Scoop: Democrats want cable companies to pay for TV blackouts

Driving the news: The three-page "Stop Sports Blackout Act," introduced by Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), would require cable providers to offer customers a rebate when programming covered by their subscription is made unavailable.

• Such blackouts come about often as a result of TV distribution contract disputes between networks and cable providers.
• The bill was spurred on by a recent fight between Optimum and MSG Networks that has denied customers in the New York Metro Area to basketball and hockey games.

What they're saying: "It's outrageous that millions of folks couldn't watch the Knicks, Judy Justice, or dozens of other programs for weeks because of blackouts. And it's even more ridiculous that we're all still paying for the right to stare at black screens," Ryan said in a statement.

• In addition to customers being reimbursed, Ryan said the bill would provide "a hell of an incentive to these billion dollar corporations to make sure these blackouts don't happen in the future."

• Murphy said in a statement: ""Blackouts are a slap in the face to every customer paying their hard-earned money for TV shows they can't even watch. It's ridiculous the rest of us get stuck in the crossfire of negotiations between cable and broadcast companies."