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Written by Bill Jordan
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Sunday, 20 April 2008 19:42 |
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 The NFL Network has officially filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission against TV mogul Comcast.
Comcast is being accused of acting in violation of the Cable Act of 1992 because they decided to place the channel on a premium sports tier that costs more money. This lawsuit has been going on for some time as the first judge ruled in favor of Comcast, but the second reversed the ruling. Comcast has recently gotten in on the fun as well, suing the NFL Network due to claims that they have tried to persuade viewers to change their cable provider from Comcast. The NFL has faced fire from fans when they could not watch games featured on the network, as reported by SI.com: "Comcast has taken NFL Network away from millions of fans and placed it on a costly sports tier," NFL Network president and CEO Steve Bornstein said in a statement. "We don't believe that Comcast should charge consumers extra for our Network while making sports channels it owns available to all viewers on a less costly basis. After months of trying to get Comcast to negotiate fair treatment, we have been forced to turn to the FCC." Sena Fitzmaurice, Comcast's senior director for corporate communications and government affairs, said in a statement, "Comcast makes the NFL Network available to all of our customers on a tier of service that the NFL agreed to by contract. The NFL has immense power in the marketplace, yet it keeps running to the federal and state governments to try to force changes in the deal it freely accepted in negotiations with Comcast. The agreement we have to carry the NFL Network is pro-consumer. It allows us to place this expensive channel on a tier of service for those who wish to pay for it, not on a tier where everyone must pay for it." NFL Network's lack of availability has become an especially contentious issue because of the eight live regular-season games a year it started airing in 2006. Members of Congress got involved in December when it appeared that many fans would not be able to watch a potentially historic game between the New York Giants and undefeated New England Patriots.
It was eventually decided that the game would be broadcast on local channels so all fans could see it. For more recent news from around the league reported by the Biz of Football check here.
Here's what's being reported across the Business of Sports Network: On the Biz of Baseball, Maury Brown reports: Health Hazard? US Looking at Lead Levels in Artificial Turf. On the Biz of Basketball, Maury Brown reports: Owners Approve Relocation of Sonics. Legal Battles Will Determine Fate. On the Biz of Hockey, Maury Brown reports: Sports Media Journal Interviews Maury Brown, President Business of Sports Network. On Maury Brown's Biz of Sports, Brown reports: When Sports Becomes a Small Matter: A Child and Autism.
Posted by Business of Sports staff member and Biz of Football Editor of Content Bill Jordan. (Visit the Biz of Football Author's Page for contact details)Â Â Â
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