Channel 55 in Houston/Conroe to telecast Bearkats
9/3/2008 1:00:00 AM | Football
The Southland Conference and KTBU Television, Houston's 55, have agreed to have the station serve as the exclusive affiliate in Houston for the new Southland Conference Television Network, league and station officials announced Wednesday.
“There's no question that adding Houston's 55 is a significant opportunity and breakthrough for the new Southland Conference Television Network,” league commissioner Tom Burnett said. “To have our programming in the nation's 10th-largest broadcast market with a reach of more than 2 million television households is just tremendous, and this gives the Southland's large alumni and student base in greater Houston a fantastic opportunity to keep tabs on their teams and other developments in the league.”
KTBU will carry all 36 telecasts of the league's in-house television offering, including nine football games, 16 basketball games and a monthly magazine show, “Inside the Southland Conference,” which debuts this month.
“Houston's 55 is very happy to be part of the Southland Conference network,” KTBU general manager Matt Reiff said. “With all the alums in the Houston area and our commitment to local sports, this is going to be a perfect relationship.”
KTBU becomes the seventh station to join the Southland Conference Network, which also includes WBTR in Baton Rouge, La., KPXJ in Shreveport, La., KWCE in Alexandria, La., KVHP in Lake Charles, La., KKYK in Little Rock, Ark. and MYTX in Tyler, Texas. The Southland expects to announce additional affiliate agreements in the coming weeks.
The Southland Network will also broadcast a wildcard game on the last regular-season weekend, and will determine the exact matchup as the conference race develops. “The wildcard gives us flexibility we've never had in previous broadcast agreements, and this option gives us the ability to ensure a televised matchup that likely determines the league championship,” Burnett said. “We'll likely do the same with the basketball broadcast schedule.
2008-09 SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE TELEVISION NETWORK PROGRAMMING
2008 FOOTBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE
Day, Date Time Game
Sat., Sept. 13 6 p.m. Grambling State at Northwestern State
Sat., Oct. 4 6 p.m. Texas Southern at Texas State
Sat., Oct. 11 6 p.m. *Sam Houston at Central Arkansas
Sat., Oct. 18 2 p.m. *McNeese State at Sam Houston State
Sat., Oct. 25 2 p.m. *Texas State at Stephen F. Austin
Sat., Nov. 1 2 p.m. *Stephen F. Austin at Sam Houston
Sat., Nov. 8 2 p.m. *Texas State at Southeastern Louisiana
Sat., Nov. 15 6 p.m. *McNeese State at Northwestern State
Sat., Nov. 22 6 p.m. *Wildcard Game TBA
*Southland Conference Game
