The Hurricanes announced that their TV package with
Home Team Sports (HTS), Fox Sports South (FSNS) and Capitol
Broadcasting will include 29 games on TV, the "lowest number
any U.S. team in the NHL will have this season," according
to Steve Politi of the Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER. Rights fees
were not divulged. In the deal, 19 games will be on HTS,
while 10 will be over-the-air on Capitol Broadcasting or a
Raleigh station. The five-year deal calls for the number of
games to increase to "at least" 40 and "probably" 50 next
season. Politi also reports that televised games "will not
extend beyond the boundaries" of N.C. HTS Programming Dir
Terry Chili said that the NHL Capitals "already have a
foothold in" VA, and "aren't excited about giving up that
territory." The team is still working out details for other
over-the-air stations, including one in the Triad. As part
of the deal, nine of the HTS/(FSNS) games will be
"educational games," where commercial time will be devoted
to hockey instruction information (NEWS & OBSERVER, 9/24).
