Johnson’s CSET Set to Kick Off

Carolinas Sports Entertainment Television will debut at 1 p.m. (EST) Saturday with The Citadel visiting Furman for a college-football clash, AP reported.

CSET is being funded Black Entertainment Television founder Bob Johnson, who owns the National Basketball Association’s expansion Charlotte Bobcats and the Charlotte Sting of the Women’s NBA.

According to AP, besides the two basketball teams, the network will offer Carolina-area small-college and minor-league games.

"The message we're sending is that we are more than a home just for the Bobcats and Sting content," executive vice president Naomi Travers told AP. "We want every team -- whether professional, high school or college -- to know that there is a place for their events and games on our network. We're interested in covering any sports interest relevant to the Carolinas."

CSET will launch in around 40% of cable homes in North Carolina and South Carolina on systems owned by Time-Warner Cable and Comporium Communications, as part of those operators’ basic digital-cable packages, according to AP.

The network is negotiating with Cox Communications Inc. and Charter Communications Inc., Travers told AP.