An announcement on FS San Diego, the Padres' "new TV provider, is about a month away," according to John Maffei of the NORTH COUNTY TIMES. No announcement has been made, but sources said that it is a "done deal" that FS Ohio Senior VP & GM Henry Ford has been "hired as president and general manager" of FS San Diego. Sources said that an announcement on Ford "could be made soon, with the Padres' deal with Fox still on track for an announcement in early January." Fox has already talked with Cox Communications about "renting its Channel 4 studios just outside Petco Park." Channel 4 "carried Padres games for the last 11 seasons, and its studios are first class." Several former Channel 4 employees "have been recommended for positions with Fox." Because of the short turnaround between the announcement of the deal with the Padres and the start of the '12 season, Fox this year is "expected to carry Padres games on FSN-Prime Ticket, which is carried on Time Warner in San Diego, but not Cox." Eventually, FS San Diego is "expected to land on its own channel with content similar" to FSN-Prime and FS Ohio (NORTH COUNTY TIMES, 12/9).
