Posted by: Bob Quinn on January 20, 2010 at 12:46 pm
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave sports fans a reason to tailgate today by adopting rules to bring sports programming to more video providers. Ultimately, this means consumers will have more choices in how and from who they receive programming they want.
While we still have to review the full details of the FCC’s ruling, the positive effects of the FCC’s decision should ultimately enable consumers in all markets to exercise their ability to choose an alternative video provider without having to give up rooting for their own local sports teams. We are hopeful that with these new rules, consumers in Connecticut will no longer have to watch their favorite sports teams in standard definition just because they want to sign up for AT&T’s award-winning U-verse video service, nor will baseball fans in San Diego have to give up the Padres to make the same choice. [Cox and Cablevision complaints.]
Consumers should give the FCC a well deserved standing ovation for coming off the bench to once and for all close the so-called terrestrial loophole that has long deprived consumers of local sports programming. Today’s action by the FCC beefs up the rules to ensure that AT&T’s U-verse TV service with its 2 million and growing subscribers are able to view the content that they want.
