WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of the Federal Communications Commission said the agency will consider a petition to ban the Washington Redskins nickname from the public airwaves.
FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said Tuesday the commission "will be dealing with that issue on the merits, and we'll be responding accordingly."
A law professor has challenged the use of the name on broadcast television, saying it violates FCC rules against indecent content. Native American and other groups have demanded the name be changed.
Wheeler did not offer a timetable for a ruling on the matter. He has previously said he finds the name "offensive and derogatory," but he hoped Redskins owner Dan Snyder would change it.