Umpires San Diego Padres on Dispute over TV

>> >>KATIE: ED IS A DIE HARD PADRES FAN, AND SINCE THE 70S GROWING UP IN THE COLLEGE AREA. HE HAS THE OLD TEAM HATS TO PROVE IT. >> >>: THIS IS AN EARLY 70S, PROBABLY CIRCA 73, THE PADRE BROWN. MY DAD ENDED UP PAINTING OUR HOUSE PADRE BROWN. >> >>KATIE: ED HAS BEEN THROUGH IT ALL AS A FAN, SUFFERING THROUGH LOSING SEASONS, REVELING IN THE TEAM'S WORLD SERIES APPEARANCES. >> >>: TONY GU WIN GOES DEEPﾊ >> >>KATIE: SOMETIMES ED WANTS TO KEEP TRACK OF HIS TEAM WHY HE'S AT HIS HOME IN LA JOLLA. ED CAN'T WATCH THE GAME AT HOME. HE HAS TO GO TO A BAR OR BUY A TICKET BECAUSE ED IS A TIME WARNER CABLE CUSTOMER. >> >>: I THINK IT'S CORPORATE POLITICS AT ITS BEST. I'VE HAD TIME WARNER FOR OVER 20 YEARS IN LA JOLLA, AND IT'S BEEN REALLY FRUSTRATING NOT HAVING THE PADRES ON THE AIR. >> >>KATIE: DH PADRES GAMES AREN'T AVAILABLE TO TIME WARNER CABLE VIEWERS WHO ARE CONCENTRATED TOWARD NORTH COUNTY. THE COMPANY HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT WITH FOX SPORTS SAN DIEGO, THE NETWORK CONTRACTED TO AIR THE GAME. TIME WARNER CABLE MAINTAINS FOX WANTS TOO MUCH MONEY FOR THE SPORTS NETWORK. FOX POINTS OUT IT'S REACHED BROADCAST AGREEMENTS WITH EVERY MAJOR PROVIDER IN THE AREA, AND TIME WARNER CABLE IS SPENDING EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS TO BROADCAST SPORTS IN LOS ANGELES. THAT HAS SHERRI LIGHTNER CONCERNED TOO. THE SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER IS HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING TO TRY TO WORK THROUGH THE DISPUTE. IF NOTHING ELSE SHE SAYS HER HEARING CAN PUT A LITTLE PRESSURE ON THE COMPANIES. >> >>: THE CITY CAN CERTAINLY MAKE FOLKS AWARE OF WHAT SOME OF THEIR OTHER OPTIONS ARE, AND ACTUALLY ASK TIME WARNER AND FOX TO GET TOGETHER FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CONSTITUENTS IN THE CITY. >> >>KATIE: CONSTITUENTS LIKE UT SAN DIEGO COLUMNIST AND TIME WARNER CABLE SUBSCRIBER MATT HALL. >> >>: PEOPLE JUST WANT TO WATCH BASEBALL ON TV. >> >>KATIE: HALL STARTED WRITING ABOUT THE DISPUTE LAST SEASON WHEN HE COULDN'T WATCH THE PADRES ON TV. HE POINTS OUT A LOT THOWF FECTED FANS ARE OLDER OR DISABLED AND CAN'T MAKE IT DOWN TO PETCO PARK FOR A GAME. HE SAYS THERE'S NO GOOD REASON FOR IT. >> >>: THIS IS GREED, PLANE AND SIMPLE. PEOPLE ARE ARGUING OVER SOME OF THE MONEY YOU AND I ARE NEVER GOING TO SEE IN OUR LIFETIME. I THINK PEOPLE ARE DISGUSTED BY THAT. >> >>KATIE: WHILE THE PUBLIC MAY BE DISGRUNTALLED, PROFESSOR GEORGE BELCH SAYS WE SHOULD EXPECT MORE OF THESE SITUATIONS. HE'S THE CHAIR OF THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT AT SAN DIEGO STATE, AND COFOUNDER O THE UNIVERSITY SPORTS NBA PROGRAM. HE SAYS THESE KINDS OF DISPUTES ARE BECOMINGﾊMORE PROBLEM AS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY INCREASES. HE SAYS THE CITY'S ROLE IS UNCLEAR BECAUSE THIS IS ULTIMATELY A CONFLICT BETWEEN TWO PRIVATE COMPANIES. >> >>: FOR ME, AT LEAST, IT'S HARD TO SEE WHERE THE CITY WOULD COME IN. THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE TO THE POPULATION, BUT I GUESS THAT'S FOR THE CITY ATTORNEYS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT LEGAL RIGHTS THEY HAVE TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS GIVES THE CITY CITY ATTORNEY HAS ISSUED A MEMO SAYING IT'S REASONABLE FOR SAN DIEGO TO LOOK INTO THE ISSUE THOUGH IT'S UP TO THE COMPANY'S TO SETTLE IT. BELCH SAYS THE PADRE PLAYERS MAY HAVE A ROLE AS WELL. IF THEY HAVE A STRONG START TO THE SEASON, IT MAY SPUR MORE FANS TO DEMAND THE COMPANY'S REACH AN AGREEMENT SO THEY CAN WATCH THEIR BELOVED PADRES FROM WHEREVER THEY CHOOSE. KATIE ORR, KPBS NEWS