Chron: Rockets TV talks continue

By DAVID BARRON
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle

We begin with the week's developments -- some promising, some not -- in the Rockets/Fox Sports Net/KNWS (Channel 51)/DirecTV/Dish Network collective brouhaha.

Channel 51 owner Doug Johnson said Thursday the station is negotiating with Echostar, parent company of Dish Network, to settle a federal court lawsuit stemming from Channel 51's efforts to gain satellite clearance.

If negotiations continue at the present pace, Johnson said, there is a chance Channel 51 could be offered on Dish Network by Dec. 18.

"We are hopeful, and I think we're getting somewhere on negotiations," Johnson said. "We're still fighting it out, but we hope that the public will continue to contact their satellite provider and encourage them to put KNWS on the satellite."

Channel 51's lawsuit against DirecTV was dismissed earlier this year, and a company spokesman said DirecTV has no plans at this time to add Channel 51. Johnson, however, thinks DirecTV will cave if Dish Network picks up his station.

Believe it or not, that's the simple part of the equation. The Rockets' contract talks with FSN are decidedly more complicated. The sides can't even agree on how optimistic they should be on the possibility that they will reach an agreement this year.

"I'm hopeful of a deal," said Bob Thompson, the president of FSN. "There is sincere effort on both sides to get a deal done. They've had some issues to deal with with Yao Ming's arrival and the hoopla surrounding that plus the new arena, and we've had some issues as well internally. But we're making progress."

"If we can wrap up the cable package, that will begin at the beginning of December," said Tad Brown, the Rockets' vice president for corporate development. "If not, we will be prepared to go through the year with KNWS."

While that sounds ominous at first blush, Brown added, "I wouldn't say there is a specific deadline (to wrap up talks), because we've been talking for three months."

At this point, the next Rockets game that has not been scheduled for Channel 51 is the Dec. 3 home game against the Spurs. Six other home games in December remain unassigned as well.

Thompson said the sides have agreed on length and price issues but continue to talk about "a few minor issues, none of which I would describe as insurmountable." Brown, however, said Thursday, "I don't know if I would characterize them (pending issues) as minor."

Brown said the major issue on the table regards option rights after the proposed contract, which would be for a maximum of three years, expires.

"We're at a point where the vast majority of issues have been worked out or can be worked out," he said. "We're just trying to put together proper parameters for what happens after the contract. We've not been able to develop mutually agreeable terms for that.

"We would like to get a deal done with Fox, and if we're able to do that, it will happen soon."

FSN already has abandoned talks on a new deal with the Clippers, but Thompson said of the Rockets talks, "I certainly don't put this one in the same category as the Clippers. That one is not going to happen. I'm still pretty optimistic (about a Rockets deal). ... This is not a scenario where we're looking to pass on this year and start over next year."