Dems attack football blackout

Lawmakers are pushing back against the NFL’s plans to black out a football game on Dec 22. Local fans in Buffalo (NY), won’t be able to watch the game against the Miami Dolphins on television.

Rep Brian Higgins (D-NY) and Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) say that shows the need to put an end to current Federal Communications Commission rules. “The game will be played here in Buffalo on Sunday, but hundreds of thousands of people will be denied access to the game because of this rule that the FCC has determined to be outdated and obsolete,” said Rep Higgins, who represents the Buffalo area. The NFL requires local broadcast TV stations to black out football games if the local team can’t sell out the stadium. Current FCC rules then prevent other TV companies, like cable and satellite providers, from showing the game. The policy has been a sore spot for fans and has had a disproportionate impact on smaller teams with large stadiums, advocates of reform say.