FOX Sports North Named "Top RSN"

Sporting News Today recently named FOX Sports North to their “Top-Rated RSN” (Regional Sports Network) list. Ratings measure percentage of television households tuned into a channel.

To view the complete story: http://tinyurl.com/yc2e8gg

2010 Minnesota Twins Schedule Announced

FOX Sports North and the Minnesota Twins recently announced a 120 game telecast schedule for the 2010 season. For the first time, the entire television schedule will be broadcast in high definition.

FOX Sports North will celebrate opening day at Target Field on April 12 with exclusive all-day coverage of the historic Home Opener against the Boston Red Sox. Fans will get a preview of Target Field as FOX Sports North will televise two exhibition games against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 2 and 3.

FOX Sports North’s regular season coverage begins Tuesday, April 6 on the road against the Los Angeles Angels.
To view the complete schedule: http://tinyurl.com/ycy3z2x

*Programming Note: "Under The Lights: Countdown to Target Field" premieres Mar. 13.

Hockey Day Minnesota 2010 Receives Praise Across the State of Hockey

FOX Sports North and the Minnesota Wild televised the fourth annual Hockey Day Minnesota on Saturday, January 23, 2010. The broadcast event was a grand achievement, receiving praise throughout the State of Hockey and across the world. The day-long event included 21 hours of hockey-related programming and five games from three different Minnesota locations.

For the first time, FOX Sports North included various web components as part of Hockey Day Minnesota. The network streamed three outdoor high school hockey games live on foxsportsnorth.com and conducted a day-long live chat with numerous special guests. Website traffic tripled on Hockey Day and more than 1,000 viewers participated in the live chat.

For the second year in a row, the Minnesota National Guard helped turn Hockey Day Minnesota into a worldwide television event. Military members deployed in Basra, Iraq watched the Minnesota Wild game live on the American Forces Network and participated in live interviews throughout the broadcast.
A record-breaking 3,500 fans attended the outdoor high school hockey games and activities in Hermantown, Minn. and Hermantown Mayor Wayne Boucher proclaimed Jan. 23, 2010 as “Hockey Day Minnesota in Hermantown.”

Check out a few of our favorite features:
Duke Pieper: http://tinyurl.com/y883efo

Joe Piram: http://tinyurl.com/yav3mao

Todd Richards, Hockey Dad: http://tinyurl.com/ydw4f3y

Top Photo: Hockey Day Minnesota from Hermantown (left-right): Mike Dimond, Senior Vice President & GM for FS North; Jean Edhlund, AE-Affiliate Sales for FS North; Tom Bordwell, Sr. Manager of Government Relations at Medicom; James Friske, Marketing Analyst for Medicom; Zach Raskovich, Area Operations Manager for Mediacom, Matt Majka, Chief Operating Officer for Minnesota Wild; Becky Ross, Communications Manager for FS North and Jeff Byle, Executive Producer for FS North.

Other photos: Hockey Day from Hermantown, Minn; Xcel Energy Center and Mariucci Arena.

*Programming Note: Catch "Best of Hockey Day Minnesota presented by Farmers Insurance" throughout the month of Feb.

Celebrating Black History Month

“We always tell the young athletes to learn the history of the game. Well this is the history of life.” Reggie Theus, Timberwolves Assistant Coach

FOX Sports North producer Trevor Fleck and reporter Robby Incmikoski recently accompanied the assistant coach to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn. Check out the feature: http://tinyurl.com/yfxbw28

FOX Sports North is proud to celebrate Black History Month. Check out “Our Heroes: a Black History Month Special presented by Northland Ford” throughout the month of February.

Introducing “North Supports”

FOX Sports “North Supports” is a new community relations campaign designed to promote employee action, volunteerism, diversity and community.
Each month, FOX Sports North will highlight a different cause or organization on-air, online and through the actions of our employees. The goal: make a positive impact in communities.

February is ALS Awareness month, to learn more: http://www.foxsportsnorth.com/pages/north_supports

Photo: "North Supports" Planning Committee (left-right) Back Row: Patricia Whitney, Amy Anderson, Stephanie Klinger, John Stroh, Patrick Donnelly, Front Row: Tami Wiser, Becky Ross, Samantha Spence and Vanessa Lambert (not pictured)

Backyard Rinks

“Hockey people crave winter the way surfers crave waves. Hockey people turn basements into dry rinks and laundry baskets into goals, but that’s not good enough, even when real rinks aren’t available. Hockey people see rinks everywhere in the winter - in their backyards, on lakes and ponds, anywhere ice exists or can be created with a garden hose.”Jim Souhan, Star Tribune

Hockey people see rinks everywhere in the winter. With hockey people across the state of Minnesota, we figured there must be backyard rinks to highlight. Our own Darby Hendrickson has a rink right in his backyard which sparked an idea; we asked fans to submit photos of their backyard rinks on foxsportsnorth.com. Darby will pick his favorite submission and pay a visit to the winning rink.

With over 230 submissions received, it will be a hard choice for Darby. Check out our gallery of outdoor rinks: http://tinyurl.com/ycfgjv7

For the complete version of Jim Souhan’s Backyard Rinks video essay: http://tinyurl.com/yeboxjw

The Diamond Awards & Blackwoods Blizzard Tour

Two different events with two different crowds, but both organized for the same cause: to raise awareness and funds for ALS.

The Diamond Awards is an annual event hosted in downtown Minneapolis by the Baseball Writer's Association of America. Each year, hundreds of Twins fans attend for the chance to mingle with Minnesota Twins players and support them as they receive awards for their outstanding performance from the previous season.

The Blackwoods Blizzard Tour is a three day snowmobiling event in northern Minnesota. Hundreds of riders, including Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and former Minnesota Twin all-stars Kent Hrbek and Terry Steinbach sled through the north woods of Minnesota on a mission to raise money and awareness for ALS.

Both events will appear on FOX Sports North. For the complete TV schedule and to learn more about ALS, visit: http://www.foxsportsnorth.com/pages/north_supports

Picture 1: (left to right) FOX Sports North employees attend the 2010 Diamond Awards. Patrick Donnelly, Ryan Sirvio, Joseph Maar, Mike Dimond and Becky Ross

Picture 2: Mike Dimond and Jeff Byle bundle up to participate in the Blackwoods Blizzard Tour

North Organizes Wild Player Appearances

FOX Sports North teamed up with a few local sponsors to give Minnesota Wild fans the opportunity to meet some of their favorite players at client locations across the Twin Cities.

Andrew Brunette: Buffalo Wild Wings in Oak Park

Guillaume Latendresse: Buffalo Wild Wings in Apple Valley

Nick Shultz: Red Wing Shoes in Bloomington

Eric Belanger: Great Waters Brewing in St. Paul.

Thanks to our friends at the Minnesota Wild for helping us secure players and to our clients for hosting.

Photo: Andrew Brunette signs autographs at Buffalo Wild Wings in Oak Park

TwinsFest 2010

Twins fans flooded the Metrodome for TwinsFest 2010, each one of them filled with excitement for the start of the new outdoor season. One of the largest festivals put on by a sports team in the nation, fans lined up for autographs, Twins memorabilia and more. All proceeds made from the event benefit the Twins Community Fund.

FOX Sports North partnered with Treasure Island and the Minnesota Twins to offer fans the chance to be a Twins broadcaster. For only $15, Twins fans were able to call the top ten plays from the 2009 season at the Twins Broadcast Experience booth.

Photo: FOX Sports North employee Kate Kauffman with Twins employee Andrea Roa

FREEZE FRAME

Coordinating Producer Joseph Maar and Producer Ryan Bartlett in the production truck during Hockey Day Minnesota

Photographer Ralph Gasow shoots footage of a backyard rink

Dick Bremer braves the winter elements in Hermantown to interview a player after the girls outdoor hockey game
Darby Hendrickson, Nicole Kunkel, Kate Kauffman, and Bob Rohde outside the production truck on Hockey Day Minnesota

The Wolves' David Kahn Chats on foxsportsnorth.com

It was one of our most successful live chats to date. David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations sat down with Patrick Donnelly, Digital Content Manager at FOX Sports North to participate in a live online web chat. Fans were encouraged to log on to foxsportsnorth.com during the second and third quarters of the Wolves vs. Oklahoma City game.

We published responses to 63 questions over the course of about 90 minutes during the chat. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/ybmcxqt

Employee Spotlight: Rachel Timman

Give us a detailed job description of what you do at FOX Sports North:
I’m one of the marketing/communications interns! I update the FOX Sports North and FOX Sports Wisconsin Twitter and Facebook pages. I also recently helped organize a focus group for more in depth research on how our followers use social media.

Where do you attend school?
I am currently at the University of Minnesota and will graduate in May! (I’m currently applying for jobs)

What are some of your interests/hobbies?
I really like to read and go to Gopher Men’s Basketball games (although last season was much more fun than this one).

Who is/are the most influential people in your life?
One of my teachers at the U is always pushing me to think harder, work harder and apply myself more. He continues to give me hope for finding a post graduation job in a recession!!

If I wasn’t doing this job, I would love to…
I would love to go Europe! I was very involved with University student programs, so I was never able to study abroad.

Tell us something unique or interesting about yourself.
My pinky fingers only have two sections instead of three. All of the joints are there, but for some reason there is only one line instead of two. Also, I have a breadth of knowledge about the University of Minnesota! I can tell you all about our health services and the St. Paul campus while walking backwards!

If you could have one super power, what would it be?
Fly. This ties into the study abroad thing. I feel it would be much easier to get to France if I could simply fly there myself.