Mayor Giuliani's Plan to Bring Horse Racing to New York City Cable Channels

Strategic Insights -

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani plans to add horse racing to the eclectic mix of television programming available on some New York City cable channels. This will allow viewers to bet on the races over the telephone from the comfort of their homes, as part of an experiment authorized by the State Legislature. The administration hopes that televising races will stimulate flagging profits at the city's Offtrack Betting Corporation, as well as add an estimated $12 million a year to the city's coffers.

Key Takeaways:

  • The New York Racing Association will provide five and a half hours of daily programming for the betting channel.
  • The channel will be available in approximately 1.3 million homes with cable in the city, with bettors required to have opened a special account in one of the city's OTB parlors.
  • The betting corporations in Nassau and Suffolk Counties began racing on cable on Thursday, while the corporation in the Albany region started yesterday.
  • The Mayor's plan includes safeguards, such as the requirement that bettors open accounts with OTB and the ability of parents to block the racing channel through their cable company.
  • The State Legislature has authorized the experiment until May 15, after which it will review its success.
  • Assemblyman Joseph Crowley, a Democrat from Queens, expressed interest in the cable telecasts, making it more likely that the experiment could be extended or made permanent.
  • Critics, including Gene Russianoff from the New York Public Interest Research Group, question the decision, citing the City Charter's requirement for public affairs channels.
  • OTB has been losing money, and the Mayor plans to sell it; the plan to add the betting channel could help boost the market value of OTB.

Statistics:

  • 1.3 million homes with cable in New York City will be able to view the racing channel.
  • The plan aims to add an estimated $12 million a year to the city's coffers.
  • The New York Racing Association will provide 5.5 hours of daily programming for the betting channel.
  • The betting corporations in Nassau and Suffolk Counties began racing on cable on Thursday, with the Albany region starting yesterday.

Sources:

  • "Mayor Giuliani's Plan to Bring Horse Racing to New York City Cable Channels" in an unknown publication, date unknown.
  • New York Times, "Giuliani Plans to Add Horse Racing on Cable" by an unknown author, page unknown, date unknown.
  • "John S. Dyson" in a City of New York press release, date unknown.
  • "Gene Russianoff" in a statement to the press, date unknown.
  • "Joseph Crowley" in an Assembly statement, date unknown.