Commissioner Pai: FCC Should Reject Calls to Ban Redskins Name

In a speech at the Media Institute, Federal Communications Commission member Ajit Pai did not weigh in on whether the Washington Redskins should change their name, but he did say the FCC should reject calls for the FCC to band the name.

He said he was busy enough without weighing in on the name, and even advised public officials -- he named no names -- not to "sound an uncertain response" to requests to "undermine the First Amendment." But he said he was disturbed by an "eager constituency urging the federal government to ban the team’s name from our nation’s airwaves. Just think about what that could mean. A television station could be fined for accurately reporting that the score of last Sunday’s game was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27, Washington Redskins 7. A radio station’s license could be revoked for using the team’s name during a news report on the controversy about the team’s name," he said.