Comcast Television

Comcast Television
Launched	March 1, 2008 (Comcast Television) August 15, 2008 (Comcast Television 2)
Owned by	NBCUniversal
Picture format	480i
Country	United States
Language	English
Broadcast area	Michigan
Replaced	Comcast Local
Availability
Cable
Comcast in most of Michigan	900 Comcast Television 901 Comcast Television 2 (901 is also used for Fox Sports Detroit Plus)

Comcast Television and Comcast Television 2 are two Comcast owned and operated digital cable television channels, available to Comcast subscribers in Michigan on channels 900 and 901 (excluding Berrien County, where it is not seen on Comcast systems there). They are used mostly for infomercials and classified ads. They also broadcast sports shows, such as Heartland Poker and Midwest Outdoor Magazine, as well as public affairs shows such as Comcast Newsmakers. Comcast Television was launched on March 1, 2008, after the closure of Comcast Local.

On August 15, 2008, Comcast launched Comcast Television 2, which also shows infomercials and classified ads. Comcast Television 2 is also used for Fox Sports Detroit's overflow feed, Fox Sports Detroit Plus.^[1]

Local sports

One of the original shows on Comcast Television is the Detroit Tigers monthly magazine show Your Tiger Ticket, which is also available on Comcast's On Demand service for customers in Michigan. Other local sports content includes MHSAA Network telecasts of regular season and state championship games, GLIAC football games, CCHA hockey games, as well as high school and college sports magazine shows. With this local sports coverage, Comcast Television could be considered a small regional sports network, even though it does not air sports programs on a regular schedule or have rights to major professional and college teams like other regional sports networks, and it airs a lot more infomercials and classified ads than other regional sports networks.

Comcast Television is not part of Comcast SportsNet, since local broadcast rights to major Michigan sports teams are owned by Fox Sports Detroit, Big Ten Network, the ESPN family of networks, Fox Sports, CBS Sports and the Detroit Lions Television Network.

History

Comcast Local

Comcast Local (also known as CL) was a regional sports network from 2005–2008 that carried collegiate, high school and minor league sports from the Detroit area, throughout Michigan and central Indiana. The network also carried coverage from the Comcast SportsNets, (although it was not a separate Comcast SportsNet affiliate) such as Chicago Fire MLS matches from CSN Chicago and the Canadian Football League (simulcasted from CBC affiliate CBET).

The network carried infomercials from 12AM ET until 6AM and at other various times throughout the day.

Comcast Local was used for Fox Sports Detroit's overflow feed, Fox Sports Detroit Plus; such usage continues today on Comcast Television 2.

The station was the cable television home of Michigan's Big Ten and Mid-American Conference teams as well as the Grand Valley State University Lakers and the Grand Rapids Rampage. After the formation of the Big Ten Network, Comcast Local produced selected Eastern Michigan University Eagles football games for WXYZ-TV in Detroit.^{[citation needed]}

Comcast Local ceased operations on February 29, 2008, merging with a number of other Comcast properties in Metro Detroit to form Comcast Television.^{[citation needed]}. Today, the rights to the EMU Eagles are owned by FS Detroit, making them cable exclusive, while ESPN Plus owns the rights to the Central Michigan University Chippewas (through WNEM-DT2) and the Western Michigan University Broncos (through WXSP-CA).^{[citation needed]} WXSP-CA also owns the television rights to Grand Rapids' minor league sports teams and the GVSU Lakers.

Former Comcast Local personalities

The sports broadcasters on Comcast Local included:

• Joe Abramson: High School Football Analyst
• Rod Beard: Prep Ticket Host
• Clarence Black: College Basketball Analyst
• Matt Dery: College Basketball Play-by-Play
• Roger Faulkner: Soccer Analyst
• Ron Gillum: High School Football Analyst
• Mark Herrmann: Varsity Showcase Football Analyst
• Ben Holden: CCHA Play-by-Play
• Dean Jackson: Varsity Showcase Play-by-Play, plus fill-in
• Rick Mahorn: College Basketball Analyst
• Tom Markowski: Prep Ticket Host
• Russ McNamara: Volleyball Play-by-Play
• Rob Otto: College Football Analyst, College Wrestling Analyst
• Al Pawlowski: Soccer Play-by-Play
• Lyle Phair: CCHA Analyst
• Art Regner: CCHA Tonite Host
• Sean Ritchlin: CCHA Analyst
• Matt Shepard: WNBA Play-by-Play
• Tim Twentyman: Prep Ticket Host
• Derrick Walker: High School Football Analyst
• Dave Zoran: High School Football Play-by-Play

References

1. ^ Fox Sports Detroit Plus Channel Information