SportsChannel Cincinnati
TypeRegional sports network
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areasouthern and western Ohio
Kentucky
Tennessee
Indiana
parts of West Virginia, Mississippi and North Carolina
NetworkSportsChannel
HeadquartersCincinnati, Ohio
Programming
Language(s)English
Ownership
OwnerRainbow Programming Services
ParentCablevision
NBC
History
LaunchedApril 1, 1990 (1990-04-01)
ClosedJanuary 27, 1998 (1998-01-27)
Replaced byFox Sports Ohio

SportsChannel Cincinnati was an American regional sports network owned by the Rainbow Media division of Cablevision, and operated as an affiliate of SportsChannel. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, the channel used to broadcast regional coverage of sports events throughout the Miami Valley, focusing mainly on professional sports teams based in the Cincinnati area.

History

The network launched on April 1, 1990,[1] with coverage of Major League Baseball games involving the Cincinnati Reds as its flagship programming. The initial contract with the Reds gave SportsChannel 30 games in 1990, increasing to 35 and then 40 games in 1991 and 1992 respectively.[2] Other programming was provided from SportsChannel Ohio including basketball games from the Midwestern Collegiate Conference and Mid-American Conference. The network also featured SportsChannel's NHL package and Notre Dame football. At launch, SportsChannel Cincinnati broadcast nightly from 5 PM to Midnight on weekdays and from 9 AM to Midnight on weekends.[3] This was expanded to a 24-hour schedule beginning on January 1, 1994.[4]

In 1996, the network's Reds broadcasts were fed to Tennessee and western North Carolina via Fox Sports South; much of that area is part of the Reds' home territory as defined by the league.[citation needed]

On June 30, 1997, Fox/Liberty Networks (owned as a joint venture between News Corporation and Liberty Media) purchased a 40% interest in Cablevision's sports properties (including the SportsChannel networks, Madison Square Garden, and the New York Knicks and New York Rangers) for $850 million.[5][6][7][8] In January 1998, SportsChannel was integrated into Fox Sports Net, a group of regional sports networks created by Fox/Liberty in November 1996. At that time, SportsChannel Cincinnati was folded into Fox Sports Ohio (the former SportsChannel Ohio), serving as a regional subfeed of that network.

References

  1. ^ "Cincinnati sports coverage" (PDF). Broadcasting Magazine. January 29, 1990. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  2. ^ Kiesewetter, John (January 25, 1990). "Reds sign 3-year deal to add cable broadcasts". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 1. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  3. ^ Kiesewetter, John (January 25, 1990). "Reds sign 3-year deal to add cable broadcasts". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 2. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  4. ^ "The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio on December 9, 1993 · Page 39". The Cincinnati Enquirer. December 9, 1993. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Fox putting together national Sports Net // Changes ahead for SportsChannel". Chicago Sun-Times. June 24, 1997. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
  6. ^ John M. Higgins (June 30, 1997). "National net keys regional deal. (Fox Sports, Liberty Media Corp. challenge ESPN with stake in SportsChannel)". Broadcasting & Cable. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
  7. ^ "SPORTS LANDSCAPE ALTERED WITH FOX/LIBERTY-CABLEVISION DEAL". Sports Business Journal. June 23, 1997. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  8. ^ John M. Higgins (June 23, 1997). "TCI/News Corp. $850M SportsChannel deal close. (Tele-Communications Inc, proposed acquisition of cable sports network)". Broadcasting & Cable. Cahners Business Information. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015 – via HighBeam Research.


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