WASHINGTON (WTAQ-WLUK) — Two Wisconsin lawmakers are teaming up on new legislation that would guarantee all Wisconsinites can watch broadcasts of Green Bay Packers games.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) and Rep. Tony Wied, R-8th District, introduced the “Go Pack Go Act” to ensure Packers fans, no matter where they live across the state, can tune in to watch the green and gold.
More than 415,000 people in 13 Wisconsin counties are assigned to an out-of-state market — either Minnesota or Michigan. As a result, Packers fans in those counties end up with Minnesota Vikings or Detroit Lions broadcasts on their TVs, instead of Packers games, when those teams are playing at the same time.
It also means Wisconsinites in these counties cannot receive some, or any, TV broadcast stations based in Wisconsin, making for a lack of access to programming such as local and state news and sports.
“Regardless of where you live, every Wisconsinite should be able to cheer on the Green and Gold,” said Baldwin in a news release. “But right now, hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites live in communities where they could get Vikings or Lions games broadcast on their TVs instead of Packers games. It’s wrong and that’s why I’m fighting to fix it so every Packers fan across our state can watch our team play.”
“Nothing brings Wisconsinites together quite like the Packers,” Wied added in the release. “The Go Pack Go Act is about making sure every Packers fan, from Douglas to Door County, can watch their team without being forced to endure Vikings or Lions broadcasts. I’m happy to join Senator Baldwin to lead this common sense, bipartisan legislation. If you live in the land of Lambeau, you deserve to see the Green and Gold every Sunday. No exceptions.”
The “Go Pack Go Act” would require cable and satellite providers to give their Wisconsin subscribers access to programming from broadcast television stations in a Wisconsin media market.
Packers fans in the following Wisconsin counties would benefit from the Go Pack Go Act:
- Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Iron and Sawyer counties (Duluth-Superior media market)
- Barron, Burnett, Dunn Polk, Pierce, St. Croix, and Washburn counties (Twin Cities media market)
- Florence County (Marquette, Michigan media market)
