Randy Cassingham's Blog

Maybe churches cannot charge, but I'm betting donations were way, WAY up!

Oh wait... I'm not a betting man. I was in church (no game shown there). And I don't watch TV. Too much inane programming.

And darn it, I wish I could have been "patting a powered-up Nielson box" while saying it.

Churches could have just put a large piece of paper over one vertical and one horizontal edge, bringing the measurement to 55". I'd have started with the lower edge, and maybe the right side. That would have kept the score and the station and NFL logo covered.

BTW, is that a vertical measurement or horizontal? Does it specifically say 55" DIAGONALLY measured?

And would advertisers be upset that some part of their costly advertisement was covered with such obstructions in order to comply with the law?

You can see I spend my day thinking outside my non-NFL approved, larger than 55" box...er, cubicle.

Thanks for the laugh Randy!

Well, I agree that the NFL owns the broadcast and has the right to tell churches they can't show the Super Bowl, but... since the Super Bowl is paid for by advertisers whose products will sell better if more people will see the ads, wouldn't you think that the NFL would encourage as much viewing as possible? Maybe let anybody who doesn't "TIVO" the ads show the broadcast to anyone, as long as they don't charge for it. Wow, a win-win!

The Las Vegas casinos and sports books were issued the same order by the NFL a few years ago. BIG blow to the books.... but they shut down their Super Bowl parties.

Scott - formerly from Las Vegas now living in Villa Rica, GA

I was really surprised to find that the 55" diagonal measurement is in fact included in the US copyright law. Here is a link to the section in question.

Still, I think the NFL just looked stupid -- but you're right on in pointing out that the churches looked bad as well.

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Color me surprised! I checked the link and indeed it's true: there is a 55" rule. Yet more proof that copyright law is way behind the times. Thanks for the link. -rc

Copyright law covers copying and distribution. When a station broadcasts a program, the onus is on them to obtain the proper licenses. You can watch those programs on any number and size of televisions that you want.

However, if you want to show such programs to other people (for example, in a church or bar), YOU must have appropriate licenses to do so. The NFL has granted a blanket license to anyone to do so as long as they have only one TV that is 55" or smaller. So if you are having all the neighbours over to watch the game, you had better tell your wife to turn the bedroom set off, or to another channel.

The Statement that bars are exempted from the NFL prohibitions on showing the Super Bowl is somewhat misleading. Any commercial establishment that signs on for satellite TV must pay a premium subscription fee based on the "person capacity" of the facility. If a bar has capacity for 1,000 customers, they pay double the cost for a bar that has capacity for 500 customers. Every commercial establishment pays considerably more than "home" service and the "person capacity" for the subscription is the equivalent of a Nielson rating.

Very interesting comments, especially the link to the US Code. Upon reading the code, it seems to me that Sections 3 and 4 exempt all churches from infringement of the copyright holder's rights. Especially Section 3 which allows exception when the performance is "in the course of services at a place of worship or other religious assembly". As I understood it, the broadcast was to be construed as a "religious assembly" although it would be a stretch to call it a "service".

In Section 4, the NFL would have to serve each and every church with a document requiring them to not broadcast the event and serve it at least 7 days before the event. All churches not so served would be exempt. The 55" rule does NOT apply in either of these situations.

The Chicago Park District had planned to broadcast the game on the Soldier Field Jumbotron for the diehards that wanted to watch the game at the stadium. They were planning on charging a nominal fee which would be donated to charity. Their request to the NFL was turned down citing the fact that the broadcast would not count in the ratings.

I understand all sections of the copyright law in question. It was specifically written for MLB & NFL. Intellectual property can mean anything the NFL says it means.

I wonder what will happen, if People of faith don't watch the NFL games next year. Will people then say, Mr. Goodell killed the Golden Goose. Nice first act, Mr. Goodell, what's next?

If only our Baptist brethren would serve wine rather than grape juice, they might have gotten in under the 'bar' exclusion... ;-)