âFLW Outdoorsâ will hit prime time television when it airs Monday, March 21, at 9 p.m. EST on FSN. The lead-in show to âFLW Outdoorsâ will be the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament. FSN regularly broadcasts âFLW Outdoorsâ Sundays from 11 a.m. to noon EST. Check local listings for show times and channels in your area.
The decision to air during prime time is a result of four weeks of successful ratings increases for âFLW Outdoors.â FSN executives have been extremely pleased with the preliminary results and are eager to test the show in a prime-time format. The show has elicited an overwhelming response from viewers, and enthusiasm for the future is strong.
âThe show has performed so well on Sunday mornings in just four short weeks that we feel that if more viewers are exposed to âFLW Outdoors,â the show has a chance to breakout,â said George Greenberg, FSNâs executive vice president of programming and production. âWith its unparalleled production values in the world of fishing, we feel this show has the potential to be a ratings winner anytime it airs.â
The March 21 show features the second half of a two-part series covering the second event of the 2005 FLW Tour season on Floridaâs Lake Toho. The show takes an in-depth look at Lakeland, Fla., native and FLW Tour rookie sensation Bobby Lane. FSN also speaks with a group of rising FLW Tour pros known as the ânext generation.â This elite group of young anglers consists of Lane, J.T. Kenney, Scott Martin and Luke Clausen, the latter being the winner of the prestigious 2004 Forrest L. Wood Championship.
FLW Outdoors Chairman Irwin L. Jacobs sees this as the next step in further elevating professional tournament fishing to the forefront of public awareness. âFSN has found the right formula for bringing professional tournament fishing to life,â Jacobs said. âFox is known for their creativity, innovation and cutting-edge technology in sports production, which they have proven very quickly with our property. Weâre eager to see what they have in store for the future.â
âFLW Outdoorsâ features one-hour shows packed with unique tournament coverage, angler profiles and the most up-to-date news from the professional fishing world. FSNâs technological innovation and impressive graphic presentation gives fishing fans the most intimate viewing experience available.
FLW Outdoors is the nationâs premier provider of sport-fishing tournaments. It owns and operates 214 freshwater and saltwater tournaments offering a combine purse in excess of $30 million in 2005. Spread across eight circuits, these tournaments include the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the worldâs most lucrative bass-fishing tournament series; the EverStart Series, known as the gateway to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour; the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League for weekend anglers; the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail; the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, the worldâs most lucrative walleye-fishing circuit; the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League for weekend anglers; the Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, the worldâs highest paying kingfish series; and the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series. Wal-Mart and many of Americaâs largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails.
FSN reaches more than 82 million homes through its network of 20 regional sports channels. FSN, based in Los Angeles, serves as the cable TV home to 60 of the 81 MLB, NHL and NBA teams based in the United States, and produces over 4,500 live events each year. In addition to home team games, FSN telecasts a wide variety of national sports events and programming, including the âBest Damn Sports Show Periodâ and âBeyond the Glory.âBy: Bill Petrowiak, FLW Outdoors
