The Redskins, in a move that "has riled broadcasters,"
have begun "demanding" that local TV stations "pay to use"
the team's name and logo on "chat-and-clip highlight shows,"
according to Paul Farhi of the WASHINGTON POST. The team is
seeking "as much as $200,000 per station" and the stations'
managers "are a little surprised." Rather than pay up, "a
few stations have ceased and desisted." WUSA-CBS shows have
been renamed, while local NewsChannel's "Redskins Wrap" is
now called "Pro Football Wrap." Redskins President Steve
Baldacci: "Organizations that are not under a licensing
agreement with us will not be permitted to use our
[trademarks]. It's simple. It's a policy of consistency
and fairness." One broadcaster said the team's move is
"kind of indicative of a new tone" since Daniel Snyder
acquired the franchise. Another broadcaster said that he
"considered suing the team, but he figured the legal costs
would overwhelm whatever his station might save in licensing
fees." But WTTG-Fox VP & GM Laureen Ong "defended" the
policy: "A team's name has market value just like anything
else." The new policy "doesn't affect mentioning the team
in newscasts or other news accounts." The club also told
radio station WTOP-AM that it "no longer can use the team's
logo on its Web site, because those rights belong to WJFK-
FM, the team's 'official' radio station." Farhi reports
that it's "unclear how many other" NFL teams have "similar
pay-for-play deals" (WASHINGTON POST, 10/19).
NOTE: In DC, Sunday's Redskins-Cardinals game, which
went up against two LCS games and was broadcast
simultaneously on ESPN and WJLA-ABC, earned WJLA a 21.7/32
overnight rating and ESPN an 8.4/12 local rating. A total
of 570,000 HHs in the DC area watched the game. Fox's
Yankees-Red Sox earned a 7.0/10 local rating, while the
Braves-Mets earned a 12.5/19 local rating. Through four
games, Redskins games on WTTG-Fox are averaging a 28.5/52,
up 12% from last year's 25.2/49 through the same weekend
(WASHINGTON POST, 10/19). For more on the 'Skins, see (#19).
