First of all, Fox broadcasts aren’t “national” and aren’t promoted that way. Everyone knows that when there’s more than one game scheduled by Fox, it’ll be telecast “regionally”.

Here’s the link that shows Fox games by market, although as of the time I’m posting this, it hasn’t been updated from last week.

Sorry that you live in a market that won’t be carrying the Cubs game, but the idea that Fox games are “national” is just plain wrong.

According to this article, the Cubs/Brewers and Yanks/Red Sox (?!?!?!) are going to the bulk of the country today, with “local” markets getting Twins/Royals…

Moose

The big problem is that MLB hasn’t revised their blackout rules and areas to keep up with the growth of subscription TV service or, more recently, teh interwebs. Since (almost) all the Cubs games are available on either WGN or Comcast, ESPN, Fox, and TBS have to blackout those games in the Cubs viewing area (so as not to compete against the ‘local’ broadcaster). And the areas are freaking huge. Here in Iowa, we’re considered local for the Twins, Brewers, Cubs, White Sox, Cardinals, and Royals. Over the entire state. Which means lots of people in DSM get to shell out extra to a satellite company to get CSN, which isn’t available through the cable provider here in town for some totally retarded reason.

Earlier this year, MLB’s president (didn’t know we had one of those, did you?) Bob DuPuy said that he was proposing changes for next season. No real detail of what the changes are, and no indication of whether the shadow government executive council will approve them. Long story short, don’t hold your breath.

Oddly, the only radio blackout is for the broadcast of the World Series. The series is covered by a national network (currently ESPN Radio), and the advertising proceeds go to a charity. This dates back to the 1930’s, if I remember right. Local stations (WGN 720, for example) can broadcast the series using their broadcasters, but their networks can’t (so KRNT here in DSM won’t get Pat and Ron, and the series will wind up being on a competing station that happens to be the ESPN affiliate). However, internet streaming of ANY baseball game would compete against MLB’s pay service and thus all games are blacked out on the local station’s internet feed, if they have one.

If I sound a little bitter about this topic, it’s because I am.

Would revoking the Anti-Trust Exemption allow for watching and listening to any game you wanted to on weekends?

… as to how many of you out there wound up with the Cub game when the NYY/BOS game was rained out.