The Minnesota Timberwolves announced the team's local television schedule for the 2009-10 season. The Wolves' over-the-air television schedule will feature 15 games on KSTC-TV, Ch. 45 and 40 games on FOX Sports North cable and satellite package. The schedule will include 27 Target Center dates and 28 telecasts from the road.
The Wolves' local television schedule begins with the season opener on Wednesday, Oct. 28 vs. the New Jersey Nets at Target Center on KSTC-TV, Ch. 45 starting at 7 p.m. The FOX Sports North schedule tips off on Friday, Oct. 30 against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Target Center (7 p.m.). FOX Sports North also will air Wolves Live before and after every telecast, as well as Wolves Weekly, a half-hour weekly show featuring news items and stories about Timberwolves players and coaches.
"KSTC-TV, Ch. 45 and FOX Sports North are leaders in local Minnesota sports coverage and we are extremely pleased to continue our partnerships with both outlets." said Timberwolves Sr. Vice President of Communications and Chief Marketing Officer Ted Johnson. "Both KSTC-TV and FOX Sports North provide the highest quality of broadcasts for us to showcase our new head coach and a host of young, exciting players."
Highlights in the Wolves' local broadcast schedule include both games against the Boston Celtics on KSTC-TV, Ch. 45 and FOX Sports North (Nov. 4 and Dec. 20, respectively); both contests against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (Oct. 30 on FOX Sports North and Jan. 27 on KSTC-TV, Ch. 45); and two games against Kobe Bryant and the NBA Champion L.A. Lakers (Dec. 11 on KSTC-TV, Ch. 45 and March 19 on FOX Sports North).
KSTC-TV, Channel 45, the Twin Cities only independent television station, begins its fifth season as the exclusive over-the-air broadcast partner of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Along with the excitement of the NBA's Timberwolves, KSTC.TV, Channel 45 sports broadcasts include the Emmy Award-winning Minnesota State High School League Championship Tournaments, the NHL’s Minnesota Wild and Saint Paul Saints baseball. Part of the rich broadcasting heritage of Hubbard Broadcasting, one of the only family-owned television groups in the country, Channel 45 is the station to turn to for local news, top rated network syndication and local sports action. Reaching more than 1.7 million television homes, KSTC-TV, Channel 45, is also available on cable channel 12 (on most metro cable stations) and is carried on DirecTV and Dish Network satellite systems.
FOX Sports North reaches more than 2 million homes throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and North and South Dakota and telecasts nearly 2,600 hours of locally produced programming per year. The Emmy Award-winning regional sports network provides comprehensive coverage of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, MLB’s Minnesota Twins, the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx as well as the University of Minnesota athletic events.