Angels Owner Arte Moreno said that he is "interested in buying" FS West and FS Prime Ticket, the two channels that air his team’s games, according to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. TIMES. Moreno is the latest MLB figure to show interest in a part of the 22 Fox RSNs that Disney has to sell. He said, “We would have control of our own TV. We could do some things to enhance our brand.” Shaikin notes Moreno in '06 "bought a Spanish-language radio station, eventually converting it to an English-language sports station." He renamed the station KLAA-AM and "anchored its programming with broadcasts of Angels games." Moreno said that he had "long considered buying a television channel and making the Angels its anchor." He said, "I feel, much like our radio, we can pick and choose how we surround ourselves and how we market, and make sure that we can make it affordable for people to continue to communicate with us." Shaikin notes it is "unclear whether Disney might be amenable to selling the channels individually." Other bidders for the RSNs include Liberty Media, Sinclair Broadcasting and MLB. An outside investor "might consider killing FS West or Prime Ticket." Should that happen, the Angels may have to "share one channel" with other pro teams in the region. That could "jeopardize their visibility in the market and hamper Moreno’s chance to add team-related programming" (LATIMES.com, 2/19).
