Football Network
Encyclopedia
The Football Network is a network that covered all aspects of American football
, including the NFL
, college football
, high school
, and various semi-pro
and indoor leagues.
TFN is one of the few nationwide TV networks in the United States
that has ever been owned by an African-American.
After the groundwork was complete, the company's key shareholders thought it best to turn the company over to sports executive Jerry Solomon. Turner's role was reduced to the figurehead of founder. Solomon negotiated a deal with the State of Louisiana to move the channel's headquarters to Baton Rouge, a conditional carriage agreement with Time Warner, and programming for SpikeTV and USA Network. Unfortunately, the ultimate success of the company would be judged by the full-time launch of the channel and that required funding in the neighborhood of $100 million dollars. In the unknown financial market right before the eventual collapse of the global financial market, TFN found sources of such funding lessening and even had negotiations which would never come to fruition.
, and the network had a "soft launch" in August
2003
in a few markets even without the major funding secured. In its first year, TFN covered college games on the Division I-AA and lower levels, plus a few high school games.
, Fox Sports Net
launching their College Sports suite
, and the higher profile launch of CSTV, made lasting on the air difficult, and the network stopped broadcasting in the spring of 2004
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, including the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, and various semi-pro
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
and indoor leagues.
TFN is one of the few nationwide TV networks in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that has ever been owned by an African-American.
Founding
TFN, The Football Network was founded in August 1996 by Jantonio Turner, when he wanted to find more football highlights and he discovered that no other all-football channel existed. He was first mentored by Sheldon Altfeld who had launched his own channel and who by then was giving seminars to entrepreneurs who wished to begin their own networks. Over the next five years the company laid the groundwork for the establishment of a channel from extensive qualitative and quantitative market research, to hiring Newberger Greenberg and Associates, the media consulting firm who did the business plans for The Golf Channel, to becoming a publicly traded company with the stock ticker symbol: TFNK to help it attract the funding necessary to launch. TFN would go on to create a national radio show distributed by Sportsbyline USA, other football programming distributed by local television stations, and a conditional carriage agreement with the NCTC, representing 8.5 million cable subscribers in the nation's smaller cable systems.After the groundwork was complete, the company's key shareholders thought it best to turn the company over to sports executive Jerry Solomon. Turner's role was reduced to the figurehead of founder. Solomon negotiated a deal with the State of Louisiana to move the channel's headquarters to Baton Rouge, a conditional carriage agreement with Time Warner, and programming for SpikeTV and USA Network. Unfortunately, the ultimate success of the company would be judged by the full-time launch of the channel and that required funding in the neighborhood of $100 million dollars. In the unknown financial market right before the eventual collapse of the global financial market, TFN found sources of such funding lessening and even had negotiations which would never come to fruition.
Headquarters and "soft launch"
The network's headquarters was in Baton Rouge, LouisianaBaton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, and the network had a "soft launch" in August
August 2003
August 2003: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December-August 1, 2003 :...
2003
2003 in television
The year 2003 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2003.For the American TV schedule, see: 2003-04 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
in a few markets even without the major funding secured. In its first year, TFN covered college games on the Division I-AA and lower levels, plus a few high school games.
Mounting troubles
Mounting costs and very low distribution, combined with the NFL launching their networkNFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
, Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
launching their College Sports suite
Fox College Sports
Fox College Sports is a group of three United States digital cable networks, FCS Atlantic, FCS Central and FCS Pacific owned by News Corporation, that specialize primarily in showing collegiate programming, live events, coaches shows & various DI, DII, & DIII content surrounding college athletics...
, and the higher profile launch of CSTV, made lasting on the air difficult, and the network stopped broadcasting in the spring of 2004
2004 in television
The year 2004 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2004.For the American TV schedule, see: 2004–05 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
.
Possible revitalization
Turner was given back control of the company in 2006 and has been taking the steps necessary to effect a turnaround, and now having simplified the business strategy to what TFN was able to do before, and with the industry's insatiable need for programming and the American public's insatiable desire for football, TFN announced on August 4, 2009 the reorganization revitalization plan for TFNK.Personalities
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