FSN Southwest Launches 'SWC Legends' Series to Promote Texas Sports Hall of Fame SWC Wing

Business Wire,  June 4, 2008  

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Old SWC Highlight Films Narrated by Kern Tipps, Monthly Specials Reliving Top Conference Moments Lead Up to Opening of New Wing in Summer 2009

DALLAS -- FSN Southwest has formed a partnership with the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco to promote the opening of the museum's new Southwest Conference wing in 2009. The regional sports network, which covers the footprint of the defunct conference, will launch a two-part programming series titled "SWC Legends" beginning next week to build momentum for the grand opening of the 18,000-square foot expansion expected to be completed in late summer 2009.

Phase One of the SWC Legends series will feature 30-minute adaptations of the old SWC football highlight films narrated by legendary radio broadcasters Kern Tipps and Connie Alexander that have been updated to include new interviews with SWC heroes. FSN Southwest will telecast two shows a month in June, July and August recapping the 1963, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1974 and 1976 SWC seasons. They premiere Monday, June 9 at 10:00 PM CT with the 1963 season in which the University of Texas won its first national championship, and Sunday, June 22 at 11:00 PM CT with the 1966 season. July and August shows will be announced later. The programs will be replayed several times throughout the summer and fall. FSN Southwest also plans to air highlight shows from other years.

Phase Two kicks off in January 2009 with 30-minute monthly specials reliving memories and milestones from the 85-year-old conference. Each month will spotlight a different decade in the conference's rich history beginning with the "1950s and before" followed by the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. They will include interviews with SWC legends from all sports. The final program in the series will look at the making of the SWC wing.

"We're excited to give fans who grew up with the old Southwest Conference an opportunity to take a nostalgic trip back in time," said FSN Southwest Senior Vice President and General Manager Jon Heidtke. "There were a lot of great players and a lot of wonderful memories from what once was considered the strongest conference in the nation. Working together with the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, we hope to preserve the legacy of the conference."

The Texas Sports Hall of Fame, which received the intellectual property rights to the SWC when the conference disbanded in 1996, will more than double its size with the addition of the SWC wing. Each SWC school will be represented with its own display area featuring memorabilia and interactive video kiosks that will allow visitors to watch highlights of top sports moments produced by FSN Southwest. There will be 1,000-square foot areas for Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Texas, Texas Christian, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Rice and SMU that will form a ring around a Cotton Bowl exhibit in the center of the wing.

"The Southwest Conference has such a rich history that we want to preserve for future generations," said Texas Sports Hall of Fame Executive Director Steve Fallon. "FSN Southwest has really stepped forward to help us showcase and promote the great athletes, coaches and administrators and to tell their stories. We're very appreciative of the work and support FSN Southwest has put into this project."

FSN Southwest provides local sports programming to more than 9.5 million cable and satellite TV homes in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico.

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July and August schedules featuring the 1964, 1969, 1974 and 1976 seasons will be announced later.

FSN SOUTHWEST

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