FSSW general manager Heidtke honored

Jon Heidtke was honored by Women in Media, in part, for his hiring and promoting of women and his community contributions

By Barry Horn
Staff Writer

Jon Heidtke, the main man at Fox Sports Southwest, picked up the Alliance for Women in Media’s Silver Award of Excellence on Thursday night.

Heidtke, the general manager who calls all the shots at FSSW, is the 30th winner of the award handed out by the national organization’s Dallas-Fort Worth chapter.

Heidtke has been with FSSW since 1989 when it was still known as Home Sports Entertainment.

 
Criteria for winning the award include: hiring and promoting women; impact on the media business and contributions to the community.

A graduate of Texas A&M, Heidtke has been named “The Most Influential Aggie in Sports” by the 12th Man Magazine. His name was bandied about when the Aggies were searching for an athletic director last year.

Emily Jones, Dana Larson and Nancy Lieberman are three of Heidtke’s high-profile female hires at FSSW. Others include Mary Hyink (director of marketing), Kristin Mueller (local sales manager), Amanda Bowditch (producer) and Patti Smith (director of FSSW’s Houston operation).

 “We’ve made great strides in hiring women at a sports network,” Heidtke said. “But like with any award that is for career achievement, this one makes you feel old.”

FOX Sports Southwest Fan Express Connects with Outer Market Viewers

* VIP Luxury Bus Transports Fans to Rangers Games

* Promotion offered to Radio Stations in Texas Rangers Radio Network

When the Texas Rangers were looking for ways to take advantage of last season's first-ever trip to the World Series to grow their fan base, they turned to long-time television partner FOX Sports Southwest for assistance.

FS Southwest Sr. VP/GM Jon Heidtke and Marketing Director Mary Hyink put their creative minds to work during the offseason and developed a successful promotion that is attracting fans from the team's outer markets. The FOX Sports Southwest Fan Express, a 56-passenger VIP luxury coach wrapped in full-scale Rangers player images, is transporting fans from across the Southwest to and from Arlington during the 2011 season.