Legislation Aims To Ensure Packers Games Superior Televisions

Green Bay Packer fans are fanatics about their team, their sport, and catching all the games. Locally, that presents a problem as the Duluth-Superior market resides on the border and that can mean missed games - or - uneven access to Green and Gold games on local television screens.

That could change with legislation before the United States Senate. And if passed, it would have positive implications for football fans all across the country.

It's known as the "Go Pack Go Act", and it's being reintroduced by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin. According to details shared in a press release from her office, the ultimate goal of the legislation is simple:

"Senator Baldwin's Go Pack Go Act would require cable, satellite, and other video providers to provide their Wisconsin subscribers with access to programming from the broadcast television stations in a Wisconsin media market. The legislation ensures that every Wisconsin cable or satellite subscriber who lives in [one of the 13 counties that have been reassigned to an out-of-state market (like Minnesota or Michigan)] has the choice or receiving an in-state broadcast for every major network, so they would always have access to Wisconsin based news, information, and sports - including Packers games."

As it stands right now, "nearly 415,000 people live in 13 counties" that fall into this category. This means that "Green Bay Packers fans in these 13 Wisconsin counties may end up with Minnesota Vikings or Detroit Lions games, not Packers games, when those teams are playing at the same time".

This sort of legislation has been attempted before, and Senator Baldwin's current Go Pack Go Act is a reprisal of those efforts. It seeks to amend the Communications Act of 1934 and Title 17 United States Code to "provide greater access to in-state broadcast programming for cable and satellite subscribers in certain counties". As such - while it's being touted as a solution (and help) for Wisconsin residents, if passed, it would have far-reaching effects for the rest of the country.

The Duluth-Superior television market is one of those that would be affected by the bill. Here is a rundown of the counties that are specifically included as part of the Go Pack Go Act:

Duluth-Superior television market:

Douglas County
Bayfield County
Ashland County
Iron County
Sawyer County

Minneapolis-St. Paul/Twin Cities television market:

Burnett County
Washburn County
Polk County
Barron County
St. Croix County
Dunn County
Pierce County

Marquette, Michigan television market:

Florence County

You can read a detailed summary of the Go Pack Go Act by clicking here. The transcript of the full bill - as submitted to the U.S. Senate - is available by clicking here.