Who decides what games get shown in my area?
The networks, with some guidance from the NFL. The league sets "primary markets" and "secondary markets" for most teams, and those markets are required to show all road games involving the "local" team. Primary markets are required to air home games too, unless they don't sell out. The "primary market" is the market in which the team is physically located (i.e. Boston for the Patriots). The "secondary markets" are adjoining markets assigned at the discretion of the league (again using the Patriots example, Providence and Portland ME). Secondary markets are not required to air home games, and if there's another team nearby, they don't. Not all markets are designated by one team or another as a secondary market (in fact, most aren't), usually only the ones closest to the stadium -- the ones that would be blacked out if not a sellout. Other markets can air one team?s games more often than not, but that rule isn?t set in stone. Some stats about airing patterns: 2005, 2006.
Harrisburg PA is a good example. Because Baltimore is the closest team, the NFL has designated it a Ravens secondary market. However, the stations there have noticed there are more Steelers fans. So the CBS affiliate there, despite having to air Ravens *road* games in case of a Steelers conflict (and enduring the wrath of the local fans every time it happens), they do air the Steelers whenever the Ravens play at *home*.
Outside of these primary and secondary markets, and even in them if the local team isn't playing, the network is the sole arbiter of what game gets shown where, but usually after taking input from the local affiliates. Affiliates can request a particular game be shown to their market, and the network will (usually) agree unless it runs against the secondary market rules. The CBS affiliate in Orlando in 2005, after several desperate attempts, couldn't show a Dolphins-Buccaneers game because, for some reason, the NFL said Orlando is a Jaguars market.
As I said earlier, stations in the 32 team markets are not allowed to air a game if the other network has a local team's home game at the same time. Instead, they have to air one in the other timeslot. The rule does not specifically apply if the local team is on the road, but that's on the doubleheader network, the singleheader network usually airs a game in the opposite timeslot. This is usually how those Raiders-Texans duds end up on the air in Cleveland.
http://www.the506.com/nflmaps/index.html
