(SUNRISE, FL) – Fox Sports Net Florida announced today Craig Minervini will join the Panthers telecast team for the 2003-2004 NHL season. Minervini will host PANTHERS PREVIEW, Fox Sports Net's 30-minute pre-game show before each Panther telecast, and he will also deliver reports during each game. For more than a decade Minervini has covered South Florida sports and news and is the host of Marlins on Deck and Marlins Weekly on Fox Sports Net Florida.
In addition to his pre-game and game coverage duties, Minervini will also host INSIDE THE PANTHERS, a weekly 30-minute magazine show as well as pre- and post-season Panther specials on Fox Sports Net.
"We are delighted to add Craig Minervini to Fox Sports Net's talented team of Panthers announcers and believe Craig will complement the already outstanding team of Jeff Rimer and Denis Potvin," said Brad Heard, Vice President of Programming and Operations, Fox Sports Net Florida. "With his in-depth knowledge of hockey and his history in South Florida, Craig will be a terrific asset to Fox Sports Net's Panthers coverage."
"I've been a huge hockey fan and player since I was six years old and I'm thrilled to join the Panthers telecast and continue to work with Fox Sports Net," said Craig Minervini. "I'm privileged to be joining Jeff Rimer and Denis Potvin, two consummate industry professionals, even though I rooted for the Rangers as a kid instead of Potvin's Islanders."
Prior to joining Fox Sports Net, Minervini was a sports anchor for WTVJ-TV, the NBC affiliate in Miami, and hosted multiple football highlight shows, including The Dave Wannstedt Show and Hurricane Football Final. During his tenure at WTVJ, Minervini covered the Florida Marlins from the team's inception and was nominated for a regional Emmy Award for a feature story on the team. Minervini also brings with him national experience, covering sporting events for CBS Sports, NBC's Notre Dame football, and the XFL.
A graduate of Syracuse University, Minervini earned a degree in Broadcast Journalism. He joins Jeff Rimer and Denis Potvin for 75 regular season Panthers games during the 2003-2004 season (Note: Fox Sports Net's 2003-2004 Panthers schedule will be released shortly).
Fox Sports Net Florida reaches more than 4.5 million households in Florida. Fox Sports Net Florida's programming includes Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers, the University of Miami, and the University of South Florida, The Best Damn Sports Show Period, NASCAR, and 54321. Fox Sports Net Florida is managed by Rainbow Sports Networks.
Rainbow Sports Networks is a division of Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC). Fox Sports Net reaches more than 82 million households nationwide and is a service of National Sports Partners, equally owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., and Fox Entertainment Group. Rainbow Sports Networks incorporates Rainbow's 50% ownership in Fox Sports Net and Fox Sports National Advertising and the ownership and management of Fox Sports Net regional networks in five of the nation's largest markets: Chicago, San Francisco, New England, Ohio and Florida.