The team has moved to Sacramento-based Comcast SportsNet California from its former time-share on CSN Bay Area and Channel 36. That's great news for Comcast Cable subscribers; CSN California has moved down the dial to Channel 89, and 145 games will be the most the A's have ever had on the air.

But, more than a month after we first reported on this issue, there's still no agreement with DirecTV to carry the games. Also, contrary to earlier indications, it appears there's no agreement with Dish Network either. That leaves hundreds of thousands of Bay Area households in the lurch. (As for other carriers, the best advice is to check with your provider. You may be unpleasantly surprised.)

"We're optimistic that we are delivering a value that's going to be recognized by affiliates, and when affiliates do that is going to be somewhat dependent on the affiliates," said Tim Fitzpatrick, CSN's vice president of public relations. DirecTV officials declined to comment. It isn't a lost cause yet. Fitzpatrick and CSN California G.M. Larry Eldridge noted that these clashes are often solved at the very last minute.

But sometimes they aren't solved. In this case there would be plenty of blame to go around, so it's foolish to even hazard a judgment on who's right. But in purely pragmatic terms, the only way to be sure of seeing the opener April 6 is to have Comcast Cable.