Packer fans! Here is a letter i received from Senator Bob Jauch yesterday. He is showing leadership on this issue. Looks like its time to write some letters. Please share this information.: July 17, 2014 Deb Lewis, Ashland Mayor 601 Main Street West Ashland, WI 54806 Dear Mayor Lewis, In addition to seeing your Packers YoutTube video, my office was contacted by a resident of Ashland who voiced some frustrations over Packer football coverage. I too share your concerns over the lack of broadcasting and am outraged by how unnecessarily convoluted this problem is. I have had my staff look further into the matter to see if some of our northern counties, such as Ashland, could petition to get more Packers games. Unfortunately it is not as simple as contacting Charter, who is the cable provider for the area. The issue comes down to a contract that the Federal Communications Commission has with the National Football League. The FCC, in partnership with the Nielsen ratings group, configures television markets based off of geographic proximity, connection to a shared local economic base, and the signal reach of stations. This information is then used to compile geographic areas into what is called a Designated Market Area (DMA). Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Iron, and Sawyer counties are all in the Duluth-Superior DMA. These counties are not the only Wisconsin counties to be grouped in DMAs that transcend state lines. Twelve other Wisconsin counties, all of which border Minnesota, get their broadcasting from out of state. The NFL’s contract with the FCC is written in such a way that requires all networks carrying the NFL’s broadcast to give precedence to in state teams. This means that because the stations are geographically located in Duluth, residents in Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Iron, and Sawyer counties receive coverage of all of the Vikings’ games. Packers’ games are then broadcasted only if they are not scheduled in the same timeframes as Vikings’ games. According to the President/CEO of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, local stations and consultants haven looked into concerns regarding Packers coverage and have found that in addition to the Vikings 2013-14 season, 15 Packers games were broadcasted as well. However, my staff looked at the schedule for this upcoming season and found that half of the Packers’ regular season games conflict with the timing of Vikings games. I spoke with two other Senators from the area and they have shared with me that their constituents have voiced similar frustrations to those heard from Ashland. Since I find it ridiculous that citizens in 17 percent of Wisconsin’s counties get their broadcasting from Minnesota, I have asked my staff to look into whether or not it is possible for a county to petition either the FCC or Nielsen to transfer out of their current DMA and into one that more accurately represents their interests as consumers. While it won’t provide you any solace, my staffers have contacted the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, the Wisconsin Cable Association, Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission, the FCC, The Green Bay Packers, the NFL League Office, and U.S. Senator Baldwin’s office. The Wisconsin Cable Association said that they are unaware of counties having switched DMAs in the past. The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association acknowledged that while there is a petition process it occurs at the Federal level and that it was unclear as to how counties would go about setting up their petition. However, they did assure us that Nielsen reviews the effectiveness of the DMAs annually and that both Nielsen and the FCC take changes in DMAs very seriously because of how it could affect local news, viewers, advertisers, and consumers. My staff is currently awaiting a reply from both the NFL League Office and Senator Baldwin’s office. What is especially frustrating is that while my staff has devoted a good amount of time to this issue, the process with the FCC is so convoluted that they are still unsure as to how the petition process works. There should really be a better and more transparent process for consumers to voice frustrations without having to dedicate days of research to receive a better, and more representative product. Once I have a greater understanding of how the petition process works, my office will work with local officials to ensure that citizens of Northern Wisconsin know what their options are in moving forward. In the meantime I will be writing a letter to both the Green Bay Packers and Charter, I urge you and the citizens of Ashland to do the same. I, and my staff, will continue to work diligently on this issue and will provide updates as they occur. In the meantime, go Packers! Sincerely, Bob Jauch State Senator
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 14:52:14 +0000
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