DALLAS, July 29 /EMWNews/ -- The Institute for Policy

Innovation (IPI) applauds the resolution made by the National Conference of

States Legislatures (NCSL) calling upon policymakers nationwide to oppose

the efforts requiring mandatory government arbitration in order to resolve

disputes over private commercial program carriage.



    "There is no role for government to intrude into the business

negotiations going on between sports networks and video providers," said

IPI president Tom Giovanetti.



    As policymakers from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)

and the National Conference of Hispanic Legislators (NCHL) convene in their

respective annual meetings later this week, IPI hopes similar free market

resolutions will be valued above distorting the marketplace with government

arbitration and regulation.



    "This trend for sports leagues to take programming off the table,

create their own networks and then demand that video providers subsidize

them is spreading," said Giovanetti.



    Sports leagues, such as the NFL, caused a stir this year when, in a

crusade for additional unearned revenues, they recruited state governments

to introduce legislation forcing cable companies to carry premium sports

networks requiring video providers to absorb the additional costs.



    "The private right of contract is a foundational principle of

capitalism," said Bartlett Cleland, director of the IPI Center for

Technology Freedom. "Yet, the NFL is seeking to do damage to that

fundamental construct. In the place of this basic tenant of freedom they

offer... sports entertainment?"



    "Let's keep our eye on the ball -- cable systems, just like the NFL,

have invested billions of dollars in their property and should be allowed

to maximize the return on their investments," said Cleland. "Granting

further government favoritism to one set of billionaires, the NFL, is

clearly a personal foul."



    The Institute for Policy Innovation is an independent, non-profit

public policy organization based in Dallas, Texas. Experts are available

for interview by contacting Erin Humiston at (972) 874-5139, or

[email protected].