Full story here. Read it.
So, cable companies are sending some PR firm after the not yet established lobby, claiming it's a satellite company front (even though it has yet to get any money from cable companies). There is no reason for me to trust a PR firm, but I can look at an organization's goals and see if they're up my alley.
The SFC wants to lobby Congress for:
a) no blackout rules for teams that play in publicly funded stadiums
b) a college football playoff
c) "Sports fans must be able to view their local sporting events via television or the internet, regardless of the their service provide."
Even if satellite companies do end up giving the lobby some funding, I have absolutely no problem with any of the above. Cable companies aren't saying "blackouts are awesome!" and "yay to no playoffs!" and "fuck you and your internet." It's all "psst. They're getting money from
corporations."
I'm all for having an organization lobby Congress for awesome things.
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The feds give the leagues antitrust exemptions, Local and state governments pay for stadia. And the leagues do all they can to keep their product captive so you can only see it when and if they want you to see it.
And don't even get me started on the NCAA.
Pre-emptive strikes against the 'Sports Fans Coalition' is a pretty explicit 'fuck the fans'.
It's a little weird. Why would cable companies be pro-blackout? And does 'c)' mean that ESPN would be legally obligated to show women's bowling? And 'b)' falls under the 'any time whatsoever that Congress spends on this is time better spent elsewhere' category.
Yeah, I'm pretty much a-ok with all of that no questions asked :P
Not all lobbyists are working on behalf of evil/corporate interests. The Human Rights Campaign, for example, is a lobbying group.