Local TV fix ‘a high priority’

Frustrated baseball fans in Las Vegas, take heart.

The nonsensical blackouts that for years have marred local subscribers' enjoyment of major league baseball's Extra Innings package might be lifted before next season, MLB president and chief operating officer Bob DuPuy said Wednesday during Day 3 of baseball's winter meetings at the Bellagio.

Although Las Vegas sits close to 300 miles from the nearest major league team, six big league ballclubs -- the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants -- claim territorial television rights to the city, causing up to six games per night to be blacked out here during the season.

"We've been working on solving that, and it is a high priority for the (baseball) commissioner to ensure that as many games are available on the out-of-market package as are feasible," DuPuy said after a World Baseball Classic news conference in the Bellagio Ballroom. "We're trying to loosen up the availability of games beginning with this season ... . I think the chances for some relief for next season are good.

"You can tell the fans in Las Vegas that the commissioner is committed to getting as many games cleared as possible."

DuPuy, baseball's second-highest-ranking executive, behind commissioner Bud Selig, said lifting the outdated blackout restrictions -- which were implemented in the 1960s to protect each team's broadcast rights -- was an issue discussed at the last two quarterly owners meetings, and it will be on the agenda again in January, when the meetings are expected to take place in Arizona.

"We want our fans to see as many games as possible," DuPuy said. "It's a matter of making sure we don't violate any contracts."

Las Vegas arguably is the city most adversely affected by the blackout restrictions. But other areas of the country, namely Iowa, also get hit hard by them.

Teams blacked out in Iowa are the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals.

Fans in Las Vegas do get to watch their share of games involving the Angels (on Fox Sports West, Cox Channel 49), Dodgers (Prime, Channel 50) and Padres (Channel 96), but every game involving the Diamondbacks, Giants and A's inexplicably is blacked out -- despite the fact the Bay Area is close to 600 miles from here.

"It's one thing if they're broadcasting into the market, but if they're not broadcasting into the market, we ought to figure out a way to get it done," DuPuy said.

Thousands of upset fans who have called or written MLB's headquarters in New York about the issue feel the same way, including Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay.

"If it's not being shown (locally), then it should be available on the package," said Kor-negay, who fields complaints about blackouts on a daily basis during baseball season. "It's not just the Las Vegas locals that get hurt, but all the visitors we have -- and we're talking millions of people -- who come through town and are unable to watch their favorite team.

"It hurts the sport more than anything, it's something that's totally outdated, and the baseball brass seriously needs to change this."

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.