NAB to FCC: Currently No Better Solution Than Blackout Rules

The National Association of Broadcasters is putting up a goal line stand to the Federal Communications Commission's 2013 proposal to eliminate the blackout rules.

FCC rules prevent cable and satellite operators from importing distant TV station signals carrying an NFL game that has been blacked out on broadcast TV in a local market due to insufficient ticket sales. NAB said that eliminating the blackout rules might be expedient in the short run, but would be a "net negative" for sports fans, especially those who get games over the air. It would seem a counterintuitive argument since the blackouts -- though relatively few in number -- prevent viewers from seeing the games over the air. But the NAB argues that if sports leagues can't control their distribution, their games will migrate to pay TV.