May 24, 2005|By FROM STAFF REPORTS
The Orioles filed a motion yesterday to stop proceedings in Comcast's lawsuit against the club, a preliminary step in a planned move to seek dismissal of the suit next week, an attorney for the Orioles said last night.
Comcast is suing the club and Major League Baseball in Circuit Court of Montgomery County, claiming violation of its exclusive rights to negotiate an extension of its Orioles television rights through November. If no deal is reached, court documents say, the contract gives Comcast the right to match any offer the Orioles receive from a third party.
As part of the Orioles' deal with Major League Baseball in the move of the Montreal Expos to Washington, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network was created to distribute Orioles and Washington Nationals telecasts.
MASN is owned by the Orioles. Comcast SportsNet has a contract for regional cable telecasts of the Orioles through 2006.
The Orioles wrote Comcast last week, asking it to withdraw the suit, the attorney said. The club holds that Comcast's right to match doesn't apply, because MASN is not a new entity and, therefore, there is no third party for Comcast to bid against.
