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SportSouth is a regional sports network
Regional sports network

In the United States of America and Canada, a regional sports network, or RSN, is a cable television station that presents sports programming to a local market....
 in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, with its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the Capital and most populous city in Georgia , as well as the 33rd largest city in the United States of America with a population of 519,145....
. SportSouth, formerly Turner South
Turner South

Turner South was an United States of America cable television television network launched on October 1, 1999 by Turner Broadcasting System as the first regional entertainment network developed especially for viewers in the southern United States....
, relaunched on October 13, 2006. The first official event on the channel was a National Hockey League
National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America. It is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and one of the North American Major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada....
 game between the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers

The Atlanta Thrashers are a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League ....
 and the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, North Carolina. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play home games at the 18,680 capacity RBC Center....
.

SportSouth reaches about 8.9 million cable and satellite subscribers in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
, Tennessee
Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
, Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
, Mississippi
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
, South Carolina
South Carolina

South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....
 and parts of North Carolina
North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....
.




arch 2006, FSN's parent company News Corporation
News Corporation

News Corporation , , ) is one of the world's largest Media conglomerate conglomerates. The company's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Founder is Rupert Murdoch and the President and Chief Operating Officer is Peter Chernin....
, looking to further expand its roster of sports teams and events, bought the network for $375 million.






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SportSouth is a regional sports network
Regional sports network

In the United States of America and Canada, a regional sports network, or RSN, is a cable television station that presents sports programming to a local market....
 in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, with its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the Capital and most populous city in Georgia , as well as the 33rd largest city in the United States of America with a population of 519,145....
. SportSouth, formerly Turner South
Turner South

Turner South was an United States of America cable television television network launched on October 1, 1999 by Turner Broadcasting System as the first regional entertainment network developed especially for viewers in the southern United States....
, relaunched on October 13, 2006. The first official event on the channel was a National Hockey League
National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America. It is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and one of the North American Major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada....
 game between the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers

The Atlanta Thrashers are a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League ....
 and the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, North Carolina. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play home games at the 18,680 capacity RBC Center....
.

SportSouth reaches about 8.9 million cable and satellite subscribers in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
, Tennessee
Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
, Alabama
Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the Southern United States of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west....
, Mississippi
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
, South Carolina
South Carolina

South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....
 and parts of North Carolina
North Carolina

North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....
.

Network histories

  • Turner South
    Turner South

    Turner South was an United States of America cable television television network launched on October 1, 1999 by Turner Broadcasting System as the first regional entertainment network developed especially for viewers in the southern United States....
     was launched in 1999 by Turner Broadcasting System
    Turner Broadcasting System

    Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the company managing the collection of cable television television networks and properties started by Ted Turner from the mid-1970s to the late-1990s....
     as the first regional entertainment network developed especially for viewers in the southern U.S. The regional cable TV network
    Television network

    A television network is a distribution wiktionary:Network for television content whereby a central operation provides television program for many television stations....
     offered movies, tv series, sitcoms, regional news updates, and unique original programming, plus professional sports coverage for Atlanta Braves
    Atlanta Braves

    The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the National League East of Major League Baseball's National League....
     (Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball

    Major League Baseball is the highest level of play in American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between them since 1903 ....
    ), Atlanta Hawks
    Atlanta Hawks

    The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
     (National Basketball Association
    National Basketball Association

    The National Basketball Association is North America's premier professional men's basketball league, composed of thirty teams: twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada....
    ), and Atlanta Thrashers
    Atlanta Thrashers

    The Atlanta Thrashers are a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League ....
     (National Hockey League
    National Hockey League

    The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America. It is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and one of the North American Major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada....
    ), all of which were owned by Turner Broadcasting at network launch.


  • The original SportSouth was founded by Turner Broadcasting System
    Turner Broadcasting System

    Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the company managing the collection of cable television television networks and properties started by Ted Turner from the mid-1970s to the late-1990s....
     (which Time Warner would later buy) in 1990. Programs included Atlanta Braves
    Atlanta Braves

    The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the National League East of Major League Baseball's National League....
     games, Atlanta Hawks
    Atlanta Hawks

    The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
     games, Atlanta Knights games, Charlotte Hornets games, college sports, and some syndicated shows. One of them, This Week in NASCAR
    This Week in NASCAR

    This Week in Nascar formerly Inside Nextel Cup is a 60 minute program that aires Mondays on Speed Channel. This Week in Nascar is hosted by veteran NASCAR personality Steve Byrnes....
    , was hosted by sportscasting veteran Eli Gold
    Eli Gold

    Eli Gold is an United States sportscaster. Gold is best known as the radio voice for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, along with Tom Roberts, as part of the Crimson Tide Sports Network since 1988....
    . Viewers could call in and discuss NASCAR
    NASCAR

    The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is the largest sanctioning body of stock cars in the United States. The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series....
     racing with drivers and other guests. That show was produced at Lowe's Motor Speedway
    Lowe's Motor Speedway

    Lowe's Motor Speedway is a Oval track in Concord, North Carolina, north of Charlotte. It features a long quad-oval track that seats 167,000 people, with room for 50,000 more spectators in the infield....
     in Concord, North Carolina
    Concord, North Carolina

    Concord is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 55,977. It is the county seat of Cabarrus County, North Carolina and a winner of the All-America City Award in 2004....
    . This original SportSouth was bought by Fox Cable Networks in 1996 and became what is today FSN South
    FSN South

    Fox Sports South is a regional sports network that airs sports programming in the Southern United States. It is part of the larger Fox Sports Net group of regional sports networks....
    .


Sale

In March 2006, FSN's parent company News Corporation
News Corporation

News Corporation , , ) is one of the world's largest Media conglomerate conglomerates. The company's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Founder is Rupert Murdoch and the President and Chief Operating Officer is Peter Chernin....
, looking to further expand its roster of sports teams and events, bought the network for $375 million. . After the deal was completed, FSN sought a new name. After about 60 different suggestions, network officials chose SportSouth, the original name of the other network owned by News Corp, FSN South.

Current operations

SportSouth plans to air 61 Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers

The Atlanta Thrashers are a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League ....
 games, 45 Hawks
Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
 games in 2006-07 and 55 Braves
Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the National League East of Major League Baseball's National League....
 games in the 2007 MLB season. That number will expand to 80 in 2008, when TBS
TBS (TV network)

TBS is an United States cable television TV network owned by media mogul Ted Turner that shows sports and a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy....
 ends national broadcasts of Braves games in favor of a leaguewide package. It shares local Braves broadcasting with WPCH-TV, the spun-off local broadcast version of TBS, an arrangement which begun in 2008. (Select games of the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. They are members of the National League Central of the National League....
 and St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the National League Central in the National League of Major League Baseball....
 will also be distributed on SportSouth, subject to Major League Baseball territory restrictions.) However, conflicts with NBA and NHL playoff games could see the split between SportSouth and Fox Sports South differ from the planned 80/25 games per network. Also, in 2006-07, SportSouth began televising some Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
 games. This ensures that both they and the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
 have the maximum number of games televised that they wish to offer.

Sportsouth also has acquired the rights to University of Tennessee sporting events as of August 28, 2007, including 12 encore presentations of Tennessee football, four men’s basketball games, four women’s basketball games, six Olympic sporting events, 12 60-minute episodes of The Phillip Fulmer Show, nine 30-minute episodes of The Pat Summitt Show, and nine 30-minute episodes of The Bruce Pearl Show.

There are two major differences between Fox Sports South and SportSouth:
  • SportSouth plans to air only programs of interest to the region, much as PRIMETICKET does in Southern California. Jeff Genthner, vice president and general manager of FSN South and SportSouth, cited a program currently in the works on Hawks
    Atlanta Hawks

    The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
     rookie Shelden Williams
    Shelden Williams

    Shelden DeMar Williams is an United States professional basketball player for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves. His jersey number, 23, was retired by Duke University on January 28, 2007....
    ' first year in the NBA as one example. Thus, only Fox Sports South will carry national FSN games, such as those from the Big 12 and Pac-10 Conferences. The two channels also try to put virtually all Southeastern Conference
    Southeastern Conference

    The Southeastern Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in , which operates in the Southern United States part of the United States....
     or Atlantic Coast Conference
    Atlantic Coast Conference

    The Atlantic Coast Conference is a List of college athletic conferences in the United States. Founded in 1953, the ACC's twelve member university compete in twenty sports in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I....
     games on one channel or the other, again often targeted to regional vs. national interests.
  • SportSouth is blacked out
    Blackout (broadcasting)

    In broadcasting, a blackout is when certain programming, usually sports, cannot be television in a certain media market.The purpose is theoretically to generate more money by obligating certain actions from fans, either by making them buy tickets or watch other games on TV....
     in areas not covered by the ZIP codes in the regional coverage area. For example, viewers of DirecTV
    DirecTV

    DirecTV is a direct broadcast satellite service based in El Segundo, California, California, which transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, the Caribbean, and parts of Latin America....
    's "Sports Pack" in other parts of the United States
    United States

    The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
     will not receive the channel. The blackout policy dates back to the days of Turner/Time Warner ownership. However, as of August 2007, it appears the restrictions have been lifted on DirecTV
    DirecTV

    DirecTV is a direct broadcast satellite service based in El Segundo, California, California, which transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, the Caribbean, and parts of Latin America....
     and "Sports Pack" subscribers are now receiving the channel without blackouts (except during major league sporting events).
  • Fox Sports South also covers a somewhat wider broadcast area, and offers a variety of different MLB, NBA, and NHL teams, depending on location.


Promotional commercials for SportSouth have included sports figures such as Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier

Stephen Orr Spurrier is a former American football player and currently the head coach of the University of South Carolina college football team....
, Bob Hartley
Bob Hartley

Robert "Bob" Hartley is a former Canada head coach in the National Hockey League. He coached the Colorado Avalanche from 1997-98 NHL season-2002-03 NHL season, which he won the Stanley Cup with in the 2000-01 NHL season....
, Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson

Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is an United States sportsperson and a former multi-sport professional. Jackson played at the highest level of sports in the United States in both American football and baseball....
, and Heath Shuler
Heath Shuler

Joseph Heath Shuler is an United States American football player, Businessperson, and politician. He is currently a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives, representing since 2007....
.

Commentators


Atlanta Hawks

  • Bob Rathbun
    Bob Rathbun

    Bob Rathbun is a sports television announcer. He has been the announcer for the Atlanta Hawks basketball games on FSN South since 1996-97 NBA season....
    : play-by-play
  • Dominique Wilkins
    Dominique Wilkins

    Jacques Dominique Wilkins is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association and Basketball Hall of Famer....
    : analyst
  • James Verette: sideline reporter
  • Jerome Jurenovich: Hawks Live host
  • Mike Glenn
    Mike Glenn

    Mike Theodore "Stinger" Glenn is an United States former professional basketball player.A 6'2" guard , Glenn graduated in 1973 from Rome's Coosa High School, where he was an all-state standout, still holding the school points record at over 2,400 points for his high school career....
    : Hawks Live analyst


Atlanta Braves

  • Jon Sciambi
    Jon Sciambi

    Jon "Boog" Sciambi is an United States sportscaster for Atlanta Braves baseball on SportSouth and FSN South. He has worked extensively as a baseball play-by-play announcer, working for ESPN in 2005 and 2006....
    : play-by-play
  • Joe Simpson
    Joe Simpson (broadcaster)

    Joe Allen Simpson has been a radio and television Presenter for the Atlanta Braves since 1992 in baseball and is a former Major League Baseball player....
    : analyst
  • Katy Temple: field reporter
  • Jerome Jurenovich: Braves Live host
  • Ron Gant
    Ron Gant

    Ronald Edwin "Ron" Gant is a former United States Major League Baseball outfielder and second baseman earlier on who played for the Atlanta Braves , Cincinnati Reds , St....
    : Braves Live analyst
  • Brian Jordan
    Brian Jordan

    Brian O'Neal Jordan is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman. After a brief NFL career, he played the first seven years of his baseball career with the St....
    : Braves Live analyst


Atlanta Thrashers

  • JP Dellacamera
    JP Dellacamera

    John Paul Dellacamera , known as JP , is the voice of Major League Soccer for American Broadcasting Company and ESPN....
    : play-by-play, Thrashers Live host
  • Darren Eliot
    Darren Eliot

    Darren Eliot is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was drafted in the sixth round, 115th overall, by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft....
    : analyst, Thrashers Live analyst
  • Natalie Taylor: rink reporter (Home Games Only)


Charlotte Bobcats

  • Steve Martin (broadcaster): play-by-play
  • Henry Williams
    Henry Williams (basketball)

    Henry Williams is a retired United States basketball player....
    : analyst
  • Stephanie Ready
    Stephanie Ready

    Stephanie Ready became the first female coach of a men's professional league in 2001 in sports. . From 2001 to 2003, she was an assistant coach for the now defunct Greenville Groove of the National Basketball Development League ....
    : sideline reporter


Memphis Grizzlies

  • Pete Pranica: play-by-play
  • Sean Tuohy
    Sean Tuohy

    Sean Tuohy is an United States basketball player who completed his collegiate career at the University of Mississippi in the early 1980s, best known for being the all-time assists leader in the Southeastern Conference....
    : analyst
  • Rob Fischer: sideline reporter


See also

  • Fox Sports Net
    Fox Sports Net

    The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of Cable television regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation....
  • Fox Sports South
  • Turner South
    Turner South

    Turner South was an United States of America cable television television network launched on October 1, 1999 by Turner Broadcasting System as the first regional entertainment network developed especially for viewers in the southern United States....