KARZ-TV Joins Southland Conference Television Network
FRISCO, Texas ? The Southland Conference and KARZ Television, Channel 42, in Little Rock, Ark., have agreed to have the station serve as the exclusive central Arkansas affiliate for the Southland Conference Television Network, league and station officials announced Thursday. The station is also available on Ch. 9 on both Comcast Cable in Little Rock and Conway Corp. Cable in Conway.
“We are extremely proud to place Southland Network programming on KARZ,” Southland commissioner Tom Burnett said. “Reaching the Little Rock market and much of the state of Arkansas is very important to our league, the University of Central Arkansas, and its loyal following in the area. We appreciate the interest of Gayle Kiger and everyone involved at the station, and we look forward to developing a great professional relationship.”
KARZ-TV will carry the remaining 11 basketball telecasts, which includes the conference tournament championship games for both women’s basketball and baseball, as well as the remaining episodes of “Inside the Southland Conference,” the network’s monthly magazine show that highlights each of the league’s 12 campuses and their surrounding communities.
“KARZ and Nexstar broadcasting are thrilled to partner with the Southland Conference providing excellent college sports programming for our viewers all across the great state of Arkansas,” Kiger, the station’s general manager, said.
Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc., recently acquired KWBF-TV in Little Rock and re-launched the station as KARZ-TV on Feb. 1, 2009.
As one of the nation’s newest and innovative broadcast opportunities, the Southland Conference Television Network is in the midst of a 35-event schedule during the 2008-09 academic year. By the end of the academic year, the network will have televised total of eight football games, 16 basketball contests along with the championship games of the Southland volleyball and baseball tournaments. The network serves numerous television stations and cable systems in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. In addition, the network package includes “Inside the Southland Conference,” a nine-episode monthly magazine show that highlights each of the league’s 12 campuses and their surrounding communities.
The Southland TV Network presently has the following affiliates: WBTR in Baton Rouge, La.; KFDM/Time Warner Cable in Beaumont, Texas; KTBU in Houston; KVHP in Lake Charles, La.; WVUE 8.2 in New Orleans; Texas State Cable Ch. 17 in San Marcos, Texas; KPXJ in Shreveport, La.; MYTX in Tyler, Texas; KARZ in Little Rock, Ark.; and select Time Warner Cable systems in Texas, including Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, San Marcos and Waco. Following the game and throughout Texas, the broadcast will be available on Time Warner Cable’s Video-On-Demand service.