NAB TV Board: Americans Deserve Free Access to BCS Football Games

-- Resolution urges no ’disenfranchisement’ of millions of households --

WASHINGTON, DC -- The NAB Television Board of Directors adopted a resolution today advocating support for Americans’ continued free access to major televised sporting events.

“Broadcasters continue to support the rights of all Americans to have free access to telecasts of major sporting events, particularly those of publicly funded educational institutions,” the resolution states. “The NAB Television Board of Directors hereby directs NAB staff to work with policymakers to educate them on the importance of ensuring that no segments of society are disenfranchised from this highly valued programming.”

Last week, the Bowl Championship Series announced that most major college football bowl games would no longer be available on free broadcast television and would instead be televised on ESPN, a sports cable network available only to pay-TV subscribers. According to published news reports, Fox Television, which had been paying $80 million annually for the BCS broadcast rights, was outbid by the pay-TV network.

According to the most recent study by the Government Accountability Office, there are roughly 20 million U.S. households exclusively reliant on free over-the-air broadcast television.