Pro-Am Sports System
Country | United States |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Michigan Northern Indiana Northwest Ohio Nationwide (via satellite) |
Network | Prime Network |
Headquarters | Detroit, Michigan |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Ownership | |
Owner | John Fetzer (1984–1987) Tom Monaghan (1987–1992) Post-Newsweek Stations (1992–1997) |
Sister channels | Broadcast: WDIV-TV (1992–1997) |
History | |
Launched | April 17, 1984 |
Closed | November 1, 1997 |
Replaced by | Fox Sports Detroit (de facto) |
The Pro-Am Sports System (better known as PASS Sports or simply PASS) was an American regional sports network that operated from 1984 to 1997. It also served as an affiliate of the Prime Network from 1988 to 1996. Based in Detroit, the channel broadcast regional coverage of sports events throughout Michigan, mainly covering professional, collegiate and high school sports in the Metro Detroit area and throughout Michigan. After it lost coverage rights to all major Detroit teams to the new Fox Sports Detroit, it was permanently shut down in 1997.
History
The network launched on April 17, 1984, as one of the first regional sports networks in the United States. PASS was owned by
In 1986,
In 1992, Monaghan sold the Tigers to Mike Ilitch and sold PASS to
In the fall of 1995, PASS expanded its coverage area, adding providers such as C-TEC and Cable Plus. By April 1996, the network had reached 25% (or 22,700) of all cable television households in Metro Detroit and 80% (or 174,000 households) in other parts of its primary coverage area through expanded basic tiers.[7][8]
Decline and shutdown
On October 31, 1995,
In 1997, Fox/Liberty Networks – a newly formed
Post-Newsweek concluded that its coverage area was not large enough to support two regional sports networks. As a result, on August 30, 1997, it chose to sell the remainder of the Tigers and Pistons contracts for the 1998 season and the contract of sportscaster John Keating to Fox Sports Detroit.[13][14] Fox/Liberty Networks ultimately decided to accelerate the launch date of the new channel in time for the 1997–98 NHL season and 1998 Major League Baseball season, the respective seasons in which the Red Wings and Tigers contracts began. Post-Newsweek then announced that it would shut down PASS.[15] The last program to air on the network was Trackside at Ladbroke DRC. The Pro-Am Sports System ceased operations at 12:00 a.m. on November 1, 1997, following a public service announcement for the National Ski Hall of Fame in Ishpeming, a slide of the PASS logo was shown for two hours after the network formally shut down. In addition to Keating (who still works for Fox Sports Detroit), several other announcers and hosts that have worked for PASS moved over to Fox Sports Detroit, some of whom remain with that network to this day.
On-air staff
Former on-air staff
- Marty Adler – Live on PASS host
- Pat Caputo – Live on PASS host (1990–1992)
- Bill Freehan – Tigers analyst (1984–1985)
- Steve Garagiola – Live on PASS host (1993–1996)
- Ernie Harwell – Tigers play-by-play announcer (1994–1996)
- John Keating – Live on PASS host (1993–1996)
- Greg Kelser – Pistons analyst (1993–1996)
- Fred McLeod– Pistons play-by-play announcer (1984–1996)
- Jim Northrup – Tigers analyst (1985–1994)
- Larry Osterman – Tigers and CCHA Hockey play-by-play announcer (1984–1992)
- Jim Price – Tigers analyst (1993–1996)
- Mickey Redmond – Red Wings analyst (1985–1996)
- Jack Riggs – horse racing play-by-play announcer and trackside host
- Dave Strader – Red Wings play-by-play announcer, CCHA play-by-play announcer (1985–1996)
- Kelly Tripucka – Pistons analyst (1993–1996)
- Eli Zaret – Tigers reporter
References
- ^ "Playball" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 16, 1984. p. 16. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-03-08. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ "Special Report: New TV contracts push baseball" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 27, 1984. pp. 46–48. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-03-08. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ Lapointe, Joe (October 8, 1986). "Area TV serves up hockey smorgasbord". Detroit Free Press. p. 7D. Retrieved February 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lapointe, Joe (October 26, 1984). "Wings won't be on PASS". Detroit Free Press. p. 4D. Retrieved February 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lapointe, Joe (August 5, 1987). "Tigers-Yanks: On TV, strangers in the night". Detroit Free Press. p. 4D. Retrieved February 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ex-Tiger owner sells PASS: Amount of Piston, Red Wings, Tiger games to stay same". Battle Creek Enquirer. Associated Press. October 1, 1992. p. 6C. Retrieved February 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Rich Brown (April 15, 1996). "Sports nets make move to basic". Broadcasting & Cable. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^ "The move for PASS". Broadcasting & Cable. Cathers Business Information. August 19, 1996. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^ "FOX AND LIBERTY OUTLINE PLANS FOR NEW CABLE VENTURE". Sports Business Journal. Advance Publications. November 1, 1995. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ^ "FOX GIVES NEW NAME TO SPORTS ALLIANCE: FOX SPORTS NET". Sports Business Journal. Advance Publications. July 3, 1996. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ^ "FOX SPORTS NET ANNOUNCES DEBUT FOR NOVEMBER 1". Sports Business Journal. Advance Publications. September 13, 1996. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ^ "Fox Sports Inks Deal with PASS for Rights to Tigers/Pistons". Sports Business Daily. Advance Publications. August 27, 1997. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^ "Fox Sports buying Tigers, Pistons rights". Broadcasting & Cable. Cathers Business Information. September 1, 1997. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^ R. Thomas Umstead (September 1, 1997). "Fox Sports secures Detroit franchise". Multichannel News. Cathers Business Information. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^ "Broadcast Giants Vie for Control of Regional Sports Markets". The New York Times. September 1, 1997. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.