The Oneida Nation so far has failed to derail the use of the Washington Redskins moniker. So has Congress. But now, the Federal Communications Commission could take a swing.
Reuters is reporting that the FCC is considering whether it should punish broadcasters for using the term for the NFL team - a word that the Oneida Nation, members of Congress and others have deemed to be derogatory to Native Americans, the agency's chairman said Tuesday.
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Legal activist John Banzhaf III filed a petition with the FCC, asking that local radio station WWXX-FM be stripped of its broadcasting license for using the name "Redskins" without limitation. Benzhaf claims that using "Redskins" on air is "akin to broadcasting obscenity" because of its racist connotations.
A lot of protesters have made that claim, which has fallen on deaf ears. Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has been steadfast in his refusal to consider a name-change, and he has enjoyed the full backing of the NFL.
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But the FCC appears to be willing to consider the claim.
"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, according to Reuters.
"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," Wheeler added.
Some media entities have taken measures against the use of the team name. CBS Sports is leaving the decision up to its broadcasters whether they want to use the term, and analyst Phil Simms said he no longer will use it. NBC analyst and former coach Tony Dungy also no longer uses the term.
The Washington Post editorial board has stopped using it, although the name still is used in the sports section.
In June, a panel of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office canceled the team's trademark registration because it considers the name and its logo disparaging. Washington football officials have appealed the decision in federal court.
Do you think the FCC could force Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to change the team's nickname? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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