What are the NFL rules?

[vchimpanzee]

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=178299.0

I have two CBS affiliates 90 miles apart with one airing all prime-time shows at the normal time and the other, in the NFL market, airing a game which runs over. The market in this case has an NFC team, which played another NFC team at 1:00 in their stadium. How can this affect what games are shown, and did some CBS affiliate in the East get to show "CSI: Miami" on Nov. 7?

 

[PTBoardOp94]

CBS is prohibited by NFL rules from NFL coverage when the "home" team is playing on FOX. So in your case, if Carolina was playing at 4:15, the CBS station in Charlotte would be carrying alternate programming ... probably a cheap movie. The other CBS station is not part of the Carolina Panthers' home market, and can therefore air the late game on CBS.

 

[JeeperOne]

The same holds true here in Colorado where BOTH KCNC 4 (Denver) & KKTV 11 (Colorado Springs) have to carry all Broncos games televised by CBS that meet or (Usually) exceed blackout restrictions. Ditto with KDVR 31 & KXRM 21 when it comes to all Broncos games televised by FOX.

Why? Because Colorado Springs is considered to be within the 75 mile radius limit of Invesco Field EVEN THOUGH the geography & topography may dictate otherwise.

Yet OTOH, CBS stations on the Western Slope (KREG 3/Glenwood Springs KREX 5/Grand Junction KREY 10/Montrose & KREZ 6/Durango) can all air other games or other programming if they so wish. Ditto with KFQX 4 in Grand Junction.

But since KREG 3 & KREY 10 are merely repeater stations of KREX 5, they will carry whatever KREX 5 carries (Which is usually the very same game that's on KCNC 4 & KKTV 11). KREZ 6 is a repeater station of KRQE 13 in Albuquerque, NM. As such, it too can carry other another game if it so chooses (Which they usually do)

KFQX 4 in Grand Junction is (Last I heard) a repeater station of KDVR 31 in Denver that's locally managed by the owners of KREX 5. Because of this unique arrangement, KFQX 4 carries all Broncos games televised by FOX.

All three NBC affiliates in Colorado (KUSA 9 KOAA 5 & KKCO 11) carry all Broncos games on SNF unless a game fails to meet the blackout rules for some reason (Again something that's not happened in at least A GENERATION).

MNF & NFL Network OTA rights to Broncos games vary.

Cheers

 

[KML0224]

Since the current blackout rules took effect in 1973, the Broncos are one of (maybe) 3 teams which have never had a home blackout. Washington is another team.

 

[DToTheJ]

Here's the distribution maps for the upcoming week; this should help you understand it a little bit more:
http://the506.com/sports/?tag=2010-week-11

Baltimore, an AFC team, is playing on the road at Carolina. So CBS, the network which carries mostly AFC games, will carry this game (CBS and Fox usually split the four annual inter-divisional games, with the network of the visiting team airing the contests). As a result, there will likely be no alternate game airing on the Fox affiliate at the same time. I believe this is the case for every single station in both North and South Carolina, as they are, after all, the "Carolina Panthers". On the bright side (Panthers are 1-8), since CBS has the double-header this week, you should have two 4 PM games to choose from.

 

[JayR]

I'll be tuning in to the NFL Red Zone this Sunday. My tv market will air Houston Texans vs. NY Jets...UGH!!!

 

[Mainedude2007]

As a result, there will likely be no alternate game airing on the Fox affiliate at the same time. I believe this is the case for every single station in both North and South Carolina, as they are, after all, the "Carolina Panthers". On the bright side (Panthers are 1-8), since CBS has the double-header this week, you should have two 4 PM games to choose from.

No, just the affiliates within 75 miles of the stadium, which (somebody correct me if I'm wrong) is in Raleigh.

 

[DToTheJ]

Nope, Charlotte.

So I suppose those cities outside the 75-mile radius of Bank Of America Stadium could possibly have a competing NFL game airing on another channel.

 

[Mainedude2007]

I just checked the maps, the Fox station in Charlotte is carrying Seattle/NO (the late game due to Carolina being on CBS), The SC Fox stations are getting Green Bay/Minnesota (don't ask me why) and the other Fox stations in North Carolina are getting Washington/Tennesee

As for the intradivisional games: CBS carries the AFC and Fox carries the NFC. The road team's network travels with the team, which explains why Fox is carrying Washington (NFC) at Tennessee (AFC) and CBS is carrying Baltimore (AFC) at Carolina (NFC)

 

[DToTheJ]

You explained the "interdivisional game/road team network" thing a lot better than I did above. Meanwhile...

...the Fox station in Charlotte is carrying Seattle/NO (the late game due to Carolina being on CBS), The SC Fox stations are getting Green Bay/Minnesota (don't ask me why) and the other Fox stations in North Carolina are getting Washington/Tennessee...

I was under the impression that Panthers games, especially home games, would be carried by the entire Carolina "region" (i.e. both North and South Carolina). Much like the Cardinals serve the entire state of Arizona (with the exception of Yuma, for some reason)... As to "why" many stations are airing the GB/MIN tilt: it's this weekend's "marquee" game on Fox, hence why Joe Buck is calling it - yeah, I know, Joe Buck calling a game in which not a single NFC East team is involved - shocking, isn't it?

 

[KeithE4]

As a result, there will likely be no alternate game airing on the Fox affiliate at the same time. I believe this is the case for every single station in both North and South Carolina, as they are, after all, the "Carolina Panthers". On the bright side (Panthers are 1-8), since CBS has the double-header this week, you should have two 4 PM games to choose from.

No, just the affiliates within 75 miles of the stadium, which (somebody correct me if I'm wrong) is in Raleigh.

If any part of an adjacent market, inhabited or not, is within 75 miles of an NFL stadium, that market is a Secondary market, and is subject to the home game blackout rules but not the prohibition of the other network airing a game at the same time.

For example: Tucson is 110 miles from downtown Phoenix and about 125 miles from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. But the northern edge of the Tucson market (the Pima-Pinal County line) is about 65 or 70 miles due south of the stadium. Nobody actually lives in that part of Pima County, but it's still part of the Tucson TV market and as such, requires the Tucson Fox (KMSB) or CBS (KOLD) station, depending on the opponent, to black out a Cards game if it is not sold out in 72 hours. The station may carry a game at the same time as the blacked-out Cards game, however - something the Phoenix station that would have carried the game cannot do.

The inhabited parts of the Tucson TV market are all more than 75 miles away from the stadium, but it doesn't matter. All of Pima County is in the Tucson market and that's what counts. And all of Arizona north of the Pima-Pinal County line is in the Phoenix market, with a couple of exceptions, on the Utah border and most of the Navajo Nation. Therefore, the home blackout rule applies to about 2/3 of Arizona.

Yuma/El Centro is not considered a secondary market for either the Cards or Chargers since the entire market is more than 75 miles from both Phoenix and San Diego. Their Fox and CBS stations can carry either team's full schedule.

 

[Mainedude2007]

I was under the impression that Panthers games, especially home games, would be carried by the entire Carolina "region" (i.e. both North and South Carolina)

it is, all of NC, and all of SC except for the Augusta GA, and Savannah, GA markets (which include SC counties) are getting the game on CBS, not Fox

As to "why" many stations are airing the GB/MIN tilt: it's this weekend's "marquee" game on Fox, hence why Joe Buck is calling it - yeah, I know, Joe Buck calling a game in which not a single NFC East team is involved - shocking, isn't it?

someone may have been joking but i heard once that Buck supposedly has it written in to his contract that he has to do a game that involves an NFC East team...but looking at Fox's games this week, most of them are stinkers, GB/Min is the only one watchable to someone not attached to an NFL team.

I'm surprised the SC Fox stations are not carrying the Falcons game (away at St. Louis), but it probably has something to do with NFL rules (the Panthers and Falcons, who are in the same division, do go up against each other on different networks, so maybe it's the NFL protecting itself)

 

[Robnoxious]

If any part of an adjacent market, inhabited or not, is within 75 miles of an NFL stadium, that market is a Secondary market, and is subject to the home game blackout rules but not the prohibition of the other network airing a game at the same time.

That's all well and good expect explain why Los Angeles is forced to be a secondary market of the Chargers while being 90+ miles away. The answer is: the NFL bends their own draconian rules to suit their own whim. Based on the NFL's own rules, LA owes no broadcast allegiance to any NFL team but no, we are an exception because LA is a #2 market.

 

[radiolives]

Both FOX stations in Myrtle Beach, SC and Charleston, SC are airing different games at 1pm. Anyone know why that is?

FOX 24 Charleston is carring Green Bay at Minnesota at 1pm

FOX 43 Myrtle Beach is carring Washington at Tennessee at 1pm

I would feel both affilates should air the Washington at Tennessee game as both teams are closer to SC then Green Bay or Minnesota

 

[KeithE4]

If any part of an adjacent market, inhabited or not, is within 75 miles of an NFL stadium, that market is a Secondary market, and is subject to the home game blackout rules but not the prohibition of the other network airing a game at the same time.

That's all well and good expect explain why Los Angeles is forced to be a secondary market of the Chargers while being 90+ miles away. The answer is: the NFL bends their own draconian rules to suit their own whim. Based on the NFL's own rules, LA owes no broadcast allegiance to any NFL team but no, we are an exception because LA is a #2 market.

The southern edge of the LA television market is San Clemente (at least per The506.com). San Clemente is about 65 miles NW of Qualcomm Stadium per Google Maps' directions. That defines the entire LA metro as a secondary market for the Chargers. LA is not a secondary market for any NFC team, so KTTV can show what it wants to, unless an NFC team is playing the Chargers at Qualcomm.

It doesn't matter that 90% of the metro is more than 75 miles from San Diego; one small part of the market is within the limits set by the NFL, therefore if it's blacked out in SD, it's blacked out in LA. It also keeps Monday's Broncos-Chargers game off regular TV in LA but not SD if the game is sold out. But if it's not sold out by Friday night, ESPN gets blacked out in both San Diego and LA (and Palm Springs, I think).

 

[charlestondxman]

Well, Fox feels that Charleston should get the Packers/Vikings. Last week, we missed our second Panthers game ever because Fox felt that Vikings/Bears would be a better game than Panthers/Bucs.

Before this year, even when the Panthers were 1-15, all of their games aired. I understand that the Skins should be aired. The last time that a Panther game didn't air was in 1995, the Panthers first season (when the Redskins still had a huge following here).

Also, the blackout rule is only 35 miles for an ESPN or NFL Network game. The Chargers game would air in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Palm Springs, and probably would only be blacked out in San Diego County.

 

[radiolives]

Well, Fox feels that Charleston should get the Packers/Vikings. Last week, we missed our second Panthers game ever because Fox felt that Vikings/Bears would be a better game than Panthers/Bucs.

Before this year, even when the Panthers were 1-15, all of their games aired. I understand that the Skins should be aired. The last time that a Panther game didn't air was in 1995, the Panthers first season (when the Redskins still had a huge following here).

So FOX makes the choice or does the local FOX 24 make that choice?

 

[ShawnHill1]

Well, Fox feels that Charleston should get the Packers/Vikings. Last week, we missed our second Panthers game ever because Fox felt that Vikings/Bears would be a better game than Panthers/Bucs.

Before this year, even when the Panthers were 1-15, all of their games aired. I understand that the Skins should be aired. The last time that a Panther game didn't air was in 1995, the Panthers first season (when the Redskins still had a huge following here).

So FOX makes the choice or does the local FOX 24 make that choice?

The NFL rules state that the network (Fox, in this case) makes the final decision on what games are shown to a particular area. However, the local affiliate can request a game of possible better interest in place of the originally assigned game. More often than not, the local stations do get their way.

 

[Robnoxious]

Also, the blackout rule is only 35 miles for an ESPN or NFL Network game. The Chargers game would air in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Palm Springs, and probably would only be blacked out in San Diego County.

Secondary markets are not required to air cable only football matchups. This has never happened in LA with the Chargers nor ever will. I still think it's a convenient pick and choose the rule to apply the NFL has working for them.

Frankly, I'm glad LA doesn't have a team simply because it gives the NFL fits. Screw them. When LA had two teams that performed badly which was more often than when they performed well the Sunday games landscape was as barren as the outskirts of Barstow.

 

[DToTheJ]

... the GB/MIN tilt: it's this weekend's "marquee" game on Fox, hence why Joe Buck is calling it - yeah, I know, Joe Buck calling a game in which not a single NFC East team is involved - shocking, isn't it?

someone may have been joking but i heard once that Buck supposedly has it written in to his contract that he has to do a game that involves an NFC East team...but looking at Fox's games this week, most of them are stinkers, GB/Min is the only one watchable to someone not attached to an NFL team...

That may have been me making that joke... ;D

Also, considering that two of the four NFC East teams are playing on Sunday night on NBC, I guess it was a process of elimination thing... yet it will be "Kenny, Moose and Goose" calling Dallas vs. Detroit.