4SD

For the airport with FAA location identifier 4SD, see Reno Stead Airport.

4 San Diego
Network	local origination cable network/regional sports network
Owned by	Cox Communications
Picture format	480i (SD) 1080i (HD)
Country	United States
Language	American English
Broadcast area	San Diego County, Imperial County, Coachella Valley in Riverside County, Yuma County
Headquarters	San Diego
Website	4sd.com
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV	3 (SD) / (HD)
Dish Network	unavailable
Cable
Cox & Time Warner San Diego	4 (SD) / 704 (HD)
Time Warner Desert Cities	27 (SD) / 627 (HD)
Time Warner Yuma/El Centro	19 (SD) / (HD) unavailable
Cox Las Vegas (Padres Broadcasts Only)	96 (SD) / (HD) unavailable
IPTV
AT&T u-verse	unavailable

4SD, commonly referred to as Channel 4 San Diego (also known as Channel 4 Padres, or COX 4 and originally known as KCOX) is a local origination cable TV channel based in San Diego, California, United States, and is owned and operated by Cox Communications, through its San Diego-based cable television system.

In addition to Cox Communications, 4SD is available on San Diego County's other cable provider, Time Warner Cable. 4SD is not available on DBS providers, DirecTV or Dish Network, nor is it available to IPTV provider, AT&T U-verse. This is because 4SD is distributed via fiber and does not use satellite to uplink its signal, similar to that of CSN Philadelphia. By doing so, they were complying with Cable and Telecommunications Act of 1992 by using the "terrestrial loophole". By using the loophole, Cox was able to avoid making the channel available on DBS or IPTV providers. On January 20, 2010, the FCC voted 4-1, to close the terrestrial loophole.^[1] On June 15, 2010, Cox Communications has announced its intentions to negotiate with DirecTV, Dish Network, & AT&T U-verse to license 4SD to those providers.^[2]

Programming

More or less, it operates as the regional sports network for San Diego County, but does offer public interest programming, as the network's model resembles that of Denver's Altitude Sports and Entertainment channel. 4SD also airs local programming, informercials or older TV series when there is no sports programming to air.

Early usage

The channel was launched by Cox Communications as an outlet used as an experiment during the 1996 Republican Convention, as well as providing around-the-clock coverage for the Super Bowl festivities at Qualcomm Stadium in 1998.

San Diego Padres

From 1997-2003, 4SD showed Padres games from Monday-Saturday with Sunday games televised on independent station KUSI. The games on KUSI were produced by 4SD. From 2004-2011, 4SD became the exclusive broadcaster of Padres baseball, with KUSI ceasing carriage of the Padres broadcasts after parts of seventeen seasons. The remaining games that weren't televised on 4SD, ESPN, ESPN2, MLB Network or Fox are not televised back in the Padres television market. The majority of these non-televised games are usually mid-week day games when ratings are typically poor because people are at work or children are at school. However since August of 2010, the Padres in conjunction with MLB Advanced Media partnered to show the non televised games for free within the Padres market via mlb.tv for games that did not fall with in the Fox Saturday blackout window or the ESPN Sunday Night blackout window . During the time that 4SD owned the Padres broadcast rights, the Cox Communications Las Vegas system simulcasted Padres games on cable channel 96 (known as "COX 96" in Las Vegas). However, COX 96 doesn't have a high definition feed. All other programming on COX 96 is used to televise programming of Las Vegas area government affairs and special events going on in the area and does not follow the Channel 4 San Diego programming schedule.

In 2001, the Padres and Cox Communications signed a 10-year extension for broadcast rights; as a result of the deal, 4SD has a state-of-the-art broadcast center located at Petco Park. However it was announced by station manager, Dennis Morogino, on April 21st that 4SD won't retain the rights for Padres baseball for the 2012 season and beyond. This was formally acknowledged by vice president of cable affairs for Cox Communications of San Diego, Sam Attisha, who announced that 4SD's baseball programming staff will be laid off at the end of the 2011 season.^[3]

HD

In 2004, 4SD began simulcasting Padres games in 1080i high-definition. From 2004 through 2006, 4SD broadcasted approximately 120 games in high definition (for every home game, road games in the National League West Division, and interleague matchups against AL West teams, with the remainder of the games in standard definition. Though there was an exception in 2004 when 4SD televised the Padres first ever regular season road trip to Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox and Yankee Stadium against the New York Yankees in high definition. Since 2007, 4SD has broadcast every Padres game in high definition for home and road games. 4SD high definition is on cable channel 704 on both Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable in San Diego County. On the Time Warner Cable Desert Cities system, 4SD high definition can be found on channel 627.

4SD Expands into Yuma, El Centro, and Coachella Valley

Since March 2009, the Time Warner Cable Yuma-El Centro and Desert Cities (Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta, and Coachella) systems added 4SD to their cable lineups. This is because the San Diego Padres have territorial rights in Riverside County east of the San Jacinto Mountains, and in all of the Yuma-El Centro television market. On the Time Warner Cable Yuma-El Centro system, Channel 4 San Diego can be found on channel 19, while on the Desert Cities system, it is available on channel 27; Time Warner Cable in those areas clear the entire 4SD schedule as it would be on the Time Warner Cable San Diego system. In June 2010, Time Warner Cable Desert Cities added the 4SD high definition feed.^[4]

4SD Loses Rights to Padres Baseball for 2012 Season and Beyond

On April 21, 2011 it was announced by 4SD station manager, Dennis Morgigno in a meeting to his employees in a meeting that 4SD will probably not be getting the rights to televise Padres games for the 2012 season and beyond. This was later formally acknowledged by 4SD in an announcement that they are laying off their baseball production staff. It turns out that 4SD and the Padres were $6 million a year apart on TV rights negotiations for the next contract. While no network has been officially announced to take over the Padres telecasts for 2012, the front runner for Padres television rights appears to be Fox Sports Net. FSN has offered the Padres a 20 year contract with rights fees ranging from $17 million to $22 million a year (20 years, $340 million-$440 million) with some reports of up to $70 million a year (20 years, $1.4 billion).^[5] If FSN does win the television rights bid, Fox would create a San Diego oriented Fox RSN and would be named Fox Sports San Diego.^[6][7] The Padres deal with FSN is awaiting approval from the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.

Other San Diego sports teams

San Diego Chargers

While 4SD doesn't show live Charger games they do show ancillary programming including interview shows and preview Charger games.

San Diego State University Aztecs

From 4SD's inception in 1998 through 2006, the network partnered with regional network, Sportswest to show Mountain West Conference games. From September 1, 2006 to present time the Mountain West Conference formed their own network, The Mtn. However as part of the distribution agreement with 4SD's parent company, Cox, to distribute The Mtn. (not including the Time Warner subscribers since the mtn does not have a distribution deal with Time Warner Cable, 4SD was allowed to show select SDSU games that are produced by The Mtn. Also as part of the distribution agreement, 4SD is also allowed to show every round of the MWC Basketball Tournament produced by The Mtn. and CBS College Sports, excluding the conference tournament championship game, which is shown on Versus.

University of San Diego Toreros

Since 1998, 4SD has become the television partner for USD Toreros home basketball games that are not on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU or FSN. In 2008, 4SD partnered with CSN California and CSN Northwest to provide regional coverage of West Coast Conference men's basketball and continues on to this day.^[8] For example, when the Santa Clara Broncos visit the Toreros, CSN California would use the 4SD feed to show the game in Northern California, with the 4SD graphics. While if the Toreros were playing the Broncos in Santa Clara, 4SD would use the CSN California feed in with the CSN graphics, televised back in San Diego. 4SD used to show every San Diego State University Aztec football/basketball game that was not on ESPN or ESPN2. However it was announced that 4SD has not renewed a broadcast agreement with the university for the 2011-2012 basketball season. ^[9]

CBS & ABC programming

During the October 2007 wildfires that affected San Diego, 4SD carried ABC programming, which included ABC News and network primetime in lieu of KGTV (Channel 10), while that channel aired breaking news coverage of the fires.^[10] On January 17th, 2010, 4SD stepped in to show the Connecticut Huskies vs. Michigan Wolverines college basketball game from CBS affiliate, KFMB. This was due to the fact that KFMB had a Chargers special pregame show for the AFC Divisional playoffs featuring the New York Jets and the San Diego Chargers

Carriage

The channel is available on Cox Cable and Time Warner Cable.

Carriage controversy

The channel is not available on DirecTV, Dish Network or AT&T Uverse. Before the FCC closed the terrestrial loophole in 2010, Cox was allowed to chose who to offer the channel to and deny it to others. However a ruling in January 2010 forced them to offer the channel to all other providers, but it didn't dictate a maximum amount they are allowed to charge. Their asking price is reportedly much more than the above providers are willing to pay.^[11]

References

1. ^ FCC throws Cox a curve on Padres - AT&T and other TV providers stand to gain access to Padres broadcasts as agency closes legal loophole The San Diego-Union Tribune January 21, 2010
2. ^ Cox makes play to license Padres games to rivals The San Diego-Union Tribune June 15, 2010
3. ^ Channel 4SD to Lay Off Most of Baseball Staff; Employees Involved in Game Programming Laid Off North County Times August 21, 2011
4. ^ New Start Over Channels in Desert Cities Time Warner Cable Desert Cities
5. ^ Fox expected to swoop in after Padres leave Channel 4 North County Times April 28, 2011
6. ^ Channel 4 Probably Out of TV Picture The San Diego Union-Tribune April 22, 2011
7. ^ PADRES NOTES: Sources say Channel 4 out as TV partner North County Times April 21, 2011
8. ^ WCC, COMCAST SPORTS & COX 4 SAN DIEGO Announce Regional Television Package University of San Diego Athletics November 20, 2008
9. ^ Channel 4SD to Lay Off Most of Baseball Staff; Employees Involved in Game Programming Laid Off North County Times August 21, 2011
10. ^ PROGRAMMING NOTE: ABC Shows To Air On Cox Channel 4 ABC 10/KGTV
11. ^ Will Cox strike a deal on Padres baseball? The San Diego Union Tribune February 21, 2011

External links

• Channel 4 San Diego
• Cox Communications-San Diego