Posted on 12/11/2019 1:41:25 PM PST by Kaslin
Blackouts are awful, especially as fans across the country watch their teams implode just in time for the playoffs (or, in the case of impeachment, the election season). Viewers have had to endure more than 230 blackouts because of outdated television rules. Congress has within its power to offer a path to reform, but only if lawmakers reject narrow legislation that prioritizes nitpicking over real changes to the system. For the sake of millions of Americans planning a Super Bowl party or cheering on their political party, Congress must make it easier for consumers to enjoy quality programming.
Sitting down in front of the TV with beer in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other, most Americans don’t want to think about the tortuously complex process by which TV signals and programs travel to their sets. Around three-quarters of Americans still have a traditional pay TV provider, and these companies must obtain permissions from programmers (think Fox and CBS) on top of copyright royalties they’ve already had to pay for decades. This extra layer of permissions imposed by the government sets the stage for the thorny issue of “retransmissions consent,” where programmers charge cable operators exorbitant sums in order to get their TV signals to consumers. Programmers are increasingly feeling the heat to gouge pay TV providers via sky-high fees since the advertising revenues at the heart of their business models are going the way of the dodo. But when fees are high, negotiations tend to break down. And when negotiations break down, screens go dark (or staticky) for millions of viewers.
Blackouts are awful, especially as fans across the country watch their teams implode just in time for the playoffs (or, in the case of impeachment, the election season). Viewers have had to endure more than 230 blackouts because of outdated television rules. Congress has within its power to offer a path to reform, but only if lawmakers reject narrow legislation that prioritizes nitpicking over real changes to the system. For the sake of millions of Americans planning a Super Bowl party or cheering on their political party, Congress must make it easier for consumers to enjoy quality programming.
Sitting down in front of the TV with beer in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other, most Americans don’t want to think about the tortuously complex process by which TV signals and programs travel to their sets. Around three-quarters of Americans still have a traditional pay TV provider, and these companies must obtain permissions from programmers (think Fox and CBS) on top of copyright royalties they’ve already had to pay for decades. This extra layer of permissions imposed by the government sets the stage for the thorny issue of “retransmissions consent,” where programmers charge cable operators exorbitant sums in order to get their TV signals to consumers. Programmers are increasingly feeling the heat to gouge pay TV providers via sky-high fees since the advertising revenues at the heart of their business models are going the way of the dodo. But when fees are high, negotiations tend to break down. And when negotiations break down, screens go dark (or staticky) for millions of viewers.
Chairman Nadler’s legislation distracts from the pressing issue of retransmissions reform, and instead focuses on narrow provisions that would worsen the problems posed by the current system. Instead of passing H.R. 5140, lawmakers should push for continued good-faith, limited retransmissions negotiations and set the stage for more comprehensive reform.
Congress missed its chance to enact Reps. Scalise and Eshoo’s proposal and is now stuck between a rock and a hard place. But expanding retransmissions negotiations would be a step away from a more market-based system that would keep TV stations live-and-kicking for millions of Americans. Hopefully, Congress cleans up the broken, needlessly-complicated system in time for Superbowl 55, or the next bit of impeachment drama.
How convenient!
I’ve been without cable for over 20 years.
my TV max = $9.95/month
I have zero tolerance for additional fees, taxes, etc.
It’s all a private business matter.
Congress shouldn’t intervene.
Congress should respect the original franchise agreements made by cable operators with local governments, including the ones for $3.95/month service.
What online service(s) do you use?
Blacking out The Superbowl will get the public's attention in a manner that congress could never imagine and probably drive a stake in the dem socialist party.
I get mail from Comcast all the time.
They have sent me hundreds of solicitations, not one that I’ve ever been given a total price on even though they should be able to figure it out given they know my address.
First year $19.95 plus...
Second year our then standard rate plus...
Hopefully, they get to wire up Hell.
I use the county public library Internet service.
Actually, I don’t think a blackout of the formerly Super Bowl would tick folks off as much as you think....
The Superbowl tends to get people interested in football again.
The NFL needs to rebuild its fan base.
The NFL needs to fire Goodell and stop the virtue signaling by supporting anti-white racist “charities”.
Hopefully Congress makes a mess of this for now—the NFL has it coming.
I have TimeWarner/Spectrum for Cable TV & internet.
They keep trying to push my bill over $200 / month. They will add services without informing me, or without my consent.
This targets at those who pay their bill automatically and don’t read their monthly statement. I read mine and have an ongoing battle with them to keep the whole kit and caboodle under $150.
I hate them.
“The NFL needs to rebuild its fan base.”
NFL is dead to me, but there might be a way for them to get a new fan base:
*Fire ALL heterosexual players.
*Only hire homosexuals.
*Allow the players to dress in Homo garb, even on the field.
*Only use transsexuals for their Cheerleaders (Queer-leaders).
As far as I am concerned, this is the only fan base they can now build and it’s the only fan base they deserve.
They will no longer be known as the Negro Felons League.
They could now be known as the National Fagots League.
Just to be clear, I might pay to attend a Super Bowl event, but only if it was all about feeding libs and their politicians to hungry lions. This would be entertaining and good for our environment.
“The Superbowl tends to get people interested in football again.”
Rephrasing that:
Betting on the Superbowl tends to get people interested in football again. LOL
I need to get an over the air DVR and look for online access to the other programs I watch. After OTA and pure streaming, I am paying a lot of money for the few cable programs I watch.
Me too. Please let me know what all you come up with. I’ve been close in the past but I am now so ready.
No more taxpayer funding of these stadiums. It’s a billion dollar industry, quit having the locals subsidize it with no return.
When the owners take $300million each in naming rights, (and not those who paid for and OWN the stadiums), it is a racket and nothing but.
At least they no longer pretend that the Superbowl is a “non-profit” event.
Didn’t they blackout the whole country when they had the Superbowl in New Orleans?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwm2rrtkTOg
I believe many football fans are still pissed off about “Heidi” after the movie preempted am important football game back in the ‘60s. If impeachment were to be shown instead of Superbowl, there COULD be a coup!!
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