Chinatown Assists! Recap of MSG Press Briefing and Knicks Viewing Party. Guess What Happened...

Thank you one and all who came to the Madison Square Garden (MSG) viewing party at Nom Wah Tea Parlor on Weds., Feb. 15 (Press Release). Although MSG had been off the Time Warner air waves for 48 days, the Chinatown community meeting, massive press briefing, and viewing party were viewed by many as an "assist" (basketball term) to the tentative agreement reached within 40 hours.  

Special thanks to Wilson Tang and his staff at Nom Wah (a 2012 Chinatown Restaurant Week Founding Business participant) for their hospitality, Chinatown community leaders for their advocacy, to the Chinese and top media outlets for attending MSG's pre-game briefing and covering the news in Chinatown. The collective amplification of Chinatown's frustration was captured and broadcast on TV and in print both in Chinese as well as major media networks.

Because of you, officials and executives took the serious action needed, and that's a big win for all.  

Have a look at Kaimen's photos from the press briefing and viewing party. More photos can be found on Kaimen's Facebook page and my Facebook page.  This event also received a mention in the front page (A1) story by The New York Times' sports writer Ken Belson. 

                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2012 Kaimen Company. All rights reserved. To reprint Kaimen Company photos/graphics for commercial or editorial use, please contact images@kaimenco.com.

 

Pre-Party Media Coverage (know of others?)

 

 Media Coverage Right After the Press Briefing and Viewing Party 

• The New York Times Chinatown Can Cheer, but Can’t Watch, Rise of an Adopted Star

• New York Magazine's Sam Dean The Scene at MSG’s Dim Sum Knicks-Lin Bash

• The Village Voice's Ben Sin: MSG Leverages the Linsanity: Last Night's Chinatown Watching Party.

• Photo Album of the Viewing Party by i8NYC.

• New York Magazine's Noreen Malone:  Will Time Warner Subscribers be able to watch the Knicks Soon?

• Downtown Express: Community, pols struck with "Linsanity"

  New York Daily News: Huffington Post: Jeremy Lin's Viewing Party in Chinatown Brings Hopes of Time Warner and Madison Square Garden Peace (Video - see below)

 

After the Chinatown press briefing generated dozens of stories in the Chinese-language press, major papers, and TV networks, the media outlets reported that New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other elected officials stepped into the match. 

A tentative deal between Time Warner and MSG Networks was struck on Friday, February 17, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, and New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn issued statements. New York State Senators Daniel Squadron and Tony Avella issued this announcement to call for the immediate "passage of Avella’s legislation (S.6230), co-sponsored by Squadron, in the State Senate that would require all cable providers to negotiate fairly and, if necessary, submit to binding arbitration through the Public Service Commission to determine the terms and conditions under which independent cable channels will be carried by cable providers."  On Saturday, February 18 at 10:00 am, the Senators held a press briefing in the basketball courts of Columbus Park in Chinatown. I got there after the briefing had started and was only able to record this statement issued by Jan Lee, representing Lin Sing Association and the Civic Center Residents Coalition (comprised of residential complexes Chatham Green, Chatham Towers, Southbridge Towers and Chinatown area local businesses and residents). Jan Lee was one of the two dozen community leaders who met with MSG senior executives before the press briefing and viewing party.

 

 

This blog post was written by me. I run Kaimen Company and am producing Chinatown Restaurant Week. Thinks Aloud blog posts reflect my own views and in no way reflect the views of companies, organizations, or individuals that my firm represents.