WBRZ News 2 Louisiana : Baton Rouge, LA | NFL stands by blackout policy

When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the NFL waived its television blackout policy so Saints fans could watch even if games moved to Baton Rouge didn't sell out.

Now, under extraordinary circumstances of a different sort - a recession that has made football tickets an unaffordable luxury for many - the league isn't budging. The NFL says it has no plans to lift its blackout rules because of the economy. So if games don't sell out - as could be the case
in up to three cities this weekend - local fans won't be able to watch on TV, whether at home or in a bar.

"People are quick to say, 'Can you make an exception here?"' said Howard Katz, the league's senior vice president for broadcasting and media operations. "We're trying to be really cautious and make sure we do the right thing for long-term growth."

He acknowledged tickets are steep - an average of $74.99 this season - and times are hard. "To the person who lost his or her job in Detroit, this is every bit as difficult a situation to deal
with as Katrina might have been in New Orleans," Katz said. But he argued it's impossible to know how each fan arrives at the decision to buy a ticket or not and said the blackout policy is
crucial to filling stadiums.

Under the rule, a game must be sold out 72 hours in advance before it may be aired in any TV market within 75 miles of the stadium. Club seats and suites don't count in the equation.

In this season's opening week, Arizona, Cincinnati and Oakland needed 24-hour extensions from the NFL to sell out their games and avoid blackouts. Detroit and San Diego did the same for Week 2.

Thus far, only the Jaguars have had a game blacked out. They were so far from selling out 67,164-seat Jacksonville Municipal Stadium last weekend they didn't even bother requesting an
extension.

Detroit, Oakland and San Diego could be in danger of blackouts this weekend.