CHARTER TAKES A SWING AT CÁRDENAS PITCH TO AIR DODGERS GAMES ON TV
LOS ANGELES, CA – PLAY BALL! Charter Communications takes a swing at Congressman Tony Cárdenas’ (CA-29) pitch to end Dodgers TV blackout and will air six regular-season Dodgers games, including the final series, to be broadcast by local Los Angeles over-the-air television station KTLA (Channel 5). The broadcast of the first game will include celebrations related to Vin Scully Appreciation Day.
“Game on! Man have I missed Vin Scully,” said Congressman Cárdenas. “He’s the reason I signed up for the Congressional baseball team again this year and why I will be watching the games that will air on KTLA 5. As a legislator, I do not always get to take a swing at fun topics, but if there is anything I am proud of it is my efforts to end the Dodgers blackout in L.A. This may not be the home run my colleagues and I had been writing to FCC Chairman Wheeler about, but it certainly gets us on base.
“For the next month, I’ll be singing a special rendition of the fan favorite song…
Take me out to the ball game,
The Dodgers are finally on.
Buy me a TV that airs the games.
After Vin leaves it will not be the same.
Let’s root, root, root for broadcast negotiations;
If they don’t agree it’s a shame.
For it’s 1!
2!
3!… 4,5,6 games
And we’re back on in L.A!”
In July 2014, Congressman Cárdenas led his Los Angeles delegation colleagues in writing a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler asking the FCC to mediate the stalemate between Time Warner Cable and other pay-TV providers that had left thousands of Los Angeles Dodgers fans unable to watch their team from their homes.
Congressman Cárdenas’ June 29, 2016 op-ed in the Los Angeles Daily News called attention to the issue once again and suggested a work-around in which New Charter could come to an agreement with a Los Angeles TV station to broadcast a number of games over-the-air.