Fox Sports Radio

Infobox Radio Station
name = Fox Sports Radio


area = United States
Canada
Africa
Europe
Middle East
branding = "Fox Sports Radio" or simply "FSR"
slogan =
airdate = August 28, 2000
frequency = Various AM/FM stations
XM142
Afristar 501
format = Sports Talk
erp =
class = Satellite-delivered radio network
owner = Premiere Radio Networks
website = [http://msn.foxsports.com/radio Official site at foxsports.com]
callsign_meaning =

Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming all day, every day. The network is a service of Premiere Radio Networks (a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications). Fox Sports itself has minimal control over the network, it is simply branded as such per a two-way marketing agreement.

The network is operated from the Premiere Radio Networks studios on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, California. Fox Sports personalities broadcast from studios across the country. FSR broadcasts 24/7 sports programming and airs "The Fox National Sports Report" (sports headlines and highlights) every twenty minutes. The network is available on more than 290 affiliates across the United States and Canada, and can also be heard on XM Satellite Radio channel 142 and on WorldSpace Satellite Radio channel 501 (Afristar satellite).

History

Launched on August 28, 2000, Fox Sports Radio had about 50 affiliates nationwide. Fox Sports Radio had a very quiet launch, as most of its affiliates in major markets were in contracts with ESPN Radio or Sporting News Radio as well as FSR, which made getting programs heard rather hard, as its few full time affiliates were mostly daytime only stations or had very weak signals at night. The Sports Fan Radio Network ceased operations shortly after FSR's initial launch, allowing former SFRN affiliates to join the new FSR rather easily. One of the hosts on the Sports Fan Radio Network, J. T. the Brick, also joined Fox Sports Radio shortly thereafter.

Because FSR is actually owned and controlled by Premiere Radio Networks and only uses the Fox name per a two-way marketing agreement with Fox, there is very little synergy between the two outfits, aside from certain personalities (such as Chris Myers and Andrew Siciliano) appearing on both. FSR is also granted unrestricted rights to use audio from any sports programming aired on Fox TV or FSN for highlights purposes. As of 2006, the only long-form program shared by FSR and Fox TV is "FOX NFL Sunday". The network previously aired "The Best of The Best Damn Sports Show Period" on weekend mornings.

Eventually, as Clear Channel-owned sports stations began to drop ESPN Radio in favor of the new network, its affiliate base grew rapidly, from 50 stations to more than 280 stations and XM Satellite Radio throughout North America.

In early 2005, Fox Sports Radio began calling itself FSR on air, the same year Premiere's contract to use the name Fox Sports was due to expire, provoking many to think that a name change was in the works. As of 2007, the network is still officially called Fox Sports Radio, though in on-air imaging, it is being called FSR more often. As of September 2007, the on air emphasis of the name has changed from "fox sports RADIO" to either "FOX sports radio", or more often, "FOX SPORTS radio". In addition, multiple promos mentioning [http://www.foxsports.com foxsports.com] and streaming audio on the foxsports site as well as mentioning TV indicates a possible shift in emphasis.

Partial station listings for Fox Sports Radio local affiliates

This listing of radio stations that are branded as Fox Sports Radio is an incomplete sampling of major/all markets in 2008.

External links

* [http://msn.foxsports.com/radio Fox Sports Radio @ FOXSports.com]
* [http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_page.jsp?ch=142 Fox Sports Radio on XM]