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Fox Sports made a series of management changes at two of its largest regional sports networks, moving Los Angeles based Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket senior vice president and general manager Steve Simpson to head up its Dallas-based Fox Sports Southwest RSN while consolidating the Los Angeles and San Diego properties, Fox Sports president Jeff Krolik announced Wednesday.
Simpson, who has served as SVP and general manager for Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket since 2002 and is a Texas native, takes the reins from Jon Heidtke, who has taken a partnership development role with Learfield Communications at his alma mater, Texas A&M. Heidtke had been general manager of Fox Sports Southwest -- which serves a five-state region and holds rights for the Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans -- since 1994.
With Simpson’s departure, Fox Sports will consolidate the management and operations of its Los Angeles and San Diego RSNs. Henry Ford, who has been general manager of Fox Sports San Diego since 2011, will now oversee as SVP and GM the combined networks, which collectively hold the rights for the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Diego Padres.
Reporting to Ford in the newly created role of assistant general manager will be Lindsay Amstutz. Amstutz, who has been serving as vice president of marketing for Fox’s regional sports networks since 2012, will continue in that role while adding assistant general manager duties.
