Pro-Am Sports System
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| Type | regional sports network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Availability | Michigan and Northwest Ohio |
| Owner | Post-Newsweek Stations (1992–1997) Tom Monaghan (1984–1992) |
| Former names | Professional Amateur Sports Systems (1984–1997) |
Pro Am Sports System, better known as PASS Sports or just PASS, was a regional sports network in Detroit, Michigan that lasted from 1984-1997. It mainly covered professional Detroit sports and the CCHA.
Contents |
[edit] History
Professional Amateur Sports Systems was launched by Tom Monaghan in 1984, who at the time also owned the Detroit Tigers. When the network launched some Tigers and Pistons games were put on the schedule, and in 1985, Red Wings games were added, with the remainder of those games being shown on WKBD.
When the network launched, they had the problem of being on cable-television, that networks such as The Big Ten Network, The NFL Network and Versus are having, in that many people didn't get the channel, because customers had to pay extra to get the channel.
In 1992, Monaghan sold the Tigers to Mike Ilitch, and sold PASS to Post-Newsweek Stations. PASS merged with WDIV (Detroit's NBC affiliate), which was also owned by Post-Newsweek. Following the purchase, PASS moved its studios and offices from Ann Arbor, MI to WDIV's in Detroit, MI. PASS became available on basic cable, (under Monaghan it was a premium cable network). Post-Newsweek made the station 24-hours, (under Monaghan it only aired in the evening and on weekends).
[edit] Competion with Fox Sports
[edit] Decline of the network
Fox Sports Net Detroit (now known as simply FSN Detroit) launched as a competitor to PASS. After a surprise bid in 1996 to pick up the rights to the Detroit Pistons, FSN Detroit began planning to launch their network two years later.
In 1997, when the rights were up for bid on Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers games, FSN Detroit won the rights to the Red Wings beginning with the 1997–98 season and the Tigers beginning in 1998, and decided to accelerate their launch date by bidding with the The Washington Post Company. Post-Newsweek Stations sold the remaining year (1998) of the Tigers and Pistons contracts and the contract of sportscaster John Keating to FSN Detroit and folded PASS.
[edit] Personalities
- Marty Adler: Live on PASS
- Pat Caputo: Live on Pass Host (1990–1992)
- Bill Freehan: Tigers Analyst (1984–1985)
- Steve Garagiola: Live On Pass Host (1993–1996)
- Ernie Harwell: Tigers Play-by-Play (1994–1996)
- John Keating: Live on Pass (1993–1996)
- Greg Kelser: Pistons Analyst (1993–1996)
- Fred McLeod: Pistons Play-by-Play (1984–1996)
- Jim Northrup: Tigers Analyst (1985–1994)
- Larry Osterman: Tigers and CCHA Hockey Play-by-Play (1984–1992)
- Jim Price: Tigers Analyst (1993–1996)
- Mickey Redmond: Red Wings Analyst (1985–1996)
- Jack Riggs: Horse Racing Play-by-Play and Trackside Host
- Dave Strader: Red Wings Play-by-Play, CCHA Play-by-Play (1985–1995)
- Kelly Tripucka: Pistons Analyst (1993–1996)
- Eli Zaret: Tigers Reporter
[edit] Trivia
- Many people believe that PASS became FSN Detroit, when in fact the two networks were on at the same time for a brief period, from September to October of 1997.
- PASS signed off the air at midnight on October 31st, 1997, its last show being "Trackside at Ladbroke DRC", and the final commercial being a PSA for the "National Ski Hall of Fame" in Ishpeming, Michigan, before going to a slide of the PASS logo for the next couple hours.
[edit] See also
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