I was just at the Amherst FIOS store swapping out a receiver and they said they are getting the Sabres HD feed this year. The woman at the store didn’t have a lot of info but said the notice just came down and it said within 30 days.
SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!
Just was informed of an article by a coworker:
There is high-definition light at the end of the tunnel for Buffalo Sabres fans who subscribe to Verizon FiOS television.
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday issued a ruling that directs Madison Square Garden Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp. to license Sabres games and other MSG sports offerings to Verizon and AT&T within 30 days.
MSG has been withholding its HD feeds from Verizon and AT&T, but making them available to cable companies, including Time Warner. Standard-definition feeds of Sabres, New York Rangers and New York Knicks games, among others, have been the only option for Verizon FiOS viewers.
Verizon and AT&T had filed complaints with the FCC saying the HD feeds were being unfairly withheld, and the FCC in effect agreed with them.
“The commission has concluded that HD programming is growing in significance to consumers and that consumers do not consider the standard definition version of a particular channel to be an adequate substitute for the HD version,” the FCC order said.
The FCC has directed MSG and Verizon to reach an HD carriage agreement within 30 days. It’s not clear if that timetable will hold because Cablevision, the former parent company of MSG, is vowing to fight the ruling.
“The data clearly demonstrates that there has been no competitive harm to the nation’s two largest phone companies as a result of not having two HD channels they already receive in SD,” a Cablevision statement said. “Instead of competing on the merits in the marketplace, Verizon and AT&T are manipulating federal law to gain an unfair advantage and we have every intention of pursuing relief in the courts.”
In response, John Bonomo, director of media relations for Verizon, said, “It is unfortunate that even after an FCC order, that Cablevision would elect to further delay competition and a level playing field, and more importantly, HD broadcasts for Sabres fans.”
Good news.
The dolans still have an opportunity to file an appeal and get an injunction so they don’t have to grant access.
Hopefully the judge tells them to fuck off.
about time 
I’ve seen this movie before, I know how it’s going to end.
so if ive got the centerice package through FIOS, the games will now be in HD?
More than likely you’ll have to watch them on MSG and not on the Center Ice channels. This is how it always worked for me on Dish anyway. If it’s available on a local network, they block out the center ice channel.