Apparently this Josh Reese guy(SR610) was there. Not sure about going forward but....from an ~hour ago. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>CSN court case: Judge says there may be collusion issues about comcast.....</p>— Josh (JR) Reese (@JoshReeseRadio) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshReeseRadio/statuses/394995708417159168">October 29, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>CSN court case: Whomp whomp this will not be decided tonight, Judge said there will be a tomorrow....</p>— Josh (JR) Reese (@JoshReeseRadio) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshReeseRadio/statuses/394997010094256128">October 29, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Looks like Josh Reese is also at the hearing, so worth a follow: <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>CSN court case: Whomp whomp this will not be decided tonight, Judge said there will be a tomorrow....</p>— Josh (JR) Reese (@JoshReeseRadio) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshReeseRadio/statuses/394997010094256128">October 29, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> EDIT: DAMN YOU JR
Judge Isgur: After much deliberation, I've arrived at a decision. I'm taking my talents to Outback Steakhouse
I don't know what will happen. Tomorrow is the regularly scheduled Chapter 13 confirmation/dismissal docket. It is scheduled to last all morning. Stay tuned.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Comcast had no immediate comment on the judge's comments, which came shortly before the hearing adjourned shortly before 10 p.m.</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/395042760085893120">October 29, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Hearing resumes at 2 p.m. Tuesday, and closing arguments may not take place until Nov. 4 or 5.</p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/395042891640238081">October 29, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
dfbarron: Judge Isgur says he may enter an order Tuesday that would allow Astros and Rockets to look for a better TV deal. dfbarron: That means they might be able to consult with Fox or DirecTV to see if they can get a better deal than with Comcast/NBC. dfbarron: Comcast had no immediate comment on the judge's comments, which came shortly before the hearing adjourned shortly before 10 p.m. dfbarron: Hearing resumes at 2 p.m. Tuesday, and closing arguments may not take place until Nov. 4 or 5. Judge tells Astros, Rockets other networks could be answer http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/...stros-rockets-other-networks-could-be-answer/ Monday, October 28, 2013 While the Comcast SportsNet Houston bankruptcy case remains unresolved, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur on Monday night said he is considering an order allowing the Rockets and Astros to negotiate with other parties to see if another network model with another partner — including Fox — could make a Houston network profitable. The judge’s pronouncement was an unexpected climax to an 11-hour hearing that mixed well-known aspects of the CSN Houston bankruptcy case with previously undisclosed material. One revelation — Astros owner Jim Crane’s disclosure that he talked with Fox executives earlier this year about returning Astros broadcasts to Fox Sports Net — in fact prompted Isgur’s suggestion. Isgur said he would wait until Tuesday to consider whether to issue an order that would allow the Astros and Rockets — without fear of interference from Comcast/NBC, which owns 22 percent of CSN Houston — to explore other network options for their respective games. Goal: ‘plan that works’ “I’m not hearing the Astros say anything but that they want a business plan that works,” Isgur said. “I’m not punishing them for wanting a business plan that works. I want a business plan that works, and the best way is for the Astros to investigate what kind of business plan works. “Until he (Crane) can fully investigate without fear of reprisal, we’re not going to know.” Isgur also warned the Astros, however, that their interests in CSN Houston may be best served in bankruptcy court. He said he had not heard any testimony about Comcast’s conduct in running the network that offended him and added, “We have a failure of the business. … Maybe we need to move ahead by letting the parties strike out on their own.” None of the parties had immediate comment on Isgur’s suggestion. Earlier Monday, the Rockets joined four Comcast affiliates as petitioning creditors. Monday’s hearing was to hear testimony on the Astros’ motion to dismiss an involuntary Chapter 11 petition filed Sept. 27 against the parent company of CSN Houston, which is owned by the Astros, Rockets and Comcast/NBC. Testimony will continue Tuesday on that topic and on CSN’s motion to name an interim trustee, and arguments in the case may continue into next month. Crane contacts Fox A major early revelation Monday was Crane’s testimony that he contacted News Corp. executive Chase Carey earlier this year about returning Astros games to FS Southwest in the wake of CSN Houston’s carriage difficulties. Isgur asked Crane if he could make money by getting out of his contract with Comcast and running the network himself or with another partner, and he responded, “I’m in the overnight business. … I think we could get something done.” Crane and former Astros and Crane Capital executive Margaret Barradas also testified regarding a heretofore unreported recommendation in April by Comcast and the NBC Sports Group that the network accept a carriage agreement from DirecTV. Both said the Astros opposed the deal because it would not have generated enough income to make the network profitable and would have locked the Astros into a long-term deal that they said would eventually have cost the team its equity stake in CSN Houston. They said even with income from DirecTV and other carriers who may have fallen in line, the network still would lose at least $200 million over a 10-year period. Much of the discussion about CSN Houston financial details concerned documents that were not shown to the courtroom audience because of Comcast’s insistence they remain confidential.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>More details on late-night hearingL <a href="http://t.co/A0gDsUQxXQ">http://t.co/A0gDsUQxXQ</a></p>— David Barron (@dfbarron) <a href="https://twitter.com/dfbarron/statuses/395044399014363136">October 29, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Interesting points: - Doesn't seem to hold any party accountable - May issue an order tomorrow allowing the Rockets/Astros to take their media rights elsewhere - Crane has talked to Fox Sports about getting the Astros back on FSSW
If the judge does issue an order allowing Rockets/Astros to look for other deals...I sure as hell hope the Rockets find a better one and takes it. Needs to happen
Doesn't seem like a quick fix for people hoping to see Rockets right away though. Could Comcast still redo a deal with an un-partnered Rockets and get the providers lined up again? Isn't that what they really wanted in the long run anyway (as Crane claims)?
Rockets would be crazy not to have a deal in place by Wednesday game time. Why would they ever want to miss a game with Dwight in it? That would be so painful for them. This is sort of like the NFL getting their act together right before games were going to be missed due to the lockout.
Barron not backing away from his Tweet which said that DirecTV made an offer in April that CSN recommended the partners accept which, even if matched by other carriers, would mean the network would lose at least $200 million over a 10 year span. If that's what Isgur heard, then it certainly provides a foundation for a discussion about letting the teams go explore ways to make money with someone other than Comcast. Makes it pretty difficult to argue that a reorganization is even possible. You can't force Uverse, DirecTV, etc to offer to pick up CSN on different terms. More interested in how far the judge went with the collusion comments. Astros used the word, collusion, in their pleadings to describe this bankruptcy brought by affiliates of a partner. Their partnership agreement required all partners to agree before throwing CSN into bankruptcy...and they point out that 3 of the 4 affidavits signed by the "creditors" in this case were people who had actual positions with CSN. The Comcast California witness (as I recall) actually was on the Board of Directors for CSN. Using your own affiliates to file through the statements of CSN Comcast reps is a pretty transparent end-around the partnership agreement.
How would you suggest they do that? The position they've taken in this doesn't exactly lend itself to a quick resolution where they're on the air soon.
But both Comcast and the Rockets are saying they can't make this work without the Astros...there's not enough programming otherwise. Rockets said in their pleadings that if the Astros walk, they're walking too.
