Recently, I switched from Dish Network to Cablevision. The reason for the change was due to the fact that I was getting everything from local West Coast programming, to dozens of foreign stations – to the Al Jazeera Network – but not New York 1 or BCAT, which carries my television show Ring Fever. So after being able to see the traffic jams on the Golden Gate Bridge, but not my own television show for almost two years – I finally decided to go back to Cablevision.

Since the change was made, I have been very happy with both the cable service and the cable modem that I ordered as well. There is, however, one problem with my cable service that has not only myself, but every Cablevision customer in New York City seeing red – the fact that Cablevision does not carry the YES Network, which is the exclusive station to see Yankee games.

As soon as the Yankees announced the creation of the YES Network, cable companies across the country scooped it up so their customers can get their Yankees – every company that is – except Cablevision. As the owner of MSG Network, the former station for Yankee games, Cablevision wanted to offer the YES Network as a “premium” pay channel, like HBO, so it would not compete with their own sports network. That means that only those Cablevision customers that want to see the games would pay. In other words, as James Dolan, president and chief executive officer of Cablevision, put it, “I do not feel it is fair to ask all subscribers to pay more money for something they might not want.”

Who would not want the Yankees?

I’ll tell you who – Cablevision. The only truthful reason why Cablevision is doing this is because by creating the YES Network, the Yankees pulled their games off of Cablevision’s MSG Network, which cost the company huge amounts in advertising losses. So to “pay back” the Yankees for taking the games off of MSG – Cablevision shut out the Bronx Bombers and refused to carry the YES Network – starting a very public feud with the Yankees – and creating some very bad blood with their customers.

It is now May 9th, and so far this year – I have not seen a single Yankee game – and neither have almost a half million other Cablevision subscribers, who have done everything from writing letters to Cablevision, to calling and complaining – to even switching to Direct TV – the only New York City cable service that carries the YES Network.

As the war continues to escalate with both sides blaming the other – the Yankees are over fifty games into the season – and hardly anyone is able to watch except those who have Direct TV and the real winners of this war – local bars and pubs – who have been showing the Yankee games on big screen televisions – and raking in the cash as thirsty Yankee fans get their fill of their favorite team, while having a few cold ones at their local bar.

Personally, I think that as the premiere cable company in New York City, Cablevision has a responsibility to provide whatever programming is available to it’s customers – especially if that programming involves the city’s own baseball team. This whole blackout is an all to obvious ego trip on the part of an ego-bruised Cablevision who is throwing a ridiculous temper tantrum because the Yankees simply want to expand their franchise and show their own games on their own network. And instead of working out a professional deal like they should have – they forced their customers to still pay the highest cable rates in the country – but not watch their favorite team – thanks a lot.

Tell me again why I switched to Cablevision?