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The answer is the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of Freaking 1992 -- a law that, in the interest of keeping broadcast television alive, said no cable provider can go to an out-of-area broadcaster of the same content for a cheaper price. Meaning that local broadcasters don't have to compete with those other cities.

It was a totally reasonable idea in 1992, a strange time when people couldn't see high definition tits in under six seconds with a swipe of their cellphone. So while the rest of the world has vaulted ahead into the 21st century, TV broadcasting is operating under regulations invented when Cheers was still on the air.

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Woody might actually get pot legalized before they even try to fix this.

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And now that there are localized blackouts, it's either all or nothing -- meaning that Time Warner can't simply take the daytime sports and news broadcasting from CBS 8 over in San Diego and show it to LA, because broadcast TV still thinks viewers will accept their fate rather than just steal that shit.

In other words ...