SALT LAKE CITY --
"RSL on KSL" kicks off its fourth consecutive season this Saturday, April 19, from Toronto, Canada, as Real Salt Lake (1-1-1, 4 points, T-3rd West) today announced that Utah's NBC affiliate, KSL-TV Channel 5, will televise 12 of the team's local regular-season broadcasts in 2008, with KSL having rights of first refusal for additional international, exhibition and post-season games. Real Salt Lake is featured an additional nine times in 2008 on three of Major League Soccer's national television partners - ESPN2, Fox Soccer Channel and HDNet.
"Real Salt Lake is pleased to offer our games on KSL 5 Television again this season," said RSL President Bill Manning. "We believe 2008 is going to be an exciting year for our club and are glad that KSL has committed to broadcast all of our non-nationally televised road games for the remainder of the season."
The complete regular-season RSL on KSL local TV schedule for 2008 follows:
| Day Date Matchup KICKOFF (MT) KSL AIRTIME COMCAST | ||||||
| Sat. | April 19 | @ Toronto FC | 10:30 a.m. | KSL (2:00 p.m.) | ||
| Sat. | April 26 | @ D.C. United | 5:30 | KSL (6:30 p.m.) | ||
| SAT. | MAY 3 | vs. LOS ANGELES GALAXY | 7:00 | KSL 5.3 | Comcast 105 | |
| Sat. | May 24 | @ FC Dallas | 6:30 | KSL | ||
| Sat. | June 14 | @ Chivas USA | 8:30 | KSL | 5.3 | Comcast 105 |
| Sat. | June 28 | @ Kansas City Wizards | 6:00 | KSL | 5.3 | Comcast 105 |
| Sat. | July 19 | @ Chicago Fire | 6:30 | KSL | ||
| Sat. | Aug. 16 | @ Houston Dynamo | 6:30 | KSL | 5.3 | Comcast 105 |
| Sat. | Aug. 23 | @ Columbus Crew | 5:30 | KSL | 5.3 | Comcast 105 |
| Sat. | Sept. 6 | @ Los Angeles Galaxy | 8:30 | KSL | 5.3 | Comcast 105 |
| Sat. | Sept. 13 | @ New York Red Bulls | 5:30 | KSL (6:30 p.m.) | ||
| Sat. | Oct. 4 | @ New England Revolution | 5:30 | KSL | 5.3 | Comcast 105 |
"We are elated for the opportunity for KSL 5 to partner with Real Salt Lake and bring an unprecedented amount of world-class Major League Soccer action to the viewers of Utah on local broadcast TV," said KSL TV Programming Director Michelle Kettle. "Real Salt Lake provides a unique opportunity to reach new viewers and their presence in the marketplace has added greatly to the sports and entertainment fabric of the Wasatch Front. We look forward to covering all the RSL soccer action each week on SportsBeat Saturday and Sunday."
The charter RSL partnership continues this Saturday, April 19, at 2:00 p.m. MT, with the America First Credit Union pre- and post-game shows bookending Real Salt Lake's standard two-and-a-half hour television window covering Toronto FC's home opener at BMO Field. The live "RSL on KSL" production is available on the MLS Direct Kick package at 10:30 a.m. MT, with KSL's over-the-air offering pre-empted by NBC Sports programming until 2:00 p.m. MT.
KSL 5 Television follows up each of the next two weeks with additional MLS action, televising Real Salt Lake's return match against D.C. United at RFK Stadium on April 26, with United seeking revenge for last week's 4-0 RSL win over the defending MLS Supporters' Shield champions at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The May 3 return of international icon David Beckham to Salt Lake City will also be televised, as the 7:00 kickoff against the Los Angeles Galaxy is preceded by a 6:30 pre-game show on KSL's digital signal, KSL-DT 5.3, also distributed on Comcast channel 105.
Beckham's return is one of seven Real Salt Lake games currently slated for Channel 5.3, positioning RSL and KSL as "early adopters" of the FCC mandate that all terrestrial television signals air digitally by February 17, 2009. For more information on how to receive the digital "multicast" signal, please visit www.KSL.com and click on the TV tab, or go to www.DTVanswers.com.
KSL 5 Television, an NBC affiliate owned by Bonneville International Corporation, is the dominant leader in news and entertainment programming in the Salt Lake City market. With a commitment to accurate and dependable news coverage and community involvement, KSL 5 reaches out to meet the needs of the viewer and citizens of the entire State of Utah. The largest news viewing audience is during its late local news, the KSL 5 Eyewitness News at 10. The ratings for the KSL 5 Eyewitness News at 10 are the largest of the day, and consistently dominate the local competition.
KSL 5 also boasts the number-one local sports highlight show - SportsBeat Saturday hosted by Rod Zundel and SportsBeat Sunday, a one-hour show hosted by former CNN sports anchor Tom Kirkland. The SportsBeat Sunday show will regularly feature extended Real Salt Lake segments each week at 10:30 p.m.
All regional Real Salt Lake production facilities are provided by Tupelo-Honey Productions, an SCP Worldwide company. THP is a multi-disciplined, full-service production company packaging award-winning television and broadband content for clients such as CBS Sports, ESPN, Showtime, YES Network, AT&T's "Blue Room", Condé Nast and SNY. THP is also a founding partner of City On Demand, which includes TimeOut On Demand on Time Warner Cable and broadband.
ACCESS REAL: Real fans can now receive up-to-date information on the team by signing up for the RSL Weekly Newsletter on our website at www.RealSaltLake.com. Also, stay up-to-date on RSL Stadium and team news at www.RSLstadium.com and www.RSLtotheCore.com, the team's official blog.
Log on to www.RealSaltLake.com, the official web site of Real Salt Lake, for the latest news and information, including updated schedules, ticket plans, roster information and RSL merchandise.
