"Illinois Thoroughbred racing fans are the big winners," said Arlington Park president Steve Sexton. "By working together, Arlington Park, Hawthorne Race Course and Sportsman's Park along with CLTV have created a quality television package that guarantees consistent coverage of our great sport throughout the year."
Beginning May 5, Thoroughbred racing fans in the Chicago area will be able to tune in to the same channel for nightly replays from local tracks. Arlington Park, Hawthorne, and Sportsman's Park announced that the 24-hour news and sports cable channel CLTV will carry replay shows from the three tracks beginning with the opening of the Hawthorne spring meet on May 5. Time of the half-hour telecasts will be 10 p.m. CT, five nights per week, plus Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Memorial Day. The agreement runs through the end of 2003.CLTV is seen via cable in 1.7 million homes in the Chicago area. It is not available on satellite services such as DirecTV or Dish Network. CLTV is owned by the Tribune Company, which owns the Chicago superstation WGN, along with numerous major print and electronic media outlets. "This is very encouraging," said Thomas F. Carey III, director of operations for Hawthorne. "The agreement from all tracks is a sign of cohesiveness for the tracks involved and for the racing industry in Illinois. This is something that we have been working on for years and by having a consistent timeslot and network for the show to air, we are providing a service that the racing fans in Illinois can appreciate."