CBS 21 is carrying the Baltimore Ravens' game at San Diego this Sunday, November 25 at 4:00 pm.
We are not allowed to televise the Steelers game versus the Browns at 1 p.m.
Why?
Due to the fact this television market (Harrisburg-Lancaster-York-Lebanon) is designated a Ravens "secondary market" -- based on our proximity to Baltimore -- CBS 21 must air Ravens' games when the team is on the road, per NFL broadcast rules.
You're probably asking this, then: the Steelers game is at 1 p.m. and the Ravens are on at 4 -- what gives?
Prior to the season, the National Football League determines on which weekends CBS or FOX will air a doubleheader (two NFL games airing on one Sunday on the same network).
This Sunday's games fall on a FOX doubleheader weekend. FOX stations will be airing two games on Sunday; while CBS stations -- including CBS 21 -- are permitted to air just one game. Since CBS 21 can air just one game this weekend, we must show the Ravens on the road, per NFL rules; therefore we are carrying Baltimore-San Diego.
Had this been a CBS doubleheader weekend, CBS 21 could have aired both the Steelers at 1 p.m. and the Ravens at 4 p.m. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
While we're on the topic, there's two more upcoming dates that we call "conflict" games around the offices of CBS 21: December 9 and December 30.
On December 9, CBS 21 is airing the Ravens-Redskins game; not the Chargers-Steelers match-up at 1 p.m. The reasoning? Baltimore is on the road and CBS 21 must air Ravens' road games, per NFL rules.
CBS 21 is televising the Ravens game at the Bengals on December 30 at 1 p.m., not the Steelers-Browns game. Again, this is due to Baltimore being on the road.
We're pleased to offer these games to fans of the Baltimore Ravens.
Can anything be done to change the NFL's broadcast rules?
Nope. I've addressed that in previous blog posts.
The only thing we can do here at CBS 21 news is give the thousands of fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers a heads-up.