For the second time in as many years, Cox Sports Television head Rod Mickler was recently named to as one of the most influential sports figures in the Crescent City, as compiled by the New Orleans Times Picayune.

Mickler has been at the helm of the New Orleans-based sports network since launch on October 28, 2002 in front of 450,000 Louisiana viewers. CST has since grown over 400% to nearly 2 million since launch, making it one of the fastest growing regional sports networks in the south. CST is currently carried on cable systems in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida and Virginia. CST is also carried on channel 421 on DISH Network in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge markets, including the counties of Pearl River and Hancock in Mississippi. CST is owned and operated by Cox Communications Louisiana, LLC. Initially targeted to be a Louisiana sports network, CST has secured collegiate, professional and high school events that have expanded the networks reach throughout the south.

"Louisiana in general has been much underserved with sports coverage," Mickler told the Picayune. "It's arguably one of the more sports-oriented states in the country, but we never really had a 24-hour sports network that devoted itself primarily to Louisiana sports. So when the Hornets came here in 2002 that really gave us the start. At the time we had to make the decision whether to make this a Hornets channel in New Orleans or broaden it to a regional sports network."


Times Picayune's most influential New Orleans sports figures list
1. Tom Benson
New Orleans Saints owner

2. Drew Brees
New Orleans Saints QB

3. Sean Payton
New Orleans Saints Head Coach

4. George Shinn
New Orleans Hornets Owner

5. Chris Paul
Hornets point guard

6. Mickey Loomis
Saints General Manager

7. Doug Thorton
SMG

8. Rod Mickler
Cox Sports Television Head

9. Les Miles
LSU head football coach

10. Joe Alleva
LSU director of athletics

11. Paul Hoolahan
Sugar Bowl Director

12. Jay Cicero
Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation

13. Rita Benson LeBlanc
Saints owner/executive

14. Hugh Weber
Hornets President

15. Monty Williams
Hornets Head Coach

16. Bobby Hebert
Former Saints QB/radio personality

17. James Carville
Political consultant

18. Jim Henderson
WWL

19. Mackie Shilstone
Fitness guru

20. Rick Dickson
Head Baseball Coach, Tulane

21. Archie Manning
Former New Orleans Saints QB

22. Gregg Williams
Saints defensive coordinator

23. Tommy Fonseca
Zurich Classic of New Orleans

24. Duke Rousse
PrimeU workout camp

25. Paul Mainieri
LSU Baseball Coach