79 CBJ Games - all in HD

FOX Sports Ohio will be carrying 79 regular season Columbus Blue Jackets games, all in high definition!

FOX Sports Ohio’s coverage of the Jackets begins on Friday, October 7 when the club opens the 2011-12 season at home at Nationwide Arena with a 7pm match-up against Central Division rival Nashville Predators.

Of the Blue Jackets’ complete 82-game schedule, FOX Sports Ohio will NOT be able to televise the following three games due to Versus (NBC Sports Network beginning January 2) exclusivity:

• Wednesday, October 12th vs. the Colorado Avalanche (national broadcast window)
• Wednesday, March 28th vs. the Detroit Red Wings (televised on NBC Sports Network)
• Thursday, April 5th at the Colorado Avalanche (televised on NBC Sports Network)

Coverage each game night will begin with Blue Jackets Live pre-game show, presented by Central Ohio Toyota Dealers, featuring highlights, player interviews and analysis 30 minutes prior to each game. On Opening Night, FOX Sports Ohio will feature a 1-hour pre-game show. Immediately following the final horn, the coverage will continue with the post-game edition of Blue Jackets Live, presented by IGS Energy.

Broadcast Team

In-game: The FOX Sports Ohio/Blue Jackets broadcast team features play-by-play announcer Jeff Rimer alongside color analyst Bill Davidge. John Michael will return for his third season as rink side reporter

Blue Jackets Live: Preceding home games, Davidge will additionally co-host Blue Jackets Live from Nationwide Arena with Ray Crawford. For all away games, Crawford will co-host the show from the studio with David Maetzold. While in this new role, Maetzold will continue to provide his outstanding feature segments for Blue Jackets Live.

High School Football Like Never Before

FOX Sports Ohio will produce 36 high school football games during the regular season. Twelve of these games will be televised live as part of FOX Sports Ohio’s High School Football Game of the Week each Thursday night during the regular season. The remaining 24 games will be produced and streamed live on FOXSportsOhio.com on Saturdays as part of FOX Sports Prep Zone, which was successfully launched this past weekend.

The Download

• Each week, FOXSportsOhio.com will stream live high school football match-ups from around the state of Ohio.

• FOX Sports Prep Zone includes 24 Ohio high School football games this regular season.

Technology

• Multi-camera production teams are scheduled to visit schools each week.

• Game coverage includes on-site announcers, replays and graphics.

Social Media

• Fans will have access to a library of instant video clips powered via Snappy TV technology.

• Clips can be shared virally with family and friends via Facebook and Twitter within seconds.

Schedule

• FOX Sports Prep Zone launched on August 27 with these five football match-ups:

o Pickerington Central vs. Moeller

o Winton Woods vs. Lakota West

o McNicholas vs. Newport Catholic

o St. Xavier vs. Springfield

o Boardman vs. Benedictine

Week 2 features these two games on Saturday, September 3:

o Rocky River v. Trinity 7pm @Bedford Stadium

o Huber Heights Wayne @ Canton McKinley 7:30pm @Fawcett Stadium

• A schedule of upcoming FOX Sports Prep Zone games can be found on FOXSportsOhio.com.

In addition to streaming live games from around the state of Ohio every Saturday, FOXSportsOhio.com’s Prep Zone page also features the latest news surrounding high school football, from match-up previews, recruiting updates, and Ohio’s 15 best high school teams.

Ready for Week 1 of High School Football?

High school football returns! FOX Sports Ohio has increased its commitment to high school sports by expanding its high school football coverage this season to 36 games, both on FOX Sports Ohio and on FOXSportsOhio.com. And it’s kicking off this season with a bang: the Thursday game going national on all FOX Sports regional networks across the country and five BIG match-ups on Saturday.

“After more than five seasons delivering exciting high school football match-ups on our network, we’re very proud to expand the effort to FOXSportsOhio.com. Starting this weekend, we will combine the appetite for high school athletics with the growing ease of viewing content on the Web,” stated Henry S. Ford, Senior Vice President & General Manager, FOX Sports Ohio. “We’re also very pleased that our first televised game of the year has been selected for national distribution. That says a lot about the quality of high school sports in the State of Ohio.”

Avon Lake @ Avon – Thursday, August 25, 7pm

• As part of High School Football Game of the Week, this game will be simulcast on FOX Sports Ohio and FOXSportsOhio.com.

• National TV! All FOX Sports regional networks will carry this game.

 FOX Sports Prep Zone – Saturday, August 27

 

• FOX Sports Prep Zone includes 24 Ohio high school football games that will stream live exclusively on FOXSportsOhio.com.

 • The inaugural day of FOX Sports Prep Zone on August 27 will begin at 12pm on FOXSportsOhio.com and feature these five football match-ups:

• Pickerington Central vs. Moeller - Nippert Stadium, Univ. of Cincinnati - 12:00pm
• Winton Woods vs. Lakota West - Nippert Stadium, Univ. of Cincinnati - 2:45pm
• McNicholas vs. Newport Catholic - Nippert Stadium, Univ. of Cincinnati - 5:30pm
• St. Xavier vs. Springfield - Nippert Stadium, Univ. of Cincinnati - 7:00pm
• Boardman vs. Benedictine - Bedford Stadium - 7:00pm

Ohio Teens: Here’s Your Chance to be on TV!

FOX Sports Ohio Calls for Teen Driver Safety Videos in Support of the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Efforts for Teen Driver Safety Week

Ohio teenagers now have the chance to be creative, make their own video, and maybe even be on television! The Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) recognizes National Teen Driver Safety Week October 16 thru 22 and FOX Sports Ohio is showing support by providing local teenagers an opportunity to be on television in November.

How can safe driving teens be on TV? ODPS is asking them to create and submit a video telling their friends why it’s important to follow safe driving practices. This video should incorporate the slogan “Drive by the Rules. Keep the Privilege.” Guidelines, rules and regulations, and the entry form are posted at www.FOXSportsOhio.com/pages/teendriversafety. Teen videos submitted from 2009 Teen Driver Safety Week are also posted online. Here is the winner of the 2009 campaign!

ODPS will select the video(s) to air during a FOX Sports Ohio telecast. Other selected videos that follow the guidelines will be posted on FOXSportsOhio.com as well as FOX Sports Ohio’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
The video entry deadline is October 31, 2011.

Sending Fans to the Air Show

FOX Sports Ohio is giving fans the chance to win tickets to the The Cleveland National Air Show this upcoming Labor Day weekend! Simply like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and look for the daily key word or phrase. Then visit the entry page on FOXSportsOhio.com to enter it for your chance to win.

Look for a new key word or phrase posted on Aug. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29 and 30. Good Luck!

Reds Live Brings Home the Hardware

The Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences recognized FOX Sports Ohio for its commitment to quality programming by awarding the network an Emmy Award at its 47th annual ceremony on July 30th, 2011.

Emmy Award winner:

Sports - Regularly Scheduled Daily or Weekly Program

Reds Live, FOX Sports Ohio

Kent Weaver, Doug Johnson, Tom Farmer, Matt Sigafoos

Congratulations to the Reds Live team!

Getting Ready to Count Down!

Columbus Blue Jackets fans won’t have to wait until Opening Night to enjoy Blue Jackets hockey. As the team gears up for what will be an exciting 2011-12 season, FOX Sports Ohio is helping fans get ready too by featuring special Blue Jackets programming throughout the month of September in a “Countdown to Face Off.”

In the “Countdown to Face Off,” FOX Sports Ohio will feature replays of some of the best Blue Jackets games, as voted on by fans, as well as a Summer Tour road show, the Blue Jackets Slap Shots Summer Special, and a Morning Sports Report Special. A complete listing of the “Countdown to Face Off” schedule is found HERE.

For the Showcase Games, fans get to choose which games they will see! We've gathered a list of nine of the best games in Blue Jackets history. Among the nine are the highest-scoring game in club history, the Jackets’ most lopsided win, the game that clinched their first playoff appearance, and a last-minute win secured when Rick Nash scored “the Goal”. The top four games, as voted on by fans via FOXSportsOhio.com, will make the air, with the first game on Monday, Sept. 5 at 6pm. For a complete list of the nine potential Showcase Games and to vote for your favorites, visit http://www.fox%20sportsohio.com/pages/countdown_to_face_off/.

Serving Hungry Guests in Need

This week, FOX Sports Ohio employees volunteered at Walnut Hills Kitchen in Cincinnati, Ohio. They spent the afternoon doing everything from cutting and preparing food to serving meals to guests and cleaning up.

Our team worked with a few members of a local youth group and some other volunteers who are there regularly. 

Father Thomas Bokenkotter, founder of the Over-The-Rhine Kitchen, the Oldest Soup Kitchen in Cincinnati, as well as the Walnut Hills Kitchen and the Walnut Hills Pantry, opened the kitchen to provide guests with nutritious hot meals in a clean, kind and welcoming environment.

Their mission statement is “To help alleviate hunger in our community by feeding the poor in an environment of respect, care and hospitality." They call the people they serve our ‘Guests,’ because they want them to feel welcomed and to maintain their dignity during what is a trying time in their lives.

Living Fit with All-Stars

The partnership that began last summer between FOX Sports Ohio and the Columbus After-School All-Stars (ASAS) is still going strong!

On Friday, July 29th, over 1,000 kids, ages 7 – 17, participated in the Columbus After-School All-Stars’ 2011 Live Fit Challenge held at The Ohio State University’s French Field House. The event was a full day of sports, fitness, enrichment, and brain game clinics and competition. Kids that participated in the event were challenged to take charge of their own health, to stand against child obesity, and to be advocates for their generation’s well-being.

FOX Sports Ohio employees got in on the action by volunteering for the event and engaging kids in various fitness activities.

Having been an athlete most of my life I know the importance of eating a balanced meal and being active. It’s important for the mind and the body. I was thrilled to volunteer for the Live Fit Challenge and give the kids a variety of ideas on ways to stay active. Jumping jacks, push-ups or yoga, it doesn’t matter what you do as long as you’re having fun! – Jacqueline Bryant, Marketing & Sales Coordinator

It was an honor to be a part of such a wonderful and important event. Encouraging kids to get active, play outside and live a healthy lifestyle is something that most adults need to be reminded to do as well. After-School All-Stars presented those ideas in a very interactive and entertaining way. We look forward to being a part of it again next year. – Stephanie Mileham, Marketing Manager

Over the past 10 years, ASAS Columbus has served more than 150,000 economically disadvantaged children through events like the 2011 Live Fit Challenge.