The ongoing dispute between cable provider Cablevision and Fox meant that Cablevision customers couldn't watch Tuesday's playoff baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants. Never fear! The FCC stepped in... and live-Tweeted the game:

Matt Cain relieved after 7 strong, 2 H, 0 ER. Giants scored on two singles, throwing error. SF up 3-0 top 9 http://fcc.gov/consumerTue Oct 19 22:51:49 via web

The FCC
FCC

What was a funny publicity stunt—intended, one imagines, to keep pressure on the two companies to strike a deal—also serves as a reminder of how powerless the government agency is in this situation. Unable to step in and do anything besides call the companies' CEOs and ask them to figure something out, the FCC is reduced to a scorekeeper. Literally!

So, sports fans with Cablevision: Make sure you follow the FCC Twitter before tomorrow night. For the record, San Francisco won, 3-0.

[WSJ]