FS Ohio Left Monday's Reds-Brewers Game Before Conclusion

FS Ohio Has Apologized For Cutting Away From Reds Game In Bottom Of Ninth Inning

FS Ohio yesterday apologized to the Reds and their fans for cutting away from Monday's Reds-Brewers game at 11:30pm ET with the Reds leading 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth inning to air the "Best Damn Sports Show Period," according to John Kiesewetter of the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER. FS Ohio Senior VP & GM Henry Ford said the switch was due to a "very unfortunate switching error ... at our transmission center in New York." Ford noted that the net "returned to the Reds 12 minutes later, during the post-game show." Time Warner, Insight, DirecTV and other subscribers with Fox Sports programming all "lost the game," and the Reds "received several dozen emails or calls complaining about FSO pulling the plug on the game." Kiesewetter notes the switch marks the "second time in four months that FSO cut away from a live Cincinnati sports telecast" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/15). Meanwhile, the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER reports Reds flagship radio station WLW-AM during last night's Reds-Brewers game "had problems of its own ... at nearly the identical time." With one out in the ninth inning, WLW-AM "cut away from Marty Brennaman's call to commercial and never returned." The broadcast "came back on shortly after the final out was made." WLW Producer Nick Brunker: "Obviously we had technical difficulties" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/15).

FEELING BLUE: The ENQUIRER's Kiesewtter noted unless FS Ohio "secures alternative channels on area cable systems, Cincinnati Reds games will pre-empt four of the possible seven first-round NHL playoff games" between the Blue Jackets and Red Wings. Reds games conflict with game two of the series on Saturday and game three Tuesday, and FS Ohio execs said that they are "trying to get a secondary channel for the game" in Cincinnati (CINCINNATI.com, 4/14).