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HR 2593 101th Congress House Commerce Antitrust law Baseball Cable television

Baseball Viewers Protection Act of 1989

Introduced: June 8, 1989 Introduced by: Schumer, Charles E. Democratic · New York See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 101st Congress ended
It never became law before the 101st Congress (1989–1990) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 12, 1989
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic and Commercial Law.
Jun 8, 1989
Referred to the House Committee on Judiciary.
Jun 8, 1989
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Baseball Viewers Protection Act of 1989 - Prohibits any major league professional baseball team from entering into or performing any contract that provides for the exclusive carriage by cable television, during any one-year period ending on November 15, of more than 25 percent of the games of that team which are under contract to be televised.

Makes such prohibition inapplicable if: (1) at least 50 percent of the team's televised games are broadcast by one or more regular over-the-air broadcasting stations serving the team's home city; (2) all of the games subject to such exclusive contract are actually carried, on any basic or premium tier, by cable systems and are available for viewing by at least 75 percent of the residences served by cable television in such city; or (3) the team has not had more than 65 percent of its televised games carried by a regular over-the-air broadcasting station or stations during any one of the three calendar years preceding the year of enactment of this Act.

What's happening now June 12, 1989

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic and Commercial Law.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2593: Baseball Viewers Protection Act of 1989. 101st Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-2593/
MLA
"H.R. 2593: Baseball Viewers Protection Act of 1989." 101st Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-2593/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 2593, 101st Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-2593/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 2593: Baseball Viewers Protection Act of 1989](https://openamerica.io/bill/101-HR-2593/)
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