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Time Warner Cable Customers Still Without MSG

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork / AP) - You want your Chinese food to be without MSG, but you don't want your cable that way.

WCBS 880's Marla Diamond On The Story

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New York Knicks fans endured the NBA lockout, but now Time Warner Cable subscribers are dealing with a different type of blackout as the company faces off with MSG Network.

MSG and MSG+ were knocked out on Sunday to over one million customers.

Dan Ronayne, executive vice president and general manager of MSG network, told 1010 WINS they are committed to trying to reach a deal, though there are no "meaningful" discussions taking place at the moment.

"All that we are asking is that Time Warner Cable value our programming the same as other TV providers -- no more, no less," Ronayne said. "We've been attempting to reach an agreement with Time Warner for two years and every proposal that we've made to them has been rejected. We're very disappointed that it's come to this."

Matthew Flamm, senior reporter at Crain's New York Business says don't expect a settlement any time soon.

"There isn't one event here that's going to make anybody buckle. So, it could go on for a while," he told WCBS 880 reporter Marla Diamond.

Time Warner says MSG wants a 53 percent rate increase, after the two sides had agreed on a 6.5 percent increase.

MSG says the 53 percent figure is incorrect.

Flamm says these cable disputes are happening with more frequency because of a decline in ad revenues.

"There is a lot more pressure to try and get more money from the cable distributor," Flamm said, who he adds, end up raising your rates.

MSG says Time Warner subscribers will miss 15 New York Knicks basketball games, nine New York Rangers hockey games, and 11 New Jersey Devils hockey games.

"Fans certainly are caught in the middle here and they're missing their games," Ronayne said. "We're urging fans to switch to new TV providers so that they don't miss anymore games."

MSG also carries Buffalo Sabres hockey on Time Warner in upstate New York.

Who are you more mad at? Time Warner Cable or MSG Network? Sound off in the comments section below!

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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