Your annual FOX Sports Ohio TV schedule post

It's an annual tradition like no other...better than the azaleas at Augusta, better than the inevitable Michigan State football October swoon, better than Tebow and A-Rod coverage: The annual Dark Blue Jacket reproduction of the FOX Sports Ohio broadcast schedule press release for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Remember when I used to rant about not having enough games on TV?  Or in high-definition?  Folks, those days are long gone.  

FOX Sports Ohio has gone "all in" for the Blue Jackets, giving us ("us" being those in Columbus...can't speak for those living out of the metro area) every single Blue Jackets game that they can get their hands on.  That means 47 out of 48 games this year, with the other game (Monday's home opener against the Red Wings) exclusively on NBC Sports Network.  I confirmed with Kate Zelasko at FSO that FOX will be broadcasting the two games that will also be shown on NHL Network (February 21 at Detroit, March 1 at Chicago).

You know the worm has turned when the annual press release spends more talking about the broadcast team than about the games that the network will (or won't) be broadcasting.

And wait a minute, who's that DBJ guy that gets a mention?  :-)

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P   R   E   S   S      R   E   L   E   A   S   E

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 17, 2013

FOX SPORTS OHIO & COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS ANNOUNCE 2012-2013 TELECAST SCHEDULE

Dan Kamal joins Blue Jackets broadcast team.

COLUMBUS, OHIO – FOX Sports Ohio and the Columbus Blue Jackets announced today the 2012-2013 telecast schedule.


FOX Sports Ohio’s coverage of the Columbus Blue Jackets begins on Saturday, January 19 when the club opens the season on the road with an 8pm match-up against Central Division rival Nashville Predators.

The network will televise the remainder of the Blue Jackets’ complete 48-game schedule with the exception of the home opener against the Detroit Reds Wings on Monday, January 21, which will be on NBC Sports Network. Throughout the season, viewers outside of Columbus are encouraged to check FOXSportsOhio.com for channel information.

Coverage each game night will begin with Blue Jackets Live pre-game show, featuring highlights, player interviews and analysis 30 minutes prior to each game. Immediately following the final horn, the coverage will continue with the post-game edition of Blue Jackets Live, presented by IGS Energy.

Broadcast & Web Team
                                                                                                   
Calling the game action will once again be play-by-play announcer Jeff Rimer alongside color analyst Bill Davidge. Natalie Taylor will return as rink side reporter.

FOX Sports Ohio is excited to welcome Dan Kamal to the Blue Jackets broadcast team as co-host of Blue Jackets Live. Preceding home games, Kamal will join Dave Maetzold in hosting Blue Jackets Live from Nationwide Arena. For all away games, they will host the show from the FOX Sports Ohio studio.

In addition to co-hosting Blue Jackets Live, Kamal will also provide inside access to the Blue Jackets via FOXSportsOhio.com with weekly feature stories. Also on FOXSportsOhio.com, Steph Greegor continues her Jackets coverage and Dark Blue Jacket Plus, the extended blog of Dark Blue Jacket, will return as well.

Follow on Twitter:
FOX Sports Ohio - @FOXSportsOH
Jeff Rimer - @JRimerCBJ
Bill Davidge - @BDavidge99
Natalie Taylor - @NatalieKTaylor
Dan Kamal - @DanKamal
Dave Maetzold - @DMaetzMedia
Steph Greegor - @Greegor23
Dark Blue Jacket - @DarkBlueJacket
FOX Sports Ohio Girls - @FSOhio_Girls
#FSOCBJ

About Dan Kamal:
Kamal has over 25 years of hockey broadcasting experience including:

Radio play-by-play announcer and Sr. Director of Radio Broadcast Operations for the Atlanta Thrashers
NHL / Winnipeg Jets reporter and host on CJOB Radio in Winnipeg
Co-host of weekly “On the Ice” hockey segment on Comcast Sports Southeast
Play-by-play for the Atlanta Knights (IHL) and host of a weekly NHL show on FOX SportsSouth

Kamal also has extensive experience covering Sports for CNN, most recently as a Sports Special Projects writer and reporter.

FOX Sports Ohio, the area’s leading provider of local sports programming, is the television home of the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Cavaliers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Columbus Crew, Xavier Musketeers, Cincinnati Bearcats, Big 12 and Conference USA football, and Big East football and basketball. FOX Sports Ohio reaches over five million households in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, western Pennsylvania, western New York, and West Virginia. www.foxsportsohio.com