| If you watch TV, and especially if you are a loyal | | | | cable than satellite providers. DirecTV and Dish |
| spectator of the NFL Channel, you might have heard | | | | Network both carry it as well as NPS which is a |
| about all the controversy surrounding it recently. For | | | | C-Band satellite provider. The list of cable companies |
| those viewers and any others who are interested in | | | | that carry the NFL Channel are: |
| learning more about exactly what is going on, the | | | | 1. Comcast - based in Philadelphia, PA |
| following information should clear it up for everyone. | | | | 2. Cox Communications - which is a wholly-privately |
| What is the NFL Channel | | | | owned network as well as the 3rd largest cable |
| Firstly, the NFL Channel has been around since 2003 | | | | provider in the US |
| when all 32 professional league coaches voted on its | | | | 3. Verizon FiOS TV - available throughout certain |
| approval to begin airing. It is a specialty network that | | | | parts of the United States and was the first to offer |
| is actually owned and operated by the National | | | | 'fiber optic' television service |
| Football League as whole and is shown in the United | | | | 4. Insight Communications - head-quartered in NYC |
| States as well as parts of Canada. | | | | but currently only available in Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois |
| The NFL Channel airs all of the pre-season games as | | | | and Indiana |
| well as many seasonal games live whenever possible. | | | | 5. WOW! - cable and internet service provider ranked |
| One of the other great features of this network is | | | | the best in 2004 |
| that if you miss a game, you can watch a re-run of it | | | | 6. RCN - a high-speed/broadband fiber optic, cable |
| as they replay them several times afterward. In | | | | company serving the metropolitan markets of NYC, |
| addition the NFL games, they also run their own, | | | | Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago, Los |
| customized programming. Presently, there are twelve | | | | Angeles and San Francisco. |
| programs in total which include a college football | | | | The controversy actually lies in a dispute between |
| show, a daily highlights segment, the 'Team Cam' | | | | the cable companies and satellite TV providers in |
| which airs live coverage of any NFL-related press | | | | conjunction with Time Warner. Time Warner accused |
| conferences, as well as sports-oriented movies - | | | | Direct TV of lying about having the only access to |
| vintage and current, the replay show and more. | | | | the NFL Channel in an attempt to lure people away |
| Football fans could actually watch for a month of | | | | from Time Warner Cable. In lieu of this controversy, |
| Sundays and still be newly entertained on a regular | | | | Time Warner Cable dropped the NFL Network from |
| basis. | | | | its list of available programming in September 2006. |
| The Controversy | | | | Additionally, Charter Communications also previously |
| Most people think the controversy is the result of | | | | dropped it in December of 2005. |
| the satellite TV providers monopolizing the NFL | | | | So that's the story about the NFL Network and its |
| Channel when in actuality, there are presently more | | | | controversy folks - in a nutshell. |