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MLB blackout rules

R

romer979fm

There's probably a good answer to this, but I don't know what it is.
Why are BOTH Atlanta and Cincinnati protected in the Nashville market,
while St. Louis is not? Cerainly not a life-and-death thing, but
frustrating when trying to watch out-of-market teams on the MLB PPV
package. Any other markets protect two (or more) teams? <P ID="signature">______________
you're not a lawyer, are you?</P>
 
> There's probably a good answer to this, but I don't know
> what it is.
> Why are BOTH Atlanta and Cincinnati protected in the
> Nashville market,
> while St. Louis is not? Cerainly not a life-and-death
> thing, but
> frustrating when trying to watch out-of-market teams on the
> MLB PPV
> package. Any other markets protect two (or more) teams?
>
The whole MLB Extra Innings is screwy to begin with anyways. First off, they don't allow any over-the-air broadcasts of games, just the ones from the regional networks, and they don't allow the Fox Saturday regional telecasts as well. To answer the question, Las Vegas comes to mind as far as a secondary market for mutliple teams--Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Giants, Athletics and Diamondbacks. The Dodgers and Angels are received via FSN West and West 2, Padres through Cox Communications (Cox is the primary cable operator in San Diego, Southern Nevada, and most of Arizona), and the Diamondbacks are on over-the-air TV in Vegas, and I'm not sure they get FSN Arizona on cable there. I'm not sure about the TV broadcast status of the Giants and A's.

I found a link which shows a map of the U.S., where each team has their territories.

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/main/article/danwerr_2003-05-13_0<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by ShawnHill on 08/03/05 08:30 PM.</FONT></P>
 
> There's probably a good answer to this, but I don't know
> what it is.
> Why are BOTH Atlanta and Cincinnati protected in the
> Nashville market,
> while St. Louis is not? Cerainly not a life-and-death
> thing, but
> frustrating when trying to watch out-of-market teams on the
> MLB PPV
> package. Any other markets protect two (or more) teams?
>

In Toledo, the Tigers, Indians and Reds are all blacked out. I can see the Tigers and Indians being blacked out as both have their full schedules carried on local TV, but the Reds? The only Reds games on local TV come from FSN Ohio when the Indians are not playing, and Cincinnati is almost as far away as Chicago anyway.
 
> The whole MLB Extra Innings is screwy to begin with anyways.
> First off, they don't allow any over-the-air broadcasts of
> games, just the ones from the regional networks, and they
> don't allow the Fox Saturday regional telecasts as well. To
> answer the question, Las Vegas comes to mind as far as a
> secondary market for mutliple teams--Dodgers, Angels,
> Padres, Giants, Athletics and Diamondbacks. The Dodgers and
> Angels are received via FSN West and West 2, Padres through
> Cox Communications (Cox is the primary cable operator in San
> Diego, Southern Nevada, and most of Arizona), and the
> Diamondbacks are on over-the-air TV in Vegas, and I'm not
> sure they get FSN Arizona on cable there. I'm not sure
> about the TV broadcast status of the Giants and A's.
>
> I found a link which shows a map of the U.S., where each
> team has their territories.
>
http://www.base> ballthinkfactory.org/files/main/article/danwerr_2003-05-13_0
>
That map is 2 years old. But if you go to http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/video/mlb_tv.jsp and scroll down to the blackout drop box and pick a team, you can get their 2005 blackout zip codes.

ixnay
 
I think the Reds claim all of Ohio except Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown. I'm pretty sure all Reds broadcasts are available on Buckeye Cable, even on an alternate channel when the Indians are on the primary FSN Ohio feed.
Here's an idiotic thing, too ... the Pirates claim Columbus. Can't understand that. Virtually no one around here gives a flying fig about the Pirates, but they're blacked out. Go figure.

> In Toledo, the Tigers, Indians and Reds are all blacked out.
> I can see the Tigers and Indians being blacked out as both
> have their full schedules carried on local TV, but the Reds?
> The only Reds games on local TV come from FSN Ohio when the
> Indians are not playing, and Cincinnati is almost as far
> away as Chicago anyway.
>
 
Why can't we get better radio restrictions?

> > The whole MLB Extra Innings is screwy to begin with
> anyways.
> > First off, they don't allow any over-the-air broadcasts
> of
> > games, just the ones from the regional networks, and they
> > don't allow the Fox Saturday regional telecasts as well.
> To
> > answer the question, Las Vegas comes to mind as far as a
> > secondary market for mutliple teams--Dodgers, Angels,
> > Padres, Giants, Athletics and Diamondbacks. The Dodgers
> and
> > Angels are received via FSN West and West 2, Padres
> through
> > Cox Communications (Cox is the primary cable operator in
> San
> > Diego, Southern Nevada, and most of Arizona), and the
> > Diamondbacks are on over-the-air TV in Vegas, and I'm not
> > sure they get FSN Arizona on cable there. I'm not sure
> > about the TV broadcast status of the Giants and A's.
> >
> > I found a link which shows a map of the U.S., where each
> > team has their territories.
> >
> http://www.base>
> ballthinkfactory.org/files/main/article/danwerr_2003-05-13_0
>
> >
> That map is 2 years old. But if you go to
> http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/video/mlb_tv.jsp and
> scroll down to the blackout drop box and pick a team, you
> can get their 2005 blackout zip codes.
>
> ixnay
>

I wish that baseball would have a rule that would prohibit radio stations in
a market that is home to a major league team from airing games of a team in
a different market unless it is a nationally broadcast game from ESPN Radio.
Here in Tampa, the Yankees air games on 1010-AM locally and they, more often
than not, air in direct opposition to 1250-AM's broadcast of Rays games. I
think that it's a slap in the face to those who wanted for years for the Tampa
Bay region to land an MLB team, the Rays' dismal performance since their in-
ception notwithstanding. To me, it's like being a Cardinals fan in St. Louis
and hearing a local station there airing Pat Hughes and Ron Santo broadcasting
a Cubs game.
 
Re: Why can't we get better radio restrictions?

> I wish that baseball would have a rule that would prohibit radio stations in
> a market that is home to a major league team from airing games of a team in
> a different market unless it is a nationally broadcast game from ESPN Radio.
> Here in Tampa, the Yankees air games on 1010-AM locally and they, more often
> than not, air in direct opposition to 1250-AM's broadcast of Rays games. I
> think that it's a slap in the face to those who wanted for years for the Tampa
> Bay region to land an MLB team, the Rays' dismal performance since their in-
> ception notwithstanding. To me, it's like being a Cardinals fan in St. Louis
> and hearing a local station there airing Pat Hughes and Ron Santo broadcasting
> a Cubs game.

There's never been a radio blackout zone of any kind, AFAK. Besides, for $15 a season, MLB.com carries all games and all feeds no matter where you live. There's no blackout whatsoever, even in Major League cities. If someone wants to listen to a Cubs game in St. Louis they can (although WGN probably comes in at least marginally in at least some parts of metro St. Louis anyway).
 
Re: Why can't we get better radio restrictions?

I don't want to be harsh, but that's the kind of thinking that will eventually get all the Cubs games taken off WGN and all the Braves games off TBS, etc. There's nothing at all wrong with some teams having that national coverage. As a die-hard Cubs fan since I was 5 - mostly due to my family but certainly in large part due to WGN - I don't know how much I'd be able to follow my team if they weren't on cable. If the Devil Rays want to drive the Yankees out of Tampa, they ought to WIN!!! How do you think the Yankees got so many fans in the first place? Just win, baby.

> I wish that baseball would have a rule that would prohibit
> radio stations in
> a market that is home to a major league team from airing
> games of a team in
> a different market unless it is a nationally broadcast game
> from ESPN Radio.
> Here in Tampa, the Yankees air games on 1010-AM locally and
> they, more often
> than not, air in direct opposition to 1250-AM's broadcast of
> Rays games. I
> think that it's a slap in the face to those who wanted for
> years for the Tampa
> Bay region to land an MLB team, the Rays' dismal performance
> since their in-
> ception notwithstanding. To me, it's like being a Cardinals
> fan in St. Louis
> and hearing a local station there airing Pat Hughes and Ron
> Santo broadcasting
> a Cubs game.
 
Re: Why can't we get better radio restrictions?

I thought there were "radio blackout zones" for Major League Baseball.

I do, however, think the time has come to make a change.

Draw a circle with a 50-mile radius around each MLB stadium, and within that radius, no local radio station, over-the-air TV station, or regional cable sports channel can carry games (outside of national radio/TV packages) of out-of-town MLB clubs. I think that superstations do have to pay a fee to the league for the right to carry their local MLB team on the superstation feed.

If two teams exist within that 50 mile circle, then any teams whose home stadiums are located within that circle can be carried on any local radio station, over-the-air TV station, or regional cable sports channel located within that circle.

Any radio station, or over-the-air TV station outside of a 50-mile circle (as noted above) would be free to pick-up broadcasts of any team they like. Likely, regional cable sports networks outside of a "circle" can pick-up games of whatever team they like.
 
There is a 50-mile radius...

> I thought there were "radio blackout zones" for Major League
> Baseball.
>
> I do, however, think the time has come to make a change.
>
> Draw a circle with a 50-mile radius around each MLB stadium,
> and within that radius, no local radio station, over-the-air
> TV station, or regional cable sports channel can carry games
> (outside of national radio/TV packages) of out-of-town MLB
> clubs. I think that superstations do have to pay a fee to
> the league for the right to carry their local MLB team on
> the superstation feed.
>
> If two teams exist within that 50 mile circle, then any
> teams whose home stadiums are located within that circle can
> be carried on any local radio station, over-the-air TV
> station, or regional cable sports channel located within
> that circle.
>
> Any radio station, or over-the-air TV station outside of a
> 50-mile circle (as noted above) would be free to pick-up
> broadcasts of any team they like. Likely, regional cable
> sports networks outside of a "circle" can pick-up games of
> whatever team they like.
>
From what I understand there is a 50-mile radius restriction. MLB teams can
air games on stations outside a 50-mile radius from their stadium if that
team is playing a home game. If that team is on the road, then they must
receive permission from their opponent to do so, which normally they do even
though I know of some instances in which it wasn't allowed.
 
Re: Why can't we get better radio restrictions?

> > I wish that baseball would have a rule that would prohibit
> radio stations in
> > a market that is home to a major league team from airing
> games of a team in
> > a different market unless it is a nationally broadcast
> game from ESPN Radio.
> > Here in Tampa, the Yankees air games on 1010-AM locally
> and they, more often
> > than not, air in direct opposition to 1250-AM's broadcast
> of Rays games. I
> > think that it's a slap in the face to those who wanted for
> years for the Tampa
> > Bay region to land an MLB team, the Rays' dismal
> performance since their in-
> > ception notwithstanding. To me, it's like being a
> Cardinals fan in St. Louis
> > and hearing a local station there airing Pat Hughes and
> Ron Santo broadcasting
> > a Cubs game.
>
> There's never been a radio blackout zone of any kind, AFAK.
> Besides, for $15 a season, MLB.com carries all games and all
> feeds no matter where you live. There's no blackout
> whatsoever, even in Major League cities. If someone wants
> to listen to a Cubs game in St. Louis they can (although WGN
> probably comes in at least marginally in at least some parts
> of metro St. Louis anyway).
>

I don't think WGN's daytime signal makes it clearly quite THAT far south, but IIRC the Cubs do have a radio affiliate in Highland, not far away.

Personally I don't think there should be any kind of blackout zone......let the fan bases determine who wants to hear what. If there's an audience for Yanks games in Tampa, a station would be stupid to ignore that audience and the advertising revenue it would bring.
 
Since the tigers are no longer on FREE local TV, should be no blackouts
 
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