FSN Chicago
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| FSN Chicago | |
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| Launched | 1982 (as SportsVision) |
| Closed | 2006 |
| Network | Fox Sports Net |
| Owned by | Cablevision |
| Country | United States |
| Broadcast area | Chicago Metro |
| Formerly called | SportsVision (1982-1989) SportsChannel Chicago (1989-1998) Fox Sports Chicago (1998-2000) Fox Sports Net Chicago (2000-2004) |
| Replaced by | CSN Chicago |
Fox Sports Net Chicago was a regional sports network based in Chicago, Illinois. The network carried Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Fire, The Arena Football League's Chicago Rush, local and national collegiate sports, including those from FSN Detroit. The network was co-owned by Cablevision and News Corporation until 2005 when Cablevision bought 100% of the network. FSN Chicago was the production and origination point of the Chicago Sports Report, Ohio Sports Report, and Bay Area Sports Report programs (all 50% owned by Rainbow Sports/Cablevision).
[edit] History
FSN Chicago was founded as SportsVision in 1982 by Chicago White Sox owners Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn, and media mogul Fred Eychaner.[1] In April 1982, Aurora-licensed broadcast station WPWR (then on Channel 60; currently on Channel 50), dedicated a large percentage of its broadcast schedule to Sportsvision. To access the service, viewers had to buy a TV set top converter and pay monthly subscription fees to watch a number of sports broadcasts. However, Sportsvision was ultimately not a success and moved to cable in January 1984. Around that time, Cablevision (owner of SportsChannel America) acquired the network, although it did not rebrand it as SportsChannel Chicago until 1989. Just as the other SportsChannel networks, it would affiliate with Fox Sports Net in 1998.
[edit] Loss of broadcast rights
In October 2004, FSN Chicago lost broadcast rights to all of the professional sports teams in the Chicago area when the owners of the Bulls, White Sox, Blackhawks, and Cubs decided to end their agreement with the network and partnered with Comcast to form Comcast SportsNet Chicago. This lead to a number of cable/satellite providers dropping the network. With the end of local pro sports coverage, FSN Chicago became mostly a feeder channel of the national network's entire schedule, some minor local and semi-pro teams, Midwestern outdoors programs, and sports rights and games from other college conferences of little interest to Chicagoland viewers. In 2005, Cablevision bought all of FSN Chicago when NewsCorp swapped assets with the cable company.
[edit] Collapse
The network ceased operations on June 23, 2006, and Comcast SportsNet Chicago now occupies the former FSN Chicago facility located at 350 North Orleans Street. They have also acquired the rights to air the nationally-distributed FSN programs. The old Chicago Sports Report set was purchased (and is now used as the main news set) by NBC affiliate WREX-TV in Rockford, IL. The building itself is the current home of the Chicago Sun-Times.
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