Isgur said today at hearing: "The brilliant idea of giving everyone veto power, probably not working out too well." Ha!! that's just awesome. That guy has a really, really dry sense of humor. I would have laughed out loud had I been there to hear that in person.
Can someone explain the highlighted "lifted a stay"? http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterocke...inue-negotiating-for-csn-houston-judge-rules/ Rockets may continue negotiating for CSN Houston, judge rules Posted on January 7, 2014 at 7:32 pm by David Barron in CSN Houston, A federal bankruptcy judge granted the Rockets permission Tuesday to continue negotiating on behalf of Comcast SportsNet Houston and set Feb. 4 to hear arguments on the Astros’ motion to dismiss an involuntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition filed against the network last September. U.S. District Judge Marvin Isgur also provided a clearly worded signal indicating that if the Astros-Rockets-Comcast partnership enters bankruptcy, he favors eliminating a controversial clause that requires all three partners to agree on significant decisions. “The brilliant idea of giving everybody veto power … probably not working out too well,” Isgur said during the latest in a series of hearings involving Houston Regional Sports Network, the parent company of CSN Houston. The unanimous consent rule has been cited as a hangup in efforts to increase coverage for the network, which is available to no more than 40 percent of the area’s 2.2 million TV households. Limited carriage led to limited income, which led to the bankruptcy filing by four Comcast affiliates last year in an effort to prevent the Astros from retaking their broadcast rights after they were not paid for several months. Tuesday’s brief hearing featured a report by Rockets CEO Tad Brown on his efforts to attract carriers and possible investors to the network. Brown said the Rockets had met with Fox Sports, DirecTV, AT&Y and private equity companies, including AEG, the entertainment conglomerate that owns Staples Center in Los Angeles, KKR & Co. and Guggenheim Partners. “We have some significant momentum … to see if there are opportunities to create (investment) structures going forward,” Brown said. Isgur agreed to extend until next month the Rockets’ power to seek new business for CSN Houston but also lifted a stay on two undecided motions in the case, the more significant of which is the Astros’ motion to dismiss the involuntary bankruptcy proceeding. Attorneys will continue meeting this week to set timetables for evidence discovery and depositions on that motion, which is scheduled to be heard Feb. 4. Comcast also asked the court last September to name an interim trustee to oversee the network, but company attorneys said Tuesday that motion could be amended and might not be necessary. Also still pending before the court is a lawsuit filed by Astros owner Jim Crane against Comcast, NBC Universal and former Astros owner Drayton McLane, accusing them of misrepresenting the value of CSN Houston when he bought McLane’s 46 percent share of the network along with the Astros in 2011. “It’s an ugly lawsuit,” Isgur said during a discussion on whether lawyers should proceed with scheduling efforts in that case or waiting to see if the main bankruptcy case is extended or dismissed. Isgur said that case will remain on hold for now. While Tuesday’s hearing provided encouraging words from Brown on interest in the network, it offered no new hope for Rockets and Astros fans whose carriers do not offer CSN Houston. Major breakthroughs on that front are not considered likely while the bankruptcy case remains in limbo, as it will at least through early February.
The judge had abated the proceedings on the Astros' motion to dismiss the bankruptcy case and Comcast's motion to appoint a trustee. The judge has ended the abatement. Discovery will resume and trial is set for February 4. That is what Barron meant when he said the judge lifted a stay.
The Rockets have until February to find deals that will convince the judge CSN Houston can be financially viable. Gumming up the works are the facts that Comcast wants a trustee appointed to manage bankruptcy and the Astros want out entirely and have filed a separate lawsuit against Comcast, both of which will be argued on in Feb also. The Astros want out, both the Rockets and Comcast have expressed interest in buying out the other partners. It could go a lot of ways.
To be clear, the Astros lawsuit against Comcast won't be argued in Feb, their motion to dismiss this bankruptcy proceeding will.
Great, so apparently we are going to be screwed again this season. They just keep kicking the can down the road.
THIS WHOLE **** IS STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!! I JUST WANT TO WATCH THE ROCKETS ON TV SO I CAN AT LEAST DVR GAMES I HAVE MISSED BECAUSE OF WORK!! IM ALSO TIRED OF THE CRAPPY STREAMING BULL****... WHY MUST WE HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER MONTH JUST TO HAVE THE TRAIL EXTENDED AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN
Granville and refman are in a constant pissing match. After 35 pages, there are like 3 updates and rest is these 2. MadMax said something about a **** ticking. Rockets and Astros won't be on tv anytime in the near future.
Quick question for the lawyers with the caveat that judges are unpredictable sometimes: Will the motion to dismiss the bankruptcy hearing be decided on the merits at the time of the filing or based on current conditions? While the Comcast companies may not have a case, CSN-H may have racked up the necessary number of bona fide debts since the initial filing.
