reports, he allegedly "unfastened preexisting wiring that had been fastened together underneath (her) computer desk/station," she tripped over the wires left loose, broke her leg, had a stroke and now is living in a nursing home. Bernd is suing for $5 million, accusing the cable company of negligence noting that she cannot "even talk or eat without great difficulty."

George Steinbrenner is being sued by a cable executive claiming that The Boss stole his idea for the YES Network. Bob Gutkowski is suing Steinbrenner for $43 million, claiming that he pitched the idea that the Yankees start their own network back in 1996, six years before YES hit the airwaves. Gutkowski had worked with Steinbrenner while he was president of MSG network, negotiating the historic 12-year, $493.5 million deal to bring the Bombers to cable in 1988. The suit says that The Boss wanted to use the threat of starting a network to get $1 billion for a 10-year extension from MSG, who had been taken over by Cablevision (which had ousted Gutkowski from his former role). Gutkowski claims that Steibrenner said to him and his partners, "You are my guys. If it goes forward, I will do it with you." But Steinbrenner did not "do it" with Gutkowski, instead stalling him and stringing him along, according to the executive. The Yankees have called the suit "false and frivolous" and denied Gutkowski had any role in developing the YES network.

Cablevision executives are exploring a potential spinoff of its Madison Square Garden business, according to the NY Times. There are a variety of possibilities that would impact the Knicks and Rangers franchises, as well as Madison Square Garden/Penn Station area development: The Times explains that companies sometimes sell their spinoffs or retain an ownership stake—or simply want to gauge value for the spinoff—so it's simply unclear what will happen. One analyst said, "Cablevision watchers (and we’d put ourselves in that category) have long pondered possible endgames, and the notion that the Dolans would retain ownership of M.S.G. and the New York sports teams long after the rest of the assets had been divested has always been viewed as among the most likely outcomes." Cablevision's chairman is Charles Dolan while his son James is chairman of MSG, running the Knicks and Rangers. A former MSG executive also told the Times, "Jimmy Dolan has said many times he wants to run these assets for the rest of his life." Good readin: This 2005 New York magazine feature about James Dolan.

We have two new and amazing baseball stadiums here in New York. The comforts and amenities they provide are world class, but there is one thing they don’t have; the passion of their predecessors. With exorbitant ticket prices close to the field, Citi Field and the new Yankee Stadium have prevented the real fans from being near the action. The seats closest to the action seem empty on most nights, probably a reflection of the economic downturn, perhaps a function of the cold weather. It’s too late for the Mets and Yankees to do anything about it, the stadiums are built and they will have to live with the consequences, but hopefully Cablevision is paying attention.

After rumors that Newsday's top editors were fired after a dispute with management—Cablevision bought the Long Island newspaper from the Tribune Company last year—uh, Newsday reports that its top editor John Mancini has returned. Marcini and editors Deborah Henley and Debby Krenek were not in the office last Thursday and Friday, fueling the speculation that Cablevision was unhappy over coverage of the sexual harassment lawsuit against Knicks player Eddy Curry. Cablevision is, infamously, the owner of the Knicks and Madison Square Garden. Mancini told his newsroom that there was a "difference of opinion with ownership over the editorial policy of Newsday. That has been settled" and added, "No one outside the newsroom influences... our news coverage in any way... Our only concern is that we get it right. Let's do our jobs and tell the story straight."

Stephon Marbury is officially a persona non grata to the Knicks: A meeting to discuss his future with the team ended with, the Daily News reports, "storming out" and the Knicks asking the point guard to stay away!

For many people, the best part about watching hockey is the fights. For those fight-lovers, there's some rumbling between the Rangers and the National Hockey League that could interest you. Back in September, Madison Square Garden sued the NHL for antitrust violations, claiming the league monopolized team promotions via the Rangers' website.

Newsday reports that Cablevision is near a deal with Tribune to buy...Newsday! The Bethpage-based company had bid $650 million, $70 million more than bids from both News Corp. and the Daily News owner Mortimer Zuckerman.

There's a new game coming to town for cable subscribers who have been yoked to Time-Warner Cable or Cablevision out of necessity. New York City has finally struck a deal with Verizon to provide competing cable services throughout the five boroughs.

    

A week after abandoning plans to build a new arena at the planned Moynihan Station, Madison Square Garden officials revealed $500 million plans to renovate the 40-year-old space. Cablevision--which owns MSG--vice chairman Hank Ratner told reporters that though the company supports Moynihan Station, "We are going to renovate the arena here, and we are not going to be moving...We can accomplish anything we want by renovating." Well, Cablevision probably does like those tax breaks.

Ooof. Talk about insulting. In today's Times, Clyde Haberman goes so far as to compare the Dolan clan to the Mario Puzo's Corleone family from his Godfather series of books. That comparison to the Dolans is clearly a slap in the face to the Corleones. Haberman says that any "enormously rich and influential business family would do as a replacement" and casts Jim Dolan, Chairman of Madison Square Garden, as "the hapless Fredo Corleone." If Jim is Fredo, where is Michael - and the kiss of death? There's gotta be some other unscrupulous families that to which the Dolans can compare (Spears family, anyone?).