"FOX Sports Ohio is proud to be the TV home of your Cavaliers," said Henry Ford, Senior Vice President and General Manager, FOX Sports Ohio. "We cannot wait to begin another exciting season of Cavaliers basketball and provide fans with more inside access and in-depth coverage than ever before."
All 70 of FOX Sports Ohio's Cavs games will be featured in HD this season.
"FOX Sports Ohio really got into the spirit of this being a special XL season for the Cavs," said Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena president Len Komoroski. "Delivering every single game in HD is a spectacular advancement for our team and our fans and just shows the excitement that we all share for the upcoming season, our 40th. We look forward to working closely with FOX Sports Ohio to deliver simply the best fan viewing experience in the entire NBA, on and off the court."
As our preferred over-the-air partner, WUAB will once again simulcast a select number of Cavs games this season.
Last season, Cavaliers legend Austin Carr was a fan favorite, with his catch phrases including "Throw the hammer down" and "Get that weak stuff outta here!" This season, Carr will continue to spice up the color analysis for the entire 70-game schedule. Joining him on the floor will be veteran play-by-play man Fred McLeod, calling the games for his third season.
Jeff Phelps returns to the Cavs' in-game broadcast team for his 7th season, where he will be seen on the sideline for all Cavaliers' games.
FOX Sports Ohio will continue its comprehensive coverage of the team with the return of Cavaliers Live, providing fans with commentary, features, and in-depth pre-game coverage of the Cavaliers 30 minutes prior to every game telecast. The KIA Halftime Report will break down the first half of the game and offer insights in preparation for the second half. And immediately following the final buzzer of each game, the post-game edition of Cavaliers Live, presented by Conrads Tire Express and Total Car Care, will feature highlights, player interviews and analysis.
The shows will be hosted by Phelps and Campy Russell for home games. Russell, a nine-year NBA veteran, former Cavalier and member of the Cavalier's All-Time Team, has been a member of FOX Sports Ohio's analyst team since 2005.
For road games, Dionne Miller will host the pre-game show from Aaron's Studio and Phelps will report from the game site.
Miller will also return as host of Cavaliers in the Paint. Rounding out FOX Sports Ohio's coverage will be Access Cavaliers, a Cavaliers-produced show where fans get total behind-the-scenes access they can't get anywhere else.
Bob Pennell will return as game producer and Lisa Johnson will continue to produce Cavaliers Live pre-game and Cavaliers in the Paint.
Last season, the Cavs on FOX Sports Ohio earned record high ratings. Cleveland's local broadcast ratings saw a 116% increase from the 07-08 season's finish, and the team's average rating was the highest regular season average of all NBA teams. In addition, the Cavs' final regular season game on April 15 rated a 14.1, the highest local broadcast rating ever for the Cavs.