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Fox Sports Net
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The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net (FSN), are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.
he dawn of the cable television era, many regional sports networks (RSNs) vied to compete with the largest national sports network, ESPN .
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Encyclopedia
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net (FSN), are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.
Beginnings
At the dawn of the cable television era, many regional sports networks (RSNs) vied to compete with the largest national sports network, ESPN . The most notable were the SportsChannel networks, which went on the air in 1976 with the original SportsChannel (now MSG Plus) and later branched out into Chicago and Florida; Prime Network, which went on the air in 1983 with the charter member being Home Sports and Entertainment (now FSN Southwest) and later branched out onto the West Coast as "Prime Sports"; and SportSouth, the RSN operated by Turner Broadcasting.
In 1996, News Corporation, which launched the over-the-air general-interest Fox Broadcasting Company in 1986, took over the Prime Network affiliates and renamed them all "Fox Sports Net." In 1996, Fox bought SportSouth and renamed it "FSN South." In 1998, SportsChannel America joined the Fox Sports Net family (except for the Florida affiliate, which joined in 2000).
Starting in September 2004, Fox Sports Net became known simply as FSN, but the name Fox Sports Net is also still in common use.
Programming strategy
The programming strategy that most FSN networks have adopted is to acquire the play-by-play broadcast rights to major sports teams in their regional market, which can then be promoted against nationally broadcast games on ESPN that have no local interest. (The strategy incidentally encourages non-cable subscribers to subscribe to cable TV in order to watch their favorite teams play.) In addition to local play-by-play coverage, FSN networks create pregame shows, postgame shows, and weekly "magazine" shows centered on the teams to attract additional viewers. In some markets, FSN competes directly with other regional sports networks for the right to air this team-specific programming.
FSN has competed directly with ESPN in the area of acquiring rights to collegiate sports at the conference level. One notable agreement is with the Pacific-10 Conference, in which packages of football and men's basketball regular-season games are aired across all FSN networks in the Pac-10 region. Every game (except the final) of the Pacific-10 Conference of Men's Basketball Tournament is aired on FSN, as are a few Pac-10 matches in minor sports (e.g. baseball, volleyball).
Besides play-by-play, a common set of FSN programming is available to all its regional sports networks, most notably The Best Damn Sports Show Period and Final Score. In some of its regions, the competing Comcast SportsNet carries FSN programming on their channels.
Headquarters
Fox Sports Net is headquartered in Los Angeles' Westwood area. Its master control facilities are based in both Los Angeles and Houston. In February 2005, News Corporation (Fox's parent company) became 100 percent owner of FSN, after swapping assets with Cablevision Corporation, but was still identified in its copyright tag as "Fox Sports Net/National Sports Partners." (The name has since changed to "National Sports Programming.") Fox Sports Net also utilizes Stage 19 at Universal Studios Florida, after Nickelodeon Studios closed in 2005.
National prime time programming
In addition to regional programming, Fox Sports Net has some national prime time programming such as The Best Damn Sports Show Period and Chris Myers Interviews. FSN has tried to compete with ESPN in original programming, most notably in 1996, when FSN debuted the Fox Sports National Sports Report, a 30-minute sports news program designed to compete with ESPN's SportsCenter. The program originally began as a two hour program, but was steadily cut back as ratings dropped and costs increased. FSN hired popular former SportsCenter anchor Keith Olbermann and used him to promote the show heavily, but ratings continued to slide. The last edition of the National Sports Report aired in February 2002. In some markets, FSN airs the Regional Sports Report, usually headlined with the name of the region covered, such as the Midwest Sports Report or Detroit Sports Report. The regional reports began in 2000 to complement the national sports report, but many regional reports were cut in 2002 due to increasing costs.
Until 2008, these programs were billed as being part of FSN. However, the FSN name has been de-emphasized in advertising and promotion, and each network now uses its own logo. Most outlets either use the logo with the "FS(REGION)" template, the previous FSN logo (as used by the Liberty Sports Holdings-owned networks), or a completely different brand altogether (such as some of the the Comcast Sportsnet networks and the MSG Network). With these changes, FSN's model may have now shifted to a syndication model rather than a complete national network.
Four entities own FSN-affiliated networks: News Corporation, Comcast, Cablevision, and Liberty Media (Liberty Sports Holdings).
Regional Fox Sports Net networks
Defunct FSN networks
Other FSN-owned/affiliated Networks
Fox College Sports (FCS)
FSN also offers Fox College Sports (formerly Fox Sports Digital Networks) for digital cable subscribers. These are three channels (marked Atlantic, Central, and Pacific) that provide programming (primarily colleigate and high school sports, plus minor league sports) that would be carried from each individual FSN network, as well as each affiliate's regional sports reports and individually-produced programming (such as coaches shows, team magazines, and documentaries). More or less, these three networks are condensed versions of the 22 FSN-affiliated networks, including Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, though the channels also show international events that fit too oddly on FSN or Fox Soccer Channel, such as the Commonwealth Games, World University Games, and the FINA World Swimming Championships.
The 3 FCS Channels offer the FSN feeds from the following channels, including live Big 12 Conference football, Pacific 10 Conference football and basketball and Atlantic Coast Conference basketball. They also rerun shows originally produced by and shown on the networks listed:
- FCS Central: Fox Sports Detroit, Fox Sports Southwest, Fox Sports Houston, Fox Sports North, Fox Sports Wisconsin, Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Kansas City, Fox Sports Indiana, and Fox Sports Ohio
- FCS Pacific: Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Rocky Mountain, Fox Sports Utah, Fox Sports Northwest, Fox Sports West, and Prime Ticket.
Fox College Sports also shows Independent Women's Football League games, high school games, college magazine shows, and college coach's shows. Fox College Sports' partner channel is Big Ten Network.
On-screen graphics
FSN has often been the testing ground for the innovations that FOX comes up with graphically and the source of inspiration that other networks have for their graphics. They were the first U.S. sports channel to introduce the bar score/time graphic on the top of the screen (initially known as the FoxBox). Since FSN came up with the top-screen bar graphic, many other major networks have abandoned the corner box graphic in favor of the bar.
2001-mid-2005
FSN first used the scoring banner for most of its broadcasts beginning in 2001. The banner then was simpler than today's. It featured a transparent black rectangle, a baseball diamond graphic for baseball broadcasts on the far left, the team abbreviations in white with their scores in yellow boxes (the white boxes were used on some broadcasts until 2002). Then the quarter or inning, time or number of outs, pitch count/speed (baseball broadcasts), and the FSN logo on the far right. Until sometime in 2004, the logo said FOX SPORTS NET with the "FOX" in a white box, which was later changed to blue. Midway in July 2003, FOX Sports Net adopted new graphics for its baseball broadcasts, then later expanded them to college football, hockey, and basketball broadcasts, despite retaining the banner.
2005–Mid-2008
In the middle of June 2005, the banner was given a cosmetic upgrade, despite the graphics used since July 2003 are still used. The team abbreviations became white or black in the team's main color (depending on color contrast), and the scores are now in white boxes. The scores would flash, making a futuristic computer sound, whenever the scores change. On the baseball broadcasts, the diamond graphic on the far left would flash, circling the bases with a graphic below the banner with the words "HOME RUN" and the team's or player's name shown in electronic lettering. Also with the baseball broadcasts, the diamond graphic changed between 2005 and 2006. Also, the FSN logo on the far right is now in a black oval-like shape with the region in white.
2008/2009
For the 2008 college football season, the scoring banner went back to a box on the top-left portion of the screen, featuring text in an athletic-like font, with similarities to the text style of Big Ten Network's and FOX's current graphic styling. The box changes to the colors of the team possessing the ball, with down information in the top portion of the box and a text box with information such as punt hangtime extending from the bottom, and the size of the possessing team's scoring area expands with the possession arrow. The box flips over to indicate a score, and no FSN branding is seen onscreen beyond the local network's logo in the top-right hand corner, written as FS(region) (such as FSSOUTH, FSOHIO, FSWEST, etc.).
For major league events, logo bugs in most regions now use the team's name and colors instead of the FSN region name; such as FSSTARS for Fox Sports Southwest's coverage of the Dallas Stars, which can simplify branding for teams whose broadcasts span across multiple FSN affiliates. PRIMETICKET uses PT instead of FS on its bug (i.e. PTCLIPPERS for Prime Ticket's coverage of Los Angeles Clippers games), and Sun Sports uses SUN instead (i.e. SUNLIGHTNING for Sun's coverage of the Tampa Bay Lightning). SportSouth however, still uses their own logo. Fox Sports affiliates owned by Liberty Media still use the old "pillbox" logo but without a regional name during telecasts. Networks that syndicate FSN programming but use their own graphics during locally televised events use their regular logo bug in the corner (such as MSG Network) during national events.
The new graphical design began being used on NHL telecasts on October 11th, 2008, the start of regular season broadcasts. It was implemented for NBA telecasts on October 28th, but instead of the larger top-corner box, NBA telecasts use a smaller scorebox in the bottom-right corner, akin to TNT's scoreboard. This scoreboard is used for college basketball games as well.
For MLB telecasts, there is a rectangular graphic in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, with the teams' town or state abbreviations (with the team's dominant color in the background of the abbreviation) on the left side of the graphic (away team on the top half, home team on the bottom half). In the middle part of the graphic, the inning number is on the top half, with the arrow pointing up or down (to signify if it is the top or bottom half of the inning), with the balls, strikes, and outs indicated on the bottom half, below where the inning number is located. And on the right-hand portion of the rectangular graphic is the baseball diamond indicator, with the bases filled in with yellow whenever there is a base runner on the appropriate base at the time.
Programs broadcast nationwide
Live national play-by-play
Other sports
New shows added in 2008
Amazing Sports Stories is a 30-minute weekly show in which re-enactments are used to tell various human interest stories in the sports world. The premiere episode on April 13 recounted Bert Shepard's only game as a major-league pitcher; he is the only player in Major League Baseball history who played with a prosthetic device (it replaced one of his legs). Some subsequent episodes featured Jackie Mitchell, a female pitcher who struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game; Lawrence Lemieux, a Canadian Olympic yachtsman who sacrificed his chance at a medal to save the life of two fellow competitors from Singapore; and Ben Malcolmson, a writer for a college newspaper (The Daily Trojan) who walked onto the USC Trojans football team.Baseball's Golden Age uses film footage shot between the 1920s and 1960s to tell the history of baseball during that time. It premiered on July 6 for a scheduled 13-episode run.2Xtreem Motorcycle TV is a themed motorcycle customization show. The four person team consists of current and former AMA licensed racers and mechanics. Builds include a tribute to NASA's Apollo Project and a bike built for NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson and his charitable foundation. Future builds include bikes for rock music performer Jason Bonham (Foreigner) and Juan Pablo Montoya, another NASCAR star who was once in Formula One and also a former Indianapolis 500 winner.
New shows added in 2007
Sport Science, which premiered on September 30, explains various athletic skills and techniques through the scientific method. FSN set up a performance laboratory at an airport hangar to measure these techniques.Toughest Cowboy is a series of weekly competitions in which rodeo cowboys attempt to ride in bareback, saddle bronc, and bull riding. Each of those three disciplines is a round in the event, and this show tours arenas throughout the United States.Mind, Body & Kickin' Moves, a re-edited version of the British martial arts show Mind, Body & Kick Ass Moves.
New shows added in 2006
BCS Breakdown, a preview of that week's top games, with an eye on how they might influence the BCS standings. Tom Helmer is the host, with analysis from Gary Barnett and Petros Papadakis. On October 15, 2006, it debuted The Official BCS Ratings Show, an expansion of the earlier announcement on the broadcast network. The on-air team is the same for this show.On June 26, 2006, FSN debuted In Focus, which effectively replaces Beyond the Glory, a program in the vein of Biography and SportsCentury which ran from 2001 until early 2006. This new half-hour takes a look at the impact of a particular sports event, mostly told through the medium of still photography. Dick Enberg is the host.On July 3, 2006, FSN debuted FSN Final Score, the first national sports news program on the network since the cancellation of the National Sports Report. FSN veterans Van Earl Wright, Barry LeBrock, and Andrew Siciliano have been joined by newcomers Greg Wolf and Danyelle Sargent. Rick Jaffe, the show's executive producer, promised that the half-hour program will focus on showing game highlights, without additional analysis or interviews. The program changed its name to simply Final Score on April 23, 2008.
Other shows seen on FSN across the country are The Best Damn Sports Show Period, The Chris Myers Interview, FSN Pro Football Preview, Totally Football, and FSN Baseball Report. The Sports List and Beyond the Glory are still seen in reruns in most markets.
In addition, FSN airs an extensive lineup of poker shows, including Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament and MansionPoker.net PokerDome Challenge. Recently, it was announced that the World Poker Tour will broadcast it's 7th season on FSN as well.
Defunct programs
These programs once aired on FSN, but have since been cancelled:
I, Max: Talk show hosted by Max Kellerman. A combination of poor ratings and the repercussions of the death of Kellerman's brother caused the show's demise.The Last Word: Another talk show. Originally, this had a bicoastal format, with Wallace Matthews hosting in New York City and Jim Rome in Los Angeles. During this show's run, Matthews was removed and Rome hosted by himself.Totally NASCAR: A daily show about NASCAR racing. This program received access to race highlights denied to ESPN2's RPM 2Night. Whether this decision was related to RPM 2Nights cancellation in 2003 remains debatable, but this show was itself cancelled after the 2004 season. A modified version of this show, called Around the Track, now airs on many, but not all, FSN affiliates.Two game shows: The Ultimate Fan League, hosted by Bil Dwyer; and Sports Geniuses, hosted by Matt Vasgersian.You Gotta See This, a compilation of unusual video highlights from the world of sports.FSN Across America, which was a newsmagazine show. When one of its co-hosts, Carolyn Hughes, was revealed to have an affair with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe in 2004, Hughes was dropped from the show and released by the network. FSN cited a violation of a morals clause in Hughes' contract. The show died shortly after that.Before that, another magazine, Goin' Deep, had aired from 2000 to 2001 with Joe Buck, then Chris Myers, as host. That show resembled Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel with its hour-long format and focus on contentious issues in sports.TNA iMPACT!, a professional wrestling program, aired on FSN for a little more than a year, starting in June 2004 to May 2005, but has since moved to Spike TV.
Pay-per-view
On November 10, 2006, FSN distributed its first pay-per-view event. Evander Holyfield, former heavyweight boxing champion, defeated Fres Oquendo in a unanimous decision at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The fight was also distributed free of charge on the FoxSports.com website outside the United States.
FSN HD
FSN HD is a 720p high definition simulcast of FSN featuring high-definition programming such as live sporting events. Each regional channel has its own separate HD feed, but when the program being shown is only available in SD, the HD feed of the affiliate broadcasting it is deactivated. National FSN shows FSN Final Score and The Baseball Report are shown in HD on all affiliates. Also, live sports that FSN has rights to televise nationally such as Big 12 and Pac 10 football are shown in HD on all affiliates.
Americans in Focus
FSN has launched a public service initiative called , with the sponsorship support of Farmers Insurance. This initiative consists of one-minute vignettes profiling persons of non-Caucasian ethnicity. Americans in Focus launched in February 2008 for Black History Month and was to continue all through September and October for Hispanic Heritage Month. Over 20 vignettes have aired so far, and FSN aired a related half-hour program in February.
See also
External links
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