A member of Congress comes forward to help Packer fans.
When it comes to cable TV choice, US Representative Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) says the customer is going by the wayside.
"We have these cable monopolies that are freezing out consumer choices. When you have millions of consumers with the demand to be able to watch the Packer game this coming Thursday, and these Badger games, and they're not getting supplies. That tells you that the market's not working."
The Janesville Republican is sending a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voicing the concerns of dozens of his constituents who are not able to watch this Thursday's Green Bay Packers game with the Dallas Cowboys.
"I don't expect that this letter's going to fix it by Thursday, but I expect that this can be fixed for the next time around."
Ryan is urging the FCC to help the appointment of an arbitrator to settle disputes such as this between the Big Ten Network, the NFL Network and the cable companies with consumers' interests in mind, and to provide consumer choices. Ryan's involvement is significant, because this is a federal issue.
"I understand they're doing some hearings at the state level, but this is a federally regulated area – the Federal Communications Commission is in charge of this – and that's why I'm speaking as a federal legislator to the FCC."
Consumers are also blocked out of many Wisconsin Badgers' basketball games due to the dispute.