Cox Communication To Carry Road Games

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        2.9.99 00:06:58
        CELTICS
        It's Channel 6 to the rescue as Celts' games
        return to TV

By BOB McGARRY
Journal Sports Writer

When Cox Communications subscribers turn on their
television sets tonight, they will notice a little more
``Green'' than usual. But they won't have to adjust
their sets. That's because a deal has been worked out
that will allow Cox to air a hefty portion of the
Channel 68 (WABU-TV) Boston Celtics road telecasts
during this lockout-shortened season.

``We are pleased to provide these games on Cox's
network,'' said John Wolfe, vice president for public
and government affairs for Cox Communications. ``And we
are especially happy that our partner, ABC6 (WLNE-TV)
has joined us to provide these games.''

The new deal calls for Cox to carry 15 of the Celtics
22 road telecasts this season. The games will air on
Cox3, Cox's Community Programming Channel, to most of
Cox subscribers, and on Cox Channel 2 to Cox customers
in Portsmouth, Somerset, Swansea, Norton, Franklin,
Millis, Blackstone and Plainville and on Aquidneck
Island. Subscribers in North Attleboro and Taunton
already have Channel 68 programming on Channel 26.

For several weeks, since the NBA lockout was lifted,
Channel 68 and Cox have been scrambling to find a way
to get the games to area Cox subscribers since Channel
68 is not on Cox's programming menu in Rhode Island.
But a third party was needed, a local station willing
to pick up the signal from Channel 68 and relay it to
Cox. Up to the line stepped ABC6 (WLNE-TV). The
station, as it did for Boston Red Sox games in the past
when Channel 68 owned those rights, offered to have its
low-power UHF station, Channel 48, carry the signal for
Celtics' telecasts and feed them through Cox's
community programming channel.

With Cox picking up the 15 games from Channel 68 and
Fox Sports New England (FSNE), NBC, TBS and TNT
providing coverage of 28 other Celtics games, that
means seven Celtics' telecasts are unaccounted for. But
that doesn't mean they won't find their way on the
local tube somehow.

``We are looking into picking up additional games as we
go along,'' said Pat Sylvia, community relations
manager for Cox Communications. ``If there is an
opportunity to pick up any of those remaining games we
will certainly look into it.''

Last night's game with the Orlando Magic was to have
been Channel 68's first regular-season Celtics telecast
of the season, but the station had a prior committment
to air the finals of the Beanpot hockey tournament and
therefore switched the basketball telecast to FSNE.

Full Channel Cable TV, which services the Barrington,
Bristol and Warren areas, will also carry Channel 68's
Celtics telecasts on its local origination channel,
Channel 13.


    Copyright © 1999 The Providence Journal Company
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