While MSG Networks-Altice Found continues, two legislators propose that the Cablistribute invoice reimburses customers

Two federal legislators have introduced legislation that would oblige cables to reimburse customers for the missing programming for which they paid.

Representative Pat Ryan, a Democrat in the Hudson valley, and Senator Chris Murphy, Connecticut Democrat, announced on Friday the introduction of the “Stop Sports Blackouts Act”, largely in response to the current dispute between MSG Networks, the company is the emissions of Knicks, Rangers, Islanders and Devils, and Altice, the mother company of Optimum TV.

Many Ryan and Murphy voters are among the approximately 1 million households that have subscribed to Optimum and have missed many games since Altice pulled the chain at 12:01 p.m. on January 1.

As a Democrats, Ryan and Murphy would need republican support to have the measure approved by the GOP controlled. No Republican immediately offered the support of the bill on Friday. The representatives of Long Island Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) and Nick Lalota (R-Amityville) did not comment immediately.

Ryan and Murphy called on customers to be compensated for the programming they missed.

“I do not see why it is even a debate – the cable owners should simply not be able to announce and invoice services that they do not provide,” said Ryan in a press release. “In the name of fans across the country, we put a marker: everyone will recover their money when a power outage will prevent them from watching television, no question asked.”

Altice responded with a declaration which said, in part, “Optimum focused on the limitation of customer disturbances for those who want MSG networks while guaranteeing customers who do not want it to have affordable options to pass .

Altice has offered discounts and gift cards – some reach hundreds of dollars – to customers who threaten to disconnect his service, but there has been no coverage for the absence of MSG networks. As part of the expired contract, the network is optimal about $ 10 per month per subscriber to transport.

The press release indicates that the bill would order the FCC to oblige distributors to offer discounts when power outages occur due to disputes.

“It is not surprising that elected officials are engaged and defend their voters,” said MSG networks in a press release. “We appreciate the efforts of Senator Murphy and the member of the Ryan Congress to fight for sports fans who are blocked for the content they do not receive, while the Altice swings their money.”

“Our invoice is simple: if the cables cannot provide the service for which you pay, they owe you a refund,” Murphy said in the press release.

The issues are raised for both sides, each being loaded with debts and fighting the opposite winds of the cord cut era.

For Altice, the priority is to keep Internet customers, a company with much higher beneficiary margins than the transport of television channels. MSG Networks, on the other hand, pays a heavy financial price during the dead end. Guggenheim analysts, an independent investment bank, believe that 33% of MSGN’s income come from Altice subscribers.

Earlier this month, New York Prosecutor General Letitia James warned that she was monitoring the dispute to ensure that customers receive the services for which they pay.

The 10-month confrontation between MSG and Cablevision in 1988-1989 ended after New York State adopted a bill on consumer rights which forced the issue.

– Yancey Roy