FSN Southwest
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| FSN Southwest / FSN Houston | |
|---|---|
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| Launched | 1983 (as Home Sports Entertainment) FSN Houston- April 2005 |
| Owned by | Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation (1996-present |
| Country | United States |
| Broadcast area | Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, parts of New Mexico, and Arkansas |
| Formerly called | Home Sports Entertainment (1983–1994) Prime Sports Southwest (1994–1996) Fox Sports Southwest (1996-2000) Fox Sports Net Southwest (2000-2004) |
| Website | FSN Southwest on MSN |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| DirecTV | 643 639 (Houston) |
| Dish Network | 416 (SD) 366(HD) |
| Cable | |
| Available on select cable systems | Check local listings for channels |
FSN Southwest is a regional cable sports network that operates in all or parts of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas. The network operates out of the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Irving and also in Houston, the operations center for all Fox Sports Net channels in the central part of the United States.
It is also the cable home for the Dallas Mavericks (NBA), Dallas Stars (NHL), Texas Rangers (MLB), FC Dallas (MLS), San Antonio Spurs (NBA), San Antonio Silver Stars (WNBA), plus local coverage of the Southland, Big 12, and Conference USA athletic conferences. It also is home to UIL 5A State championship games for Football, Boys Basketball, and Baseball.
FSN Southwest originally began as Home Sports Entertainment in 1983, serving as the cable television home of professional and collegiate sports team throughout Texas and surrounding states. In the mid 1990s, HSE became a part of the Prime Sports Networks, thus becoming Prime Sports Southwest. In 1996, the network became Fox Sports (Net) Southwest, upon News Corporation's purchase of the Prime Networks and its merger with the SportsChannel networks.
[edit] Coverage areas
FSN Southwest is divided into three broadcasting zones, each representing Texas' three largest television markets, plus their surrounding outer markets:
- Dallas-Fort Worth (including northern and central Texas, most of Oklahoma and northern Louisiana)
- San Antonio (including Austin, El Paso, southern and western Texas, plus parts of eastern New Mexico)
- Houston (all of southeastern Texas, plus central and south Louisiana; see FSN Houston below).
This is mostly due to the defined broadcast territories set by the National Basketball Association, in regards to the state's three NBA franchises--the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs. However, in certain circumstances, a limited number of Dallas Stars games (the state's only National Hockey League team) on FSN Southwest air beyond the Dallas-Fort Worth designated market area. Also, the state of Texas and its surrounding outer markets are split between Texas Rangers and Houston Astros games, but unlike in some other Major League Baseball designated broadcast territories, where teams who play in neighboring markets are not allowed to broadcast games into each other's markets (except for games carried by national broadcasters), Rangers games are allowed to air in the Houston television market, and the Astros games can air in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Both Astros and Rangers games air concurrently on FSN Southwest throughout its broadcast territory.
FSN Southwest produces Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers over-the-air telecasts for its sister station, KDFI (Channel 27), and are syndicated throughout each team's respective broadcast territory. KDFW (Channel 4) also carries ten Rangers telecasts per season, also produced by FSN Southwest.
[edit] FSN Houston
A Houston-branded Fox Sports Network began in 2005, just as the Astros and Rockets were working together to establish their own local sports network with the city's then-dominant cable television provider, Time Warner Cable. For the better part of two seasons (2003–2005), all Rockets games not nationally televised on cable were only available on over-the-air television, splitting games between KNWS-TV and the then-KHWB (now KHCW). Working out with the new deal with the Astros and Rockets, FSN decided to establish a completely separate feed for Houston and its surrounding outer television markets, however just operating evenings and weekends, while the FSN Southwest brand continues to air in the rest of the dayparts. In addition to Astros and Rockets telecasts, FSN Houston also broadcast games featuring the Houston Comets (WNBA), the University of Houston and Rice University football and basketball teams, and local high school sports. The channel also features a Houston-branded edition of the Southwest Sports Report, the network's nightly sports news and highlights program.
FSN Houston produces Rockets, Astros, and Comets games for co-owned KTXH.
[edit] FSN Southwest HD
Although FSN does not have a 24-hour HD simulcast, various Astros, Rangers and Stars games are shown in High-Definition on HDTV tiers via cable. There are also several NCAA football and basketball games shown nationally on FSN that are available on FSN Southwest HD.
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