This could very well end up being the nail in the coffin for the Washington Redskins as we know it. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is now considering banning the Redskins name and whether to punish broadcasters who use the term.
Reuters is reporting that the FCC received a petition on behalf of a legal activist to take actions in guaranteeing that the team name is no longer used (h/t CNBC.com).
The Federal Communications Commission is considering whether to punish broadcasters for using the moniker of the Washington NFL team, the Redskins, a word many consider a slur to Native Americans, the agency’s chairman indicated on Tuesday.
The FCC, which enforces broadcast indecency violations, has received a petition from legal activist John Banzhaf III, asking that regulators strip local radio station WWXX-FM of its broadcasting license when it comes up for renewal for using the name “Redskins.”
In a statement to reporters, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler had this to say about the controversy.
We’ll be looking at that petition, we will be dealing with that issue on the merits and we’ll be responding accordingly,” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler told reporters.
“There are a lot of names and descriptions that were used over time that are inappropriate today. And I think the name that is attributed to the Washington football club is one of those.
If the FCC draws the conclusion that the team name is indecent, it could very well impose a ban of the term on the radio and television.
Back in June, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office cancelled the team’s trademark, a decision that Daniel Snyder and Co, are currently appealing in federal court. This is yet another issue for Snyder to deal with as he continues to face a backlash from the general public. It could also force him into making a decision that we all know he’s not ready to make.
Photo: USA Today