NFL TV blackout rule flagged by lawmakers

Lawmakers and regulators are pushing back on behalf of consumers in the battle over sports blackouts -- where fans have their television access blocked if the local team doesn’t sell out.

At the center of the controversy is a 1975 Federal Communications Commission regulation that prevents pay-TV operators from airing a sporting event if it is blacked out on local TV stations. Such blackouts are drawing increased scrutiny from Washington policy makers concerned that high ticket prices put games out of the reach of many consumers and that the FCC rule isn’t keeping pace with the explosion of new ways people consume sports, including on iPads and other devices. Recent “retransmission” disputes between media giants -- like the kind that pitted CBS against Time Warner Cable earlier this year -- have also threatened consumers with programming blackouts in major cities, sparking further public backlash against the practice. (Nov 28)