At today’s Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the television and video marketplace, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Furthering Access to Network Sports (FANS) Act. This bill aims to eliminate the cause of most sports blackouts: take-downs during retransmission consent disputes.

This week, the House Energy & Commerce and Senate Commerce Committees will hold hearings on the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR), which allows Satellite TV companies to distribute out-of-market local broadcast TV signals in limited situations, such as where a small market lacks a network affiliate. So, if you live in a rural area without a local affiliate, you can still keep up with your sports by watching a neighboring market's station.