FSN Florida
Encyclopedia
Fox Sports Florida, formerly FSN Florida, Fox Sports Net Florida, and SportsChannel Florida, is a regional sports network
that shows local sports coverage in the state of Florida. It is owned by News Corp along with Sun Sports
and is a member of Fox Sports Net
. It was launched on July 1, 1987 as SportsChannel Florida. It was relaunched as Fox Sports Net Florida on March 1, 2000, making it the last SportsChannel Network to do so.
(MLB), Miami Marlins (MLB), Florida Panthers
(NHL), Miami Heat
and Orlando Magic
(NBA) plus local coverage of the following college sports conferences: Big East, Atlantic Sun
, Conference USA
, and Atlantic Coast
. Parts of southern Alabama and Georgia receive the channel, in addition to all of Florida.
, refusing to air the channel. The conflict began when the cable outlet was called Cablevision (not affiliated with the modern Cablevision), and continued through acquisition by Time Warner Cable
and, later, Bright House. This issue did not change when Sun Sports
, which is carried by Bright House Networks, was acquired by Fox Sports. Although the Orlando Magic moved half their schedule from Channel 65
to FS Florida in 2007, this still did not change the situation.
On January 1, 2009, the Bright House Networks affiliate in Orlando finally began airing Fox Sports Florida as part of the regular Digital Cable package on channel 50.
It was also not available to Comcast
cable subscribers in the Sarasota and Tallahassee areas until it was added in 2006. While it is available to Jacksonville subscribers, Magic games are not shown on its feed either. Comcast in Lake County also does not carry the channel.
Had FSN's parent company, News Corporation
, and Bright House not come to a retransmission agreement on January 1, 2010, both Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports would have been dropped from the Bright House lineup.
basketball, as Central and Northern Florida can view Orlando Magic
basketball. Ultimately however, Sun Sports and FS Florida are sister channels, and games can air on either channel depending on who is playing at what time (particularly with the Marlins and Rays, since both teams routinely play at the same time). The two channels do not focus on one region of Florida, but simply distribute games in accordance with each team's territorial rights so that the Lightning, Heat, Marlins, Rays, Magic , and Florida Panthers
are all cable-exclusive.
baseball games (and Rays Live), the logo turns to FSRAYS, with the FS taking on a Columbia blue
color; for Marlins baseball games (and Marlins Live), the logo is FSMARLINS, with the FS shown in teal; in the case of Magic
basketball games (as well as Magic Live), the logo is FSMAGIC with the FS in a medium blue color; for Panthers
hockey games (and also Panthers Live), the logo becomes FSPANTHERS, with the FS in red.
high definition simulcast of Fox Sports Florida. Most games as well as national FSN programs are broadcast in HD.
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. The most important programming on an RSN consists of live broadcasts of professional and college sporting events, as those games generate...
that shows local sports coverage in the state of Florida. It is owned by News Corp along with Sun Sports
Sun Sports
Sun Sports is a Florida sports broadcasting network, with its headquarters in Orlando. Launched in 1988 as Sunshine Network, the station is now affiliated with virtually every cable company throughout the state of Florida and can be picked up by some satellite providers around the United...
and is a member of 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 :...
. It was launched on July 1, 1987 as SportsChannel Florida. It was relaunched as Fox Sports Net Florida on March 1, 2000, making it the last SportsChannel Network to do so.
Programming
The channel has the rights to the Tampa Bay RaysTampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
(MLB), Miami Marlins (MLB), Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
(NHL), Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
and Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
(NBA) plus local coverage of the following college sports conferences: Big East, Atlantic Sun
Atlantic Sun Conference
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a college athletic conference operating in the Southeastern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I; it does not sponsor football. The conference was established in 1978 as the Trans America Athletic Conference...
, Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
, and Atlantic Coast
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. Parts of southern Alabama and Georgia receive the channel, in addition to all of Florida.
Bright House
The channel was not available to most cable subscribers in the Orlando area due to the regions' largest cable operator, Bright House NetworksBright House Networks
Bright House Networks is a cable television company, the seventh largest cable operator and the sixth largest traditional multiple system operator in the United States owned by Advance/Newhouse, headquartered in Syracuse, New York...
, refusing to air the channel. The conflict began when the cable outlet was called Cablevision (not affiliated with the modern Cablevision), and continued through acquisition by Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
and, later, Bright House. This issue did not change when Sun Sports
Sun Sports
Sun Sports is a Florida sports broadcasting network, with its headquarters in Orlando. Launched in 1988 as Sunshine Network, the station is now affiliated with virtually every cable company throughout the state of Florida and can be picked up by some satellite providers around the United...
, which is carried by Bright House Networks, was acquired by Fox Sports. Although the Orlando Magic moved half their schedule from Channel 65
WRBW
WRBW is the MyNetworkTV owned and operated station serving the Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne, Florida television market. It is owned by the Fox Television Stations Group, along with Fox station WOFL Channel 35. Known on-air as "My65", the station offers sitcoms, cartoons, court shows, and...
to FS Florida in 2007, this still did not change the situation.
On January 1, 2009, the Bright House Networks affiliate in Orlando finally began airing Fox Sports Florida as part of the regular Digital Cable package on channel 50.
It was also not available to Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
cable subscribers in the Sarasota and Tallahassee areas until it was added in 2006. While it is available to Jacksonville subscribers, Magic games are not shown on its feed either. Comcast in Lake County also does not carry the channel.
Had FSN's parent company, News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
, and Bright House not come to a retransmission agreement on January 1, 2010, both Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports would have been dropped from the Bright House lineup.
Sun Sports
Through Sun Sports, South Florida can view Miami HeatMiami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
basketball, as Central and Northern Florida can view Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
basketball. Ultimately however, Sun Sports and FS Florida are sister channels, and games can air on either channel depending on who is playing at what time (particularly with the Marlins and Rays, since both teams routinely play at the same time). The two channels do not focus on one region of Florida, but simply distribute games in accordance with each team's territorial rights so that the Lightning, Heat, Marlins, Rays, Magic , and Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
are all cable-exclusive.
Branding
For most of its programming - as well as nationally-broadcast sporting events - a small logo bug will appear on the top-right corner of the screen, which reads FSFLORIDA, with the FS part colored in a light blue. For local sporting events, however, the logo changes: during RaysTampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
baseball games (and Rays Live), the logo turns to FSRAYS, with the FS taking on a Columbia blue
Columbia blue
Columbia blue, also known as Jordy blue, is a light blue tertiary color named after Columbia University. The typical Columbia blue is defined by Pantone Columbia Blue 3 .- Usage, symbolism, colloquial expressions :...
color; for Marlins baseball games (and Marlins Live), the logo is FSMARLINS, with the FS shown in teal; in the case of Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
basketball games (as well as Magic Live), the logo is FSMAGIC with the FS in a medium blue color; for Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
hockey games (and also Panthers Live), the logo becomes FSPANTHERS, with the FS in red.
Fox Sports Florida HD
Fox Sports Florida HD is a 720p720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
high definition simulcast of Fox Sports Florida. Most games as well as national FSN programs are broadcast in HD.
Current
- Rich WaltzRich WaltzRich Waltz is the current play-by-play commentator for Miami Marlins baseball, SEC Football-Basketball, and ACC Football-Basketball broadcasts on FSN. Waltz is currently in his 7th year as the television Play-by-Play Voice of the Marlins on FOX Sports Florida/Sun Sports and his 15th consecutive...
- Miami Marlins Play-by-Play - Tommy HuttonTommy HuttonThomas George Hutton is a former Major League Baseball player and is currently the color analyst for Miami Marlins baseball broadcasts on FSN Florida and Sun Sports - a position he has held since the 1997 season...
- Miami Marlins Analyst - Craig Minervini - Miami Marlins & Florida Panthers Pre-Game and In-Game Reporter
- Dewayne StaatsDewayne StaatsDewayne Staats is the play-by-play commentator for the Tampa Bay Rays' television broadcasts . He is teamed with color commentary announcer Brian Anderson. He has previously worked with analysts Joe Magrane and Kevin Kennedy.-Biography:Growing up near St. Louis, Missouri in Wood River, IL, Staats...
- Tampa Bay Rays Play-by-Play - Todd KalasTodd KalasTodd Harry Kalas is a television broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Rays. He is the son of the late longtime Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas.-Early life and career:...
- Tampa Bay Rays Pre-Game and In-Game Reporter - Brian AndersonBrian Anderson (pitcher)Brian James Anderson is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher, who played 13 season for five teams, as well as a sports broadcaster and coach. Currently, Anderson is the color commentator on the Rays TV crew on Sun Sports....
- Tampa Bay Rays Analyst - Steve Goldstein - Florida Panthers Play-by-Play
- Bill LindsayBill LindsayWilliam Hamilton Lindsay is an American retired ice hockey player. He has played in the National Hockey League for the Quebec Nordiques, Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens and the Atlanta Thrashers. He was drafted 103rd overall by the Nordiques in the 1991 NHL...
- Florida Panthers Analyst - Eric ReidEric ReidEric Reid is the television play-by-play announcer for the Miami Heat and college football on Sun Sports.Reid has been with the Heat since the team's inaugural season. He was the Heat's color analyst for three seasons before taking over play-by-play duties in 1991, and has been their play-by-play...
- Miami Heat Play-by-Play - Tony FiorentinoTony FiorentinoTony Fiorentino is a television color commentator for the Miami Heat. Fiorentino has been involved with the Heat organization since it entered the NBA, joining the team in 1988 as an assistant coach under Ron Rothstein. He also served as an assistant coach for the Heat under Alvin Gentry and Pat...
- Miami Heat Analyst - David SteeleDavid Steele (sports announcer)David Steele is an American television and radio sports broadcaster and serves the NBA's Orlando Magic basketball games on both Sun Sports and FS Florida as well as an analyst for a variety of sports aired on the regional sports networks.Steele previously was the radio play-by-play voice for all...
- Orlando Magic Play-by-Play - Matt GuokasMatt GuokasMatthew George "Matt" Guokas, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player and coach.-Playing career:...
- Orlando Magic Analyst - Raul Striker, Jr. - Miami Marlins Play-by-Play (SAP)
- Cookie RojasCookie RojasOctavio Victor Rojas Rivas , better known as Cookie Rojas, is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and outfielder who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Kansas City Royals. After retiring as a player he went on to both coach and manage in the...
- Miami Marlins Analyst (SAP) - Jill ArringtonJill ArringtonTiffany "Jill" Arrington is an American sportscaster with Fox Sports. She was previously a sideline reporter on college football for ESPN during the 2004 season.-Personal life:...
- Host - FSN Florida/Sun Sports Personality Biography Page
Former
- Kevin KennedyKevin Kennedy (baseball)Kevin Curtis Kennedy is a former manager in American Major League Baseball and a former television host for Fox Sports' baseball coverage. He was given the nickname "The Skipper" by Fox Sports due to his prior managerial career...
- Tampa Bay Rays analyst (2009-2010) - Joe MagraneJoe MagraneJoseph David Magrane is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and is currently a color commentary broadcaster for the MLB Network. He was teamed with play-by-play announcer Dewayne Staats from 1998 to 2008 as part of the Tampa Bay Rays television team.Magrane served as an analyst for NBC Sports'...
- Tampa Bay Rays analyst (1998-2009) - Dave WirthDave WirthDave Wirth is currently the lead sports anchor for the WTSP channel 10 in St. Petersburg, Florida.-Radio:Wirth's career began at WKAO radio in Daytona Beach, Florida. He then became a sports reporter and newscaster for WJNO in West Palm Beach, Florida.-Television:Wirth moved to television in 1981,...
- USF Bulls Basketball Play-by-Play and Tampa Bay Rays show host (1991-2002)