Sports Fans Weigh In on Retrans Impasses

In a June 14 filing, the Sports Fan Coalition urges the Federal Communications Commission to keep broadcasters from pulling signals during retransmission impasses, saying it is in the public's interest and pointing out that sports stadiums are often built with their tax money.

"The record in this proceeding reveals a battle between broadcast media conglomerates and the pay-TV companies that distribute their programming. The Commission needs to protect a group of people who pay their bills and contribute to ratings but have become collateral damage in this corporate smack-down: sports fans," the coalition writes.

The coalition includes former Bush and Clinton officials, a sports writer, a public advocacy executive and a couple thousand members, according to David Goodfriend, one of the driving forces behind the group and a former EchoStar executive. (Goodfriend is also a former Clinton administration and Hill staffer.)