Friday, March 24, 2000
Channel 5 airing opener
1st game may be only one on free TV
BY SCOTT MacGREGOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Don't have Reds Opening Day tickets or cable TV? No problem. Unlike last year, Opening Day will be televised on free TV.
WLWT Channel 5 said Thursday it has agreed with the Reds and cable's Fox Sports Net, the exclusive TV home of the Reds, to air the April 3 season opener against Milwaukee. The game still will be broadcast on FSN.
FSN General Manager Steve Liverani said putting Opening Day on free TV was a “one-shot deal” designed to do something special for Reds fans who don't have cable.
The Opening Day sellout, and February's trade for Ken Griffey Jr., made it a priority.
“It's a special event, with the level of interest there is,” Liver ani said. “The Reds and Fox Sports Net went out of their way to get it done. It's too big an event for some fans not to have access to.”
“With the debut of Ken Griffey Jr., this promises to be one of the greatest Opening Days in Reds history,” said Rabun Matthews, Channel 5 president and general manager.
Channel 5 aired Opening Day from 1949-98, but after the '98 season, no over-the-air stations were willing to pay for the season rights, and the Reds moved exclusively to cable.
Reds Chief Operating Officer John Allen said another local station initially showed interest in simulcasting Opening Day, then backed out.
As part of the deal, Channel 5 agreed to sponsor Reds broadcasts on FSN, but Allen said he doesn't anticipate moving any other games to free TV.
“We're happy to do it (for Opening Day),” Allen said. “It gives everybody a chance to watch the game.”
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