NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Hornets and Cox Sports Television announced today that the 24-hour regional sports network will again broadcast 65 live regular season games in 2009-10. CST is local channel 37 in New Orleans.

“We are ecstatic to be able to continue our great relationship with CST in providing 65 regular season games to our fans in New Orleans and the state of Louisiana,” said Hornets Executive Vice President of Basketball Chad Shinn. “We are anxious for the season and for our team to give the fans a great show this season. When you factor in national television games, our fans will be able to see the Hornets 74 times on television this season!”

The Hornets’ regular season broadcast schedule, which includes 34 home and 31 road games, will begin with the home opener vs. Sacramento on Oct. 30 and conclude with the season finale at Houston on Apr. 14.

“CST is thrilled to be entering into our eighth season of Hornets basketball” stated CST head Rod Mickler. “The Hornets fans across the Gulf South are anxious for another year of exciting basketball and we can’t wait to tip-off our exclusive 65 game schedule on October 30!”

Other broadcast highlights on the schedule include the first road broadcast against Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics (Nov. 1), all three games against Kobe Bryant and the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers (Nov. 8, Dec. 1 and Mar. 29), both games against LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and the Cleveland Cavaliers (Feb. 23 and Mar. 24) and both home games against Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs (Jan. 18 and Mar. 1).

Play-by-play announcer Bob Licht and color analyst Gil McGregor will once again call the broadcast for CST, while Victor Howell takes over as sideline reporter. Licht begins his fifth season on CST, McGregor will call his 22nd season of Hornets basketball and Howell begins his first as sideline reporter of the Hornets.

Prior to each game, fans can tune in to “Hornets Tonight,” a 30-minute pregame show that covers up-to-the minute NBA news, information and features on the Hornets and previews of that night’s game.

Also returning to CST is The Byron Scott Show, a weekly 30-minute look at the team through the eyes of reigning NBA Coach of the Year Byron Scott. The upcoming season will be the fifth for Scott in the Crescent City.

Download schedule in PDF form.