REPORT: San Diego Group Plans to Sue TV Station Over Lack of MLS/Soccer Coverage

They are mad as hell, and they aren't going to take it anymore.

Over the years many soccer fans have complained about a lack of MLS coverage in their local media. This has been especially true in areas without an MLS club of their own. People often complain on internet message boards about their local media but one group in San Diego stopped talk and now is taking action. Could this be a side-effect of the Beckham-effect?

According to this report, individual TV viewers as well as a local coalition of grassroots pressure groups comprised of soccer aficionados and Hispanics are banding together to fight what they believe to be the discriminatory anti-soccer stance of local FOX affiliate, XETV. They seem to be questioning the basis of XETV's license to broadcast by questioning the FCC's granting them the right to broadcast in the public trust, when the station in question (XETV) seems to be at odds with the community standards:

"Viewers and other San Diego citizens are now openly questioning this station’s news policies, which simply do not gel with the local community’s interest, the public trust, or viewer interest. There are likely many legal violations, and they are ignoring viewer requests."


"Hispanic groups are organizing legal actions against the station claiming discrimination; it is quite possible the station is violating California State Law, as well as local and Federal regulations. I am not enough of an expert to know about Mexican law, but since their transmitter and ownership are in that country, they may be in violation there, too."

"The Televisa-owned station is losing its FOX affiliation in August; their cross-border contract expired, and the network affiliation is switching to Tribune-owned KSWB."

"There is no reason why the station - regardless of affiliation in past, present, or future times, is not covering this pro sport of great local interest among all segments of the population, and is not covering the local L.A. teams, and the world’s best-known athlete - who plays here."

Should such a lawsuit succeed, it would be a potentially potent tool supporters groups and other soccer fans could use it in their own communities to seek better coverage.

There are some legal precedents for such a challenge being successful in the form of historically African-American radio stations which served a community being bought out by new owners who subsequently changed their format to one in which a judge felt the community was under served by. These station were then forced by law to provide news coverage and community affairs programming serving the community in which they were based or risk losing their broadcast license when it came up for review and renewal.

There was also a case in Nashville, TN where a country station changed its format and was pressured into switching back by street protests.

We at MLSR applaud their actions and wish them the all the best success in their case of persuading XETV to provide better MLS and international soccer coverage.