Lobbyist Looking To Mobilize Sports Fans To Help Satellite TV
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Goodfriend Says Group Will Lobby
For Cheaper Tickets, No Blackouts |
Former Dish Network lobbyist David Goodfriend is "forming a coalition that claims to give sports fans a voice on Capitol Hill," according to Tim Lemke of the WASHINGTON TIMES. Goodfriend said that the group will "push for enforcement of rules governing the carriage of sports networks that would benefit satellite television and other companies at the expense of competing cable providers." He said that the group's goals include "lobbying for such fan-friendly items as cheaper tickets in publicly financed stadiums, the elimination of television blackouts for sports and the creation of a college football playoff." One of the group's "major stated objectives is to ensure that fans can view local sporting events on television or the Internet, regardless of their service provider." The initial funding for the coalition "would come from satellite television and other companies that compete with the rival cable industry." Cable companies are "absent from a list of the coalition's target contributors, which includes Dish Network, DirecTV, RCN, Verizon and AT&T." Early plans call for an "initial annual budget of $410,000, with $150,000 set aside for federal lobbying." Goodfriend is "holding talks with companies but has not secured any corporate funds." He has tentative plans to "begin collecting individual memberships by the end of this year, then raise money through branded merchandise, conferences and other products in early 2010." The coalition would "begin meeting with FCC officials and lawmakers by the end of 2009." Former NFLPA Exec Dir Ed Garvey and Nation magazine Sports Editor Dave Zirin are among those "invited to serve" on the coalition's BOD (WASHINGTON TIMES, 10/21).
SLOW DOWN: SPORTINGNEWS.com's Michael Tunison wrote, "While on the surface many of the organization's goals are commendable ... their ulterior motives to heap blame on cable companies for the ills of sports broadcasting while knowing full well that satellite companies are just as culpable cast serious doubt over whether the interests of sports fans are actually the objective" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 10/21).
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