Teen "Be On TV" Winners Attend Z's Return to Cleveland

This past November, FOX Sports Ohio partnered with the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) for their Teen "Be On TV" contest that ran in support of National Teen Driver Safety Week October 18 through 24. Ohio teens were encouraged to submit their own videos telling their friends why it's important to follow safe driving practices.

The video entitled "Drive by the Rules. Keep the Privilege" by students of Hubbard High School in Hubbard, Ohio was selected by the network and ODPS and was aired during the Cleveland Cavaliers game on Wednesday, November 25.

Hubbard's winning video was made by a group of creative upper classmen. The video offers a unique look at teen driver safety by comparing the actions of student athletes to responsibilities of teen drivers. Seniors Kurtis Drummond and Andre Givens, as well as junior Abby Mills star in the video as the actors/student athletes while senior Gary Offerdahl and junior Mike Lopuchovsky ran the cameras and Offerdahl and senior Kelli Frost edited the final submission.

The video is currently posted on www.foxsportsohio.com, the FOX Sports Ohio facebook page (www.facebook.com/foxsportsohio), and the FOX Sports Ohio YouTube page (www.youtube.com/foxsportsohio).

On Sunday, March 28, 2010 the Hubbard High School students attended the Cleveland Cavaliers Game against the Sacramento Kings. FOX Sports Ohio provided the winners with tickets to Z's first home game back after his buyout with the Washington Wizards.

And the "Blog Sports Ohio" Winner is...

After over 75,000 online votes on FOXSportsOhio.com were cast, fans voted Scott Sargent as the winner of the ultimate sports blogger tournament "Blog Sports Ohio," presented by Time Warner Cable.

The 28-year-old editor and co-founder of "Waiting For Next Year," the blog for all things Cleveland Sports, has been blogger for over eight years. Sargent has earned a prize pack valued at over $2,000 containing a laptop computer and a bag, a digital voice recorder, a $500 gift card, a FOX Sports Ohio prize pack and credentials to cover the network's professional sports teams. To read Sargent's "Blog Sports Ohio" blogs, click here!

Sargent competed against blogger Jeff Seemann in the finals of "Blog Sports Ohio" over the past week. The two finalists were featured on Cavaliers Live Pre-Game show on Wednesday, March 24 to discuss why they deserved to win the "Blog Sports Ohio" promotion.

Over 38,000 votes were cast between Sargent and Seemann in this final week of the tournament. Over 75,000 votes were cast throughout the entire tournament, and Sargent received over half of those votes, making him the clear winner!

"Blog Sports Ohio" increased awareness of and participation on FOXSportsOhio.com, helped build the community section and identified additional writing talent. FOX Sports Ohio would like to thank Time Warner Cable, the bloggers and fans of FOXSportsOhio.com.

FOX Sports Ohio Adds Another Reds Spring Training Game!

FOX Sports Ohio will be televising the FOX Sports West production of the Cincinnati Reds - Los Angeles Dodgers split-squad spring training game this Wednesday, March 31. Game time is schedule for 10 pm and will air following the Cleveland Cavaliers v. Milwaukee Bucks game.



(Jay Bruce - 22 Year Old Cincinnati Reds' Starting RF)

All 145 Cincinnati Reds Telecasts in HD!

FOX Sports Ohio will televise the entire 145-game telecast schedule in crystal clear high definition. The HD coverage begins with the Reds' home opener on Monday, April 5, 2010 at 1 pm against division rival St. Louis Cardinals at the Great American Ball Park.

FOX Sports Ohio is also happy to partner with local 12 WKRC-TV to simulcast Reds Opening Day! Local 12 Vice-President and General Manager Les Vann said, "Local 12 WKRC-TV is proud to partner with FOX Sports Ohio to bring you the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Game. There is nothing more local than the tradition and pride of The Cincinnati Reds and the history of opening day baseball, right here on Local 12. We would like to thank FOX Sports Ohio and the Reds for this partnership."

FOX Sports Ohio is also proud to announce that the Reds telecasts will feature two new production enhancements for the 2010 season: X-Mo and FOX Trax.

X-Mo is a high speed camera/replay device that will bring viewers incredible clarity on replays. X-Mo will slow an image down to 3,000 frames per second versus a normal fram of video which is 30 frames per second. Using this amazing technology, game details such as the rotation of a pitch or the splintering of a bat will now be seen in crystal clarity.

(Reds Opening Day Starter Aaron Harang)

FOX Trax will show viewers new and compelling data elements such as break, release and end speed, spin direction and pinpoint location of the ball as it crosses the front of home plate from the pitcher's hand. Combined with a pitch type classification graphic, viewers will have more insight into pitcher strategy that will make the action even more engaging and exciting.

To find out more about the FOX Trax, and X-Mo and to see the entire HD Reds telecast schedule click here!

"Blog Sports Ohio:" Down to Two Bloggers

Over 37,000 online votes on http://www.foxsportsohio.com/ later, FOX Sports Ohio has narrowed the field of bloggers to the final two for their "Blog Sports Ohio" promotion presented by Time Warner Cable: Jeff Seemann and Scott Sargent. These two bloggers have been battling on http://www.foxsportsohio.com/ with daily blogs for the past week for a prize pack worth over $2,000.

Jeff Seemann is a 40-year old Canton, Ohio native that loves all

Cleveland and Ohio State sports. For more information and to read his Blog Sports Ohio posts, click here!

Scott Sargent has been blogging for over eight years. He is a 28-year old editor and co-founder

of "Waiting For Next Year" (http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/,) the blog for all things Cleveland Sports. For more information and to read his Blog Sports Ohio posts, click here!

The winner will be annouced on March 26, 2010. Regristed users of FOXSportsOhio.com will determine the winner by voting for their favorite. There is no limit for the amount of times a user can vote.

For more information about the final two bloggers and for contest rules and prizes, click here!

"Blog Sports Ohio" Four Finalists Begin Blogging Battle

FOX Sports Ohio narrowed the field of applicants from over 75 down to the four finalists for the "Blog Sports Ohio" competition presented by Time Warner Cable. The finalists are competing to win a prize pack worth over $2000 dollars by blogging daily on FOXSportsOhio.com about local sports.

The field will be narrowed down to two on March 22, and then the winner will be announced later that week. The tournament champion will be determined by public vote. Fans are encouraged to visit FOXSportsOhio.com to read their posts and vote for their favorite blogger!

The four finalists are:

Bill Hudnutt - Elyria, Ohio

Read Bill Hudnutt's blog.

W. Ross Clites - Kent, Ohio

Read W. Ross Clites' blog.

Jeff Seemann - Canton, Ohio

Read Jeff Seemann's blog.

Scott Sargent - Cleveland, Ohio

Read Scott Sargent's blog.

"Jackson's Five" Launches on FOXSportsOhio.com

FOX Sports Ohio is proud to announce that Zac Jackson is the latest edition to the FOX Sports Ohio web staff that also features Reds reporter Hal McCoy and Cavs sideline reporter and broadcaster Jeff Phelps. Jackson was born and raised in Ohio and says he knows "exactly what it would mean if the Cavaliers bring a title here 12 weeks from now."

Jackson's main focus for FOX Sports Ohio will be the Cavaliers but he will also cover the entire Ohio sports scene.

Beginning Monday, March 15, 2010 Jackson will write a daily morning blog called "Jackson's Five," where he will share his five thoughts, opinions, and other nuggets on everything that has to do with Ohio sports and occasionally beyond. Jackson stated, "Sometimes the day's topics will depend on what I am thinking. Sometimes they will depend on what's happening. Sometimes I'll just make things up as I go."

Jackson has spent almost the past ten years cover the Cleveland Browns for the team's official website.

To read "Jackson's Five" click here! and follow Zac Jackson on twitter @FSOhioZJackson.

FOX Sports Ohio Production Crew Featured in Columbus Dispatch

On Thursday, March 11 Suzanne Hoholik, a writer for the Columbus Dispatch, gave Columbus Blue Jackets fans a behind-the-scenes look at Blue Jackets broadcasts on FOX Sports Ohio by blogging from inside the FOX Sports Ohio production truck.

On one of the Dispatch's Jackets blogs, http://www.fourcheck.com/, Hoholik documented live her experience, and observations in the truck starting with the Blue Jackets Live pre-game show to the finals seconds of the exciting game between the Jackets and Atlanta Thrashers and ending with the Blue Jackets Live post-game show. Catch up on her experience in the FOX Sports Ohio production truck on the Four-Check Blog here!

Following the game, Hoholik's experience was featured on the front page of the Dispatch's Lifestyle section on March 13.

(Travis Williams, producer of the FOX Sports Ohio pre-game show for the Blue Jackets, monitors the progress of the telecast.)

Throughout the article, readers are made to feel like they are sitting right next to game producer Ed Milliken as he calls out camera shots, and gives commentators game-related insight to repeat. Milliken needs everyone on the production crew to be on the same page for this fast pace, non-stop game. He is often complimenting his workers for a job well-done and even has time to joke around during the game, asking one of his cameramen to "throw some nickels on the ice" so that he can get a timeout to go to a commercial break.

(Game producer Ed Milliken oversees the TV crew during Jackets action.)

To read her complete article click here!

"Blog Sports Ohio"

FOX Sports recently launched "Blog Sports Ohio", the search for the premier Ohio sports blogger, presented by Time Warner Cable. The winner of this contest will win over $2000 in prizes including a new laptop computer, a digital voice recorder, a $500 cash card, and access to the network's professional teams!

Ohio sports fans can enter the contest at http://www.foxsportsohio.com/ through Wednesday, March 10. During this window, each entrant must complete the online contest registration form and submit three blog samples, each of 250 words minimum that address the topic of Ohio's sports teams. These three blog samples must include one game recap, one editorial piece and one feature story.

There is no experience necessary to enter the contest so click here to view the rules and enter"Blog Sports Ohio," presented by Time Warner Cable!

Kicking off March with Interactive Night

FOX Sports Ohio begins the month of March featuring Cavs Interactive Night and the FOXSportsOhio.com Follow-Cam on Monday, March 1 when the Cavaliers host the New York Knicks.

Fans have the opportunity to interact with the Cavaliers broadcast team and watch and direct an online camera exclusively on http://www.foxsportsohio.com/. Fans can submit questions to FOX Sports Ohio broadcasters Austin Carr and Fred McLeod and select questions will be answered LIVE throughout the telecast!

The Follow-Cam will capture in-arena action streaming live and exclusively to FOXSportsOhio.com. While watching this camera online, viewers will be able to vote on who, what, and where the camera shoots.

To view the complete breakdown of Cavaliers Interactive Night click here!

Hall of Fame Writer Hal McCoy Joins FOX Sports Ohio!

FOX Sports Ohio is thrilled to announce Hal McCoy, former Cincinnati Reds beat writer for the Dayton Daily News and Hall of Fame baseball writer, is joining the FOX Sports Ohio team as the Reds reporter on http://www.foxsportsohio.com/.

McCoy will provide Reds fans with exclusive analysis of the Reds through articles, online chats and web videos. He will also become a regular visitor on FOX Sports Ohio's Red coverage and will make guest appearances on Reds Live pre-game and post-game shows.

McCoy will begin his new as he follows the Reds to Goodyear, Arizona and covers Spring Training from March 2 to March 23. He will provide daily updates and videos on foxsportsohio.com, and his insider column will feature commentary and in-depth analysis of the team. McCoy will also provide Reds Spring Training game recaps as well as particapate in online chats.

To read Hal McCoy's first article, click here!