(SAN DIEGO) January 22, 2009 – Channel 4 San Diego has signed Mark Neely to a two-year contract as play-by-play announcer for the station’s Padres baseball telecasts beginning with the 2009 season, announced Craig Nichols, Vice President and General Manager for Channel 4 San Diego and Sandy Alderson, Chief Executive Officer for the San Diego Padres.

Neely joins the strong telecast team of color analysts and former Padres players Mark Grant and Tony Gwynn. “With his network experience, Mark Neely will be right at home with Channel 4 San Diego’s award-winning production team,” said Nichols. “We’ve got another winning combination in the announcer’s booth with Neely, Grant and Gwynn.”

“We are excited that Mark is coming to San Diego and will be calling Padres action,” said Alderson. “Mark is going to bring a fresh perspective and personality that will complement Mark Grant’s color commentary and enhance an already solid Channel 4 San Diego telecast.”

A graduate of the University of Kansas, Neely is a native of St. Louis, Missouri and climbed through the ranks of professional baseball, calling games on radio and television.
 
He emerged in 2001 on ESPN to call Major League Baseball, NCAA College Baseball and Little League baseball games. He ascended rapidly through the ranks of ESPN to call NCAA College football, soccer, softball, volleyball, swimming, diving and basketball games. In 2007, Fox’s Big Ten Network hired Neely to be one of the lead play-by-play announcers for NCAA College Basketball, NCAA College Baseball and Olympic sports. Neely also was the radio and television voice for Minor League Baseball teams in Boise (A), Springfield (A), Salem (A), Tulsa (AA) and Louisville (AAA).

Neely and his wife have a six-year-old son.

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About Channel 4 San Diego
Launched in 1997, Channel 4 San Diego is an award-winning station that creates, produces, and telecasts programming designed specifically for the San Diego audience. Owned and operated by Cox Communications, Channel 4 San Diego televises 250 live sporting events a year, including 150 Padres games in high definition, SDSU Aztecs football and basketball, USD basketball, and local high school football games. Channel 4 San Diego has received numerous awards for its local, original programming including “San Diego Insider Magazine,”  “Shades of San Diego,“ “Forefront,” “One on One with Jane Mitchell,” “Sam the Cooking Guy” and “Cox Presents: A Salute to Teachers.” In 2007, Channel 4 San Diego moved into a new television studio overlooking Petco Park. It was the first high definition television station in San Diego County.

About Cox Communications:
Operating in San Diego County since 1961, Cox Communications is a full-service telecommunications provider of voice, video and data services including digital and high definition cable television, high speed Internet, local and long distance telephone service, digital video recorder service, On Demand programming, commercial voice and data services via Cox Business, and advertising and promotional opportunities through San Diego Interconnect Operated by Cox Media. Cox Communications also owns and operates the Travel Channel and award-winning Channel 4 San Diego, television home of the San Diego Padres and award-winning local programming. Cox Communications serves 587,000 customers and 2,300 employees countywide. For more information, visit www.coxsandiego.com.


Media Contact

Ceanne Guerra Media and Public Relations Manager Cox Communications ceanne.guerra@cox.com 619-266-5542

Diane Morgan VP, Media Relations ABC Family diane.morgan@disney.com 818-973-2167