Dodgers Need to Be on the Air Now – Next Week and Next Year Sherman Renews Call for Binding Arbitration

Washington DC – Congressman Brad Sherman (D- Sherman Oaks) released the following statement after news that Time Warner Cable will telecast the final week of the LA Dodgers regular season on a local broadcast station KDOC:

“I am pleased that Time Warner Cable has agreed to allow SportsNet LA to be telecast for the last week of the Dodgers season,” said Congressman Sherman. Now millions of Angelinos will finally be able to enjoy the games telecast on KDOC.”

Time Warner bought the rights to telecast Dodgers Games throughout the Los Angeles area for $8.3 billion for 25 years. The various cable and satellite companies involved agree that the telecast should be available on all the cable and satellite systems in the greater Los Angeles area, and that Time Warner should be paid by the companies for the telecast rights. Unfortunately they have not agreed on a price and the Dodgers have been blacked out on virtually every system except for those operated by Time Warner Cable. This price dispute has deprived over 60% of Dodgers fans the ability to watch the Dodgers for the entire season, save only the last week of the season.

On July 28, Congressman Sherman and five of his congressional colleagues urged the satellite and cable telecasters to enter into binding arbitration, so that a neutral third party can determine the price and terms of the Dodgers network.

“We must act now to assure that the Dodgers are not blacked out for the 2015 season,” Sherman added. “I will continue to discuss this matter with Tom Wheeler, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in the hopes that the FCC will use its authority to push all the parties into binding arbitration so that a panel of three neutral arbitrators can determine the price– and let Dodgers fans see the 2015 season.”

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