GiantsVision

{{Short description|Pay-per-view service for San Francisco Giants baseball games}}

{{Infobox television channel

| name = GiantsVision

| logo =

| logo_size =

| logo_caption =

| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1986||}}

| closed_date = {{End date and age|1989||}}

| picture_format = 480i (SDTV)

| network = Pay-per-view

| owner = Bay Area Interconnect

| country = United States

| language = English

| area = San Francisco Bay Area

| headquarters =

| former_names =

| replaced =

| replaced_by = SportsChannel Bay Area

| sister_channels =

| timeshift_service =

| website =

}}

GiantsVision{{cite web |url=https://trademarks.justia.com/737/92/giants-vision-73792535.html|title=GIANTS VISION - Trademark Details|website=Justia}} was a pay-per-view television service for Major League Baseball games featuring the San Francisco Giants.{{cite web |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/285600971/1989-SF-Giants-Information-Guide|title=1989 SF Giants Information Guide|website=scribd.com}} GiantsVision{{cite web |url=https://www.cablecenter.org/media-room/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=151|title=Edward Allen|last=Smith|first=E. Stratford|date=December 13, 1989|website=The Cable Center}} was in operation for four seasons (1986{{cite news |last=Moody |first=Darrell |date=February 19, 2008 |title=Giants broadcast duo covers plenty of topics |url=https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2008/feb/19/giants-broadcast-duo-covers-plenty-of-topics/ |access-date=September 12, 2024 |work=Nevada Appeal}}–1989).{{cite news|date=September 19, 1989|title=Marysville Yuba City Appeal Democrat|type=Original newspaper|url=https://marysvilleappealdemocrat.newspaperarchive.com/marysville-yuba-city-appeal-democrat/1989-09-19/page-9/}} Prior to this, the team's only local television outlet was KTVU, which had been broadcasting Giants games since 1961.

Background

GiantsVision was managed by San Jose-based Bay Area Interconnect. It was headed by Robert Hartzell{{cite web |url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sfgate/obituary.aspx?n=robert-hartzell&pid=156178104|title=Robert Hartzell - Obituary|date=February 29, 2012|website=Legacy}} and Mike Shapiro.{{cite web |url=http://pacproclubs.pointstreaksites.com/view/pacproclubs/news/news_362260|title=Mike Shapiro Named Pacific Association Executive of the Year|date=November 30, 2015|website=Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs}}{{cite news |last=Schmidt|first=Danny|date=July 30, 2016|title=Former Giants broadcaster Greenwald honored at Pacifics game|url=https://www.marinij.com/2016/07/30/former-giants-broadcaster-greenwald-honored-at-pacifics-game/|work=Marin Independent Journal}} Subscription costs began at $5.95 per game, with a full 45-game package available for $154. GiantsVision garnered an average viewership of 22,000 per game through the first two months of the 1988 season.{{cite news |last=Murray|first=William D.|date=August 26, 1988|title=Sports and the wide world of cable TV Sunday, Aug 28 Duplicates item moved on financial wire as bc-bizworld-sportscable|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/08/28/Sports-and-the-wide-world-of-cable-TV-Sunday-Aug-28-Duplicates-item-moved-on-financial-wire-as-bc-bizworld-sportscable/2633588744000/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708182632/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/08/28/Sports-and-the-wide-world-of-cable-TV-Sunday-Aug-28-Duplicates-item-moved-on-financial-wire-as-bc-bizworld-sportscable/2633588744000/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 8, 2020}}

GiantsVision was shut down at the conclusion of the 1989 season when it was purchased by SportsChannel and floated as SportsChannel Bay Area after the merger.{{cite book |date=January 22, 1990 |title=More sports for the Bay Area|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1990/BC-1990-01-22.pdf|publisher=American Radio History|page=46 }} By 1990, at least 105 San Francisco Giants games had been televised, far more than the approximately 55 games that GiantsVision offered.{{cite news |last=Jackel|first=Peter|date=December 25, 1993|title=Broadcasting reunites former Case stars|url=https://journaltimes.com/sports/broadcasting-reunites-former-case-stars/article_dec573f9-7b1e-5b20-a84a-c5dd0eb1a847.html|work=The Journal Times}}

Commentators

Joe Morgan,{{cite web |url=https://odusports.com/sports/2007/9/23/208379634.aspx|title=Baseball Great Joe Morgan To Speak At Baseball Clinic Weekend|date=September 23, 2007|website=Old Dominion University Athletics}}{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/classic/s/chat_wrap_joe_morgan.html|title=ESPN Classic|date=November 19, 2003|website=ESPN}} Duane Kuiper,{{cite news |last=Cohn|first=Grant|date=June 19, 2013|title=Giants play-by-play voice Kuiper calls it fun|url=https://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/giants-play-by-play-voice-kuiper-calls-it-fun/|work=The Press Democrat}}{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/bobby-bonds-trade-tree|title=Bobby Bonds left; Kruk, Kuip & an MVP arrived|last=Guardado|first=Maria|date=May 4, 2020|website=MLB.com}}{{cite book |last1=Brown|last2=Cepeda|first1=Daniel|first2=Orlando|title=Big 50: San Francisco Giants: The Men and Moments that Made the San ...|date=15 May 2016 |publisher=Triumph Books |isbn=9781633195073 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MU0HDAAAQBAJ&q=%22Giantsvision%22+san+francisco&pg=PT120}} and Phil Stone{{cite news |last=Jenkins|first=Bruce|date=April 4, 2015|title=Matt Cain a reassuring sight on AT&T mound|url=https://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/Matt-Cain-a-reassuring-sight-on-AT-T-mound-6178706.php|work=SF Gate}} were the principal announcers for GiantsVision. Kuiper's brother, Jeff,{{cite book |last1=Castiglione|last2=Lyons|first1=Joe|first2=Douglas B.|title=Broadcast Rites and Sites: I Saw It on the Radio with the Boston Red Sox|year=2006 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pEZi91cMUcsC&q=%22Giantsvision%22+san+francisco&pg=PT4|page=26|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9781589793248 }} was the producer of the broadcasts. David Koppett{{cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-koppett-65647937|title=David Koppett - Vice President, Content Production & Strategy ...|website=Linkedin}} produced features for GiantsVision and later SportsChannel telecasts of Giants games. He also served as associate producer and graphics operator on Giants telecasts.

References

Category:American subscription television services

Category:Major League Baseball on television

Category:Television channels and stations established in 1986

Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 1989

Category:Defunct local cable stations in the United States

Category:1986 establishments in California

Category:1989 disestablishments in California

Category:Television stations in the San Francisco Bay Area

Category:Sports in San Francisco

Category:SportsChannel