JOHN MAFFEI'S TV/RADIO COLUMN: Fox hunting: Network's impending move will force local viewers and stations to adjust

By JOHN MAFFEI - Staff Writer | Thursday, March 27, 2008 10:29 PM PDT ∞

It's one simple push of the remote. One click from where you're used to getting Fox.

But I guarantee that in August, when Fox changes affiliates in San Diego from XETV Channel 6 to KSWB Channel 5, viewers will panic.

Where is "American Idol?" I can't find "House."

"Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" must have gone off the air.

Fox has long since established itself as the fourth major network and, in many cases, has jumped over NBC, CBS and ABC.

"American Idol" is consistently the most-watched prime-time show on TV. And Fox is a major player in the sports world.

Its Major League Baseball package includes a Saturday game of the week, the All-Star game, playoffs and the World Series.

Its National Football League package includes NFC games, the playoffs, the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl in 2006 and 2011.

ESPN and CBS air more college football games, but Fox has the rights to the Bowl Championship Series that includes the Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowls, along with the Cotton Bowl and the BCS national championship game.

From February through May, Fox is the home of the NASCAR Sprint Cup, including the Daytona 500.

Since its inception in 1994, Fox Sports has earned 71 Emmy Awards for production excellence.

Weekday programming like Idol certainly helps, but most people know XETV and Channel 6 as a sports home.

XETV, though, is owned by Grupo Televisa and has its transmitter in Tijuana. While there were no major problems with XETV, Fox executives cited differences between the Federal Communications Commission in the United States and Mexico as one of the reasons for the switch.

KSWB, a CW affiliate owed by the Tribune Company, has had very little impact in San Diego ---- unless you're into "America's Next Top Model" or "Smallville." Its sports programming is limited to a handful of Los Angeles Clippers games. And answer this honestly: How many Clippers games have you watched on TV since they left San Diego for L.A. in 1984?

KSWB's news team consists of four on-air people: Vic Salazar, Anne State, Artie Ojeda and Perette Godwin, who works morning and Sunday evening shows. The station takes much of its news from KNSD, the NBC's affiliate, and its morning programming is from L.A.

Ray Schonbak has been named the vice president and general manager of the new Fox affiliate in San Diego, and he wants four hours of locally produced news daily, as well as a three-hour morning show. That would mean major additions, including at least two sports people.

Established in 1953, XETV was an independent station for its first three years, San Diego's ABC affiliate from 1956-1972, an independent again from 1972-1986 and finally the Fox affiliate.

In recent years, the station has revved up its news team and coverage.

Whether you like him or not ---- and the jury is still out ---- C.S. Keys, the main sports anchor, has made a name for himself in the market. Andrea Nakano is the weekend sports anchor, and Chrissy Russo ---- the morning weather and traffic person ---- has done sports for Channel 4 San Diego.

And while the station's future is unclear, executives at XETV, where the news team numbers nearly two dozen, vow to keep a local news presence.

The natural assumption is that XETV will inherit the CW. But KUSI Channel 51, an independent, could put in a bid.

One way or another, Ed Wilson, president of Tribune Broadcasting, said the CW will have a presence in San Diego. And officials at XETV say that station isn't going away.  

Padres talk

< Channel 4 San Diego will carry 150 Padres games this season, all of which will be in high definition. Matt Vasgersian, who is in his seventh season, and Mark Grant, entering his 12th season, are the main play-by-play team, with Tony Gwynn and Steve Quis coming off the bench. The pregame show for 7:05 p.m. home games starts at 6 p.m. The postgame show with John Weisbarth and Bob Scanlan follows all home games and most away games.

< All Padres games are on XX Sports Radio 1090 and 105.7-FM. The radio crew of Jerry Coleman, Ted Leitner and Andy Masur returns intact. Leitner and Masur will work together on the first three innings and the last two. Coleman will call the fourth inning, then work two innings with Masur and one with Leitner.

< The radio pregame starts with the "BP Show" from 4-6 p.m. Darren Smith, Randy Jones and Phil Nevin are the regulars. Ernie Martinez is the host for the pregame show that starts at 6 p.m. Masur, Leitner and Coleman will all have small segments.

< John Kentera and Martinez will work the postgame show on 1090. Kentera will do a postgame interview while Martinez will work the clubhouse and bring player interviews back to the show. Matt Bassin will be in the studio for updates.

Diamond dust

< Throwing out the two games in Japan ---- featuring the A's and Red Sox ---- that were on at 3 a.m. earlier this week, the Major League Baseball season opens Sunday night at 5 with the Braves-Nationals game on ESPN with Jon Miller and Joe Morgan returning to call the action. Monday, ESPN and ESPN2 have five Opening Day games, starting with the Blue Jays-Yankees at 10 a,m. on ESPN, followed by the Brewers-Braves at 11 a.m. on ESPN2, the Giants-Dodgers at 1 p.m. on ESPN, the Angels-Twins at 4 p.m. on ESPN2 and the Astros-Padres at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. Sean McDonough, Orestes Destrade and Candy Maldonado work the Padres game. Brent Musburger and Orel Hershiser call the Brewers-Cubs game. ESPN officials say this is a cameo baseball appearance for Musburger.

< Fox's MLB schedule starts April 5, with the Dodgers-Padres game part of the regional package that day. The Padres will make five other appearances on Fox: April 26 vs. Arizona, July 19 vs. St. Louis, Aug. 16 vs. Philadelphia, Aug. 23 vs. San Francisco and Aug. 30 vs. Colorado. The Dodgers are scheduled for 10 appearances and the Angels nine. There are, however, several Dodgers-Angels-Padres conflicts. Jeanne Zelasko and Kevin Kennedy return as studio hosts, with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver the lead game announcers.

< Fox also has the July 15 All-Star game from Yankee Stadium as well as the World Series.

< TBS has dropped the Braves from its schedule but has added "Sunday MLB on TBS," an afternoon game of the week. The first telecast is April 6 and features the Red Sox and Blue Jays. The rest of the April schedule is Cubs-Phillies on the 13th, Dodgers-Braves on the 20th and Yankees-Indians on the 27th. Games will start at either 10 or 10:30 a.m. on the West Coast. TBS also has the exclusive rights to the division series and the American League Championship Series. Chip Caray is the play-by-play man and will be paired with either Ron Darling or Buck Martinez. Craig Sager is the field reporter and Marc Fein is the in-game studio host.

< The Braves, a two-decade staple on TBS, move to Peachtree TV, the Atlanta broadcast platform for TBS.

< WGN has 60 Cubs games on its schedule, with Len Kasper and Bob Brenly calling the action.

< WGN has 29 White Sox games scheduled, with Ken Harrelson and Darrin Jackson the announcers.

< FSN and KCOP Channel 13 are home for Angels games. FSN Prime-Ticket and KCAL Channel 9 are home for Dodgers games. Those stations for baseball are not available in most of San Diego.

< ESPN Radio 800 in San Diego will again carry Angels games this season. The station will also carry ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" package.

< Charles Osgood examines the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on "CBS News Sunday Morning" at 6 a.m. Sunday. Osgood talks with Robert Thompson and former Padres executive Andy Strasberg, authors of a new book, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," about the origins and myths surrounding the song.

< Baseball stats guru Bill James will be featured in a segment on "60 Minutes" at 7 p.m. Sunday on CBS.

Hoop scoop

< College Sports Network (formerly CSTV) will have live interviews with a group of U.S. Marines stationed at Al Taqaddum military base in Iraq as part of the network's NCAA March Madness Central. The interviews, slated for 11 a.m. Sunday, include Cpl. Robert Rens of San Diego, a passionate North Carolina fan. Nine other Marines are involved, including Rudy Espinoza of Long Beach.

Around the dial

< Marty Reid and Scott Goodyear will preview the IndyCar Series season this afternoon at 4 on ESPN2. The season's first race, the XM 300 from Homestead-Miami Speedway, airs at 5 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2.

< ESPNU will carry the Oxford vs. Cambridge rowing event live at 9:45 a.m. Saturday. The race covers a 4.35-mile course down London's Thames River.

< ESPN's "Sunday Conversation" will feature three big-name coaches: Bill Parcells, Tony La Russa and Bob Knight. A preview of the interview airs at 12:30 p.m. today on "Outside the Lines." The bulk of the interview with host Rece Davis airs on "SportsCenter" at 7:30 a.m. Sunday.

< HorseRacing TV will have live coverage of the Dubai World Cup from Nab Al Sheba Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates. Coverage of thoroughbred racing's richest day starts at 6 a.m. Saturday, with seven stakes races featuring $21 million in prize money. The World Cup, the day's feature race, should start around 10:30 a.m.

< ESPN2 will air 26 Major League Soccer games in prime time on Thursdays. The season kicks off April 3 with a doubleheader at 5 and 7:30 p.m. The late game features David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy. The season runs through the championship on Nov. 23.

< Showtime and ESPN announced an agreement to replay selected Showtime boxing telecasts on Thursday evenings on ESPN Classic. Most of the bouts start at 5 p.m. and will feature the best of Showtime's 21-year boxing library.

< ESPN officials announced that Justin Timberlake will host the 16th annual ESPY Awards, scheduled for July 20 at the Nokia Theatre in L.A.

Staff writer John Maffei's TV/Radio Column appears every Friday. He can be reached at (760) 740-3547 or jmaffei@nctimes.com. Comment at sports.nctimes.com.