Channel 4 San Diego “formally acknowledged Tuesday that it won’t broadcast Padres games" in '12, and as a result the station "has issued layoff notices to most of its employees involved in baseball programming," according to sources cited by James Riffel of the NORTH COUNTY TIMES. Sam Attisha, VP/Public Affairs in San Diego for Channel 4 owner Cox Communications, said, "Cox will not be the rights-holder next year.” Fox Sports reportedly will "assume the broadcast rights for Padres games next year,” but there has not been an official announcement. Attisha indicated that Channel 4, “which was built around Padres telecasts and expanded over the last 15 years to include high school and college sports events and other local programming, will continue operations.” The station will “increase its coverage of San Diego State University athletics through an agreement to simulcast productions by the Mountain West Conference’s cable outlet” (NCTIMES.com, 8/30). Channel 4 has televised Padres games “since 1997 and has carried more than 140 games annually over the past 11 seasons (SIGNONSANDIEGO.com, 8/30).
