TicketsAug. 30, 2006
CINCINNATI, Ohio - The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics and The Ohio News Network (ONN) have agreed in principle on a multiple-year television broadcast agreement. As part of this new deal, ONN will telecast UC's branded television shows featuring Head Football Coach Mark Dantonio and newly named Head Men's Basketball Coach Mick Cronin.
The first Mark Dantonio Show airs at 12:30 p.m. on this Saturday, Sept. 2.
Beginning on Sept. 9, the show will appear in its regular time slot set for Saturdays at 1 p.m. WXIX-TV FOX 19 produces the half-hour show, which is hosted by WXIX Sports Director Brian Giesenschlag.
"Our external efforts have been building toward taking our television product to a regional and national level," Director of Athletics Mike Thomas said. "We feel that this new alliance with ONN, our existing partnerships with WXIX and ESPN's family of networks through our new BIG EAST agreement, plus our outstanding radio and internet properties, that UC is positioned at an all-time high level of exposure. We are poised to introduce more people than ever to the great things going on here at The University of Cincinnati. ONN is a great outlet here in Ohio and will help us take our Bearcat message to new areas of the state, which will be a big plus in recruiting both student-athletes and students to UC."
"ONN's commitment to Ohio sports has been a core value since the day we began," ONN Director of Programming Jason Pheister said. "Anyone who's been to a UC game knows the energy, excitement and enjoyment the fans experience. This is a great fit with our other local sports franchises and we're very please to be Ohio's new statewide home for the Cincinnati Bearcats."
"ONN is the premier sports television network in the state of Ohio," stated Dantonio. "We are looking forward to building a long-term relationship with ONN. ONN allows us to reach even more homes in the talent-rich state of Ohio."
ONN is available in 83 of Ohio's 88 counties on the following cable systems: Time Warner Digital, Adelphia, Insight, WOW!, Armstrong, Charter, GLW Broadband, Medina Cable Access, New Knoxville Cable, Bellaire TV Cable and AT&T Broadband.
ONN is Ohio's channel for 24-hour news, weather and sports. ONN is a member of the Dispatch Broadcast Group, which includes WBNS-TV, WBNS-AM/FM, ONN and Radio Sound Network in Columbus, Ohio; WTHR-TV and SkyTank Weather Network in Indianapolis, Ind.