From the Lafayette Journal & Courier:
The state has made all sorts of provisions for sporting venues in its history. Why not help the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? In terms of Indiana icons, the speedway — home of the Indianapolis 500 for more than a century — there are few that can stake claim to the same sort of staying power.
This week, the Indiana Senate approved a bill that would create a motorsports investment district to collect existing state sales and income taxes generated from the track. According to the bill, that could raise up to $100 million over the next 20 years for improvements at the track. Among the things on the wish list: lights for possible night events.
All in all, fair enough.
But here’s something legislators should encourage the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to do in return for that state support: How about lifting the local TV blackout on Indy 500 race day?
For those who don’t go to the Memorial Day weekend race, listening on the radio is a Hoosier tradition. Still, breaking the old-school, archaic blackout rule would be the right change. Now’s the time to bring it up, while the speedway is looking for a hand.
http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013302230009
