NFL must end TV blackouts, Senators warn

[Ruff]

poo is about to get real.

 

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after the Federal Communications Commission eliminated rules that helped support the NFL's blackout policies. Commission members urged the NFL to stop blacking out games but acknowledged that the league still has the power to enforce blackouts through private contracts.

 

"[W]e write to urge the NFL to view this as an opportunity to recognize that unpopular blackouts are no longer justified in today’s environment," McCain and Blumenthal wrote to Goodell. "We ask that you capitalize on the FCC’s vote this week and voluntarily rescind your requirement that local television stations black out games that fail to sell out. The NFL has received substantial benefits from the public in the form of antitrust exemptions, a specialized tax status, and direct taxpayer dollars that subsidize football arenas and stadiums. These generous benefits were extended to leagues like the NFL in part based on recognition that sports leagues play a central role in our national culture, promote teamwork, and generate jobs and economic activity across the country. But, the provision of these substantial public benefits requires that the NFL meet basic obligations to the American public and loyal fans, and this includes abandoning rules that punish those same fans."

 

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/10/nfl-must-end-tv-blackouts-or-lose-its-antitrust-exemption-senators-warn/

[Mol3m4n]

I knew I always liked McCain!

[2jakefansinva]

 yeah right...........I bet the owners are shaking in their boots.

[KSpan]

Senate tackling the tough issues.

/eyeroll