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Fox Sports Pittsburgh changes name
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
Friday’s Opening Day telecast of the Pittsburgh Pirates-Chicago Cubs game from Wrigley Field was the debut of a new name for an old favorite.
The Pittsburgh-based regional sports channel FSN Pittsburgh, the home to 150 Pirates telecasts per season and at least 70 Pittsburgh Penguins games, has changed its name to Root Sports.
Also changing their names were FSN Rocky Mountain and FSN Northwest. FSN Ohio, home of Cleveland Cavaliers telecasts, is retaining its name.
“The name, Root Sports, reflects the networks’ new approach and core brand values,” said Geoff Walker, vice president of marketing for DIRECTV Sports Networks. “Our new brand has a double meaning that we believe is unique in sports broadcasting. We are taking this opportunity to distinguish ourselves from other regional sports networks.”
Company officials say the new name reflects that their networks are grounded in their respective communities.
“It also acknowledges the idea of rooting for the home team to win and be successful,” Walker said.
While the look and feel of the Root Sports broadcasts will be different, all of the existing team partnerships and programming remain intact as do the distribution agreements with cable and satellite operators.
Armstrong Cable, which services Boardman, Austintown, Canfield and Poland, carries Root Sports on Channel 33 and High Definition Channel 179.
Time Warner, which services Youngstown as well as much of Trumbull and Columbiana counties, does not carry Root Sports and has no interest in the cable station even though Pittsburgh is about 65 miles from Youngstown and carries 220 telecasts of regional interest.
“We do not have immediate plans to add FSN Pittsburgh/Root Sports to our channel lineup where it is currently not carried,” said Travis Reynolds, Time Warner Manager of Communications in Akron.
Reynolds cited cost as a factor.
“Our goal is to keep the fees we pay to networks as low as possible because they directly impact cable bills,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said that because Time Warner does not have an agreement with Root Sports, the cable system cannot drop FSN Ohio and replace it with Root Sports. FSN Ohio carries about 70 Cavaliers games but its broadcasts of Cincinnati Reds and Columbus Blue Jackets games are blacked out in this market.