FCC - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights



The FCC Will Vote To Dump Its NFL Blackout Rules
Less than a year into his tenure as chairman of the Federal Communication Commission, Tom Wheeler has announced that at the end of the month, the FCC will vote on killing the 39-year-old rule mandating local blackouts for NFL games that don't sell out....

Every FCC Viewer Complaint About Michael Sam Kissing His Boyfriend
In May, Michael Sam became the first openly gay man to be drafted into the NFL. Seconds later, he became the first openly gay man to kiss his boyfriend after being drafted into the NFL. A handful of Americans complained about the latter; you get the sense they were just as upset about the former. ...

America Hates Male Nipples: FCC Viewer Complaints About The Super Bowl
As we do every year, we submitted a FOIA request to the FCC for all viewer complaints about the Super Bowl. What would this year bring? Anti-Coke bigots? Richard Sherman haters? Nah. But some folks were really upset about the Red Hot Chili Peppers' nipples....

One Person In America Was Offended By Richard Sherman
Those post-NFC Championship days were heady times, a nation torn apart by Seahawks corner Richard Sherman being loud on television. But how many Americans were so upset, so scandalized by Sherman's actions that they actually took the time to complain? One person from Arkansas....

Former FCC Chairman: I Wasn't <em>That</em> Outraged At Janet Jackson's Boob
Remember that boob? It's one of the most famous boobs ever. Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" was why the few subsequent Super Bowl halftime shows were safe, old, boobless acts like Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen. And it wasn't even on TV for a whole second!...


Every FCC Complaint About Miley Cyrus's VMA Twerking
At least some Americans will manage to be offended by just about anything. But Miley Cyrus's trainwreck performance at last month's Video Music Awards was something special, and garnered one of the largest numbers of viewer complaints in recent history....

Every Viewer Complaint About Big Papi's Post-Bombing Swear Word
Before the Red Sox's first home game after the Boston Marathon bombings, David Ortiz grabbed a microphone to tell an emotional and excitable crowd that "this is our fucking city." This being our country, Americans immediately ran to register their disgust with the FCC....

Only One CBS Viewer Complained To The FCC About Kevin Ware's Injury
Louisville's Kevin Ware's compound fracture of his right leg in the Elite Eight, bone jutting through the skin, may have been the most horrific sports injury ever shown on national TV. CBS aired the replay twice, spurring discussion about the appropriate way to handle gruesome moments. But in the en...

FCC Chairman Is On Board With David Ortiz's F-Bomb
We brought you video (you can see it here) of David Ortiz speaking to the Fenway crowd during yesterday's Boston Marathon remembrance/reminder to stay strong before the Red Sox game....

"A Women Kissing A Nerd," "Beyonce Girating Her Vagina," And Other Angry Complaints To The FCC About The Super Bowl
Beyoncé is a "slut." She "gyrated her pelvis," "humping the air for 13 minutes." She "dressed like a stripper" dancing in "erotica fashion." Her "breasts protruded out, her butt almost completely showed." She "showed her vaginal area to all the world." Some people had very different reactions to the...

"Stop Being Greedy Cocksuckers": Angry Things Football Fans Wrote To The FCC About The NFL's Blackout Rule
A couple months back, the NFL softened its blackout policy. The league once bound local stations to black out nearby home games if they had unsold seats. Now—although the league still incentivizes complete sellouts—teams have the option of airing their games with as little as 85 percent of their sea...
