Patrick Gottsch, who launched RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel died suddenly Saturday at age 70 in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

His life will be celebrated in a series of specials appearing on RFD-TV and Cowboy Channel. Half-hour specials started May 21 and a one-hour telecast is set for Friday.

Patrick Gottsch Remembered is hosted by Suzanne Alexander and Jeff Medders. 

The special features events Gottsch liked, including The American, World Champions, PRCA, PBR, NFR, National High School Rodeo and 100 Days of Rodeo. 

It also touches upon what he did for the agriculture community and farming, sharing stories and highlights from the Rose Parade, Tractor Parade Guinness Book of World Record, Truck Parade Guinness Book of World Record and cattle sales.

“It is with profound sadness that we recently announced the sudden passing of our beloved father, Patrick, who died unexpectedly early Saturday morning. Patrick was a pioneer and legend in the Western world and a fixture at rodeo events, always cheering on cowboys and cowgirls. He dedicated his life to building a 24-hour rural television network and multimedia company,” said Raquel Gottsch Koehler and Gatsby Gottsch Solheim.

“Beyond his remarkable career, Patrick was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. His passion and vision shaped our company, but it was his passion and dedication to family that defined him for us. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our company leader, but more importantly, by the loss of our father. We will miss him dearly,” they said.

Gottsch was born and raised in Elkhorn, Nebraska, growing up on his family’s farm and cattle feeding operation.

He moved to Chicago in 1977 and wired as a commodity broker until 1982.

He returned to Nebraska. On the day his first daughter, Raquel, was born, he saw a man assembling a C-band satellite dish. Soon after, he started his own dish installation company.

In March 1991, Patrick moved to Fort Worth, Texas, and worked for Superior Livestock Auction, which was the first to introduce satellite video marketing to the livestock industry.

He was encouraged by the founder of Superior, Jim Odle, to pursue his idea of creating a television network with programming that would appeal to rural America.

In December 2000, RFD-TV was launched on Dish Network, programmed with re-runs from the Nashville Network.

Rural Media Group Inc. eventually expanded to include RFD-TV The Magazine , RFD HD, Rural TV, Rural Radio on SiriusXM, The Cowboy Channel and The Cowgirl Channel.

Patrick Gottsch, founder of the Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV, is giving away tickets to the American Rodeo Finals this weekend to first responders.

Collaborating with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, healthcare workers and military families in the Dallas area will receive 1,000 tickets to the event, which is being held in Jones’ AT&T Stadium. 

“We are proud to honor the first responders that got us all through this last year, and to military families who support this country year after year,” said Raquel Gottsch, CEO of The Cowboy Channel. 

Cowboy Channel and RFD TV will be airing six hours a day of courage of the American Rodeo Finals over the weekend. The rodeo will also be streaming on Cowboy Channel Plus.

Broadcasting live from The Cowboy Channel studios in the Fort Worth Stockyards, the American Special Edition of Western Sports Round-Up co-hosted by Steve Kenyon, Amy Wilson and Janie Johnson, will break down all the American Rodeo Finals Rodeo action and interview special guests.

The American Pre-Show with Justin McKee will air Saturday and Sunday and Tailgate Party will appear live on Friday and Saturday.

Cowboy Channel’s coverage will be hosted by Jeff Medder and feature sideline reporters Amy Wilson and Janie Johnson with analysts Butch Knowles, Joe Beaver, Luke Branquinho and Don Gay. Steve Kenyon handles statistics. 

The American Rodeo is known as the world’s richest weekend in western sports with prizes of $2.3 million. Qualifying events are held across the country, throughout the calendar year, as ropers and riders hope to compete and make it to The American Rodeo semi-finals and finals.

The Cowboy Channel and sister station RFD-TV are dedicating their telecast of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo this weekend to Don Imus, the broadcaster and radio personality who died last year.

Also See: Cowboy Channel Sets Broadcast, Stream from National Finals Rodeo

Imus was a National Finals Rodeo Fan, a rancher and supporter of the western lifestyle, the network said.

“For the past 10 years, no one was more supportive than Don Imus for the Cowboy Channel broadcasting the National Finals Rodeo,” said Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV founder Patrick Gottsch. “Many of the innovations are a result of Don's "strong" input and suggestions. Unfortunately, Mr. Imus passed away last Christmas so we thought it appropriate to dedicate these final broadcasts of the 2020 NFR to Don Imus. Don and I became great friends, and I miss him so much." 

Gottsch hired Imus to appear on RFD to boost distribution in 2007. He left the network in 2009 to do a show on Fox Business Network.

When the Imus ranch went up for sale in 2018, Gottsch bought it.

The dedicated broadcast will include a special commemorative video highlighting Don Imus’ life and his passion for the NFR and being a rancher.

Cowboy Channel is the official network of ProRodeo and will be covering the 10 days of the National Final Rodeo.

In addition to The Cowboy Channel’s television network, the coverage is also available for live streaming  and on demand viewing  in three languages – English, Spanish and Portuguese – on the PRCA on Cowboy Channel Plus app for $74.99 for the 10 days at www.cowboychannelplus.com. The mobile app offers up-to-the minute scoring, news, highlight clips, standings, trivia and interactive games,

RFD-TV said it has acquired the Imus Ranch near Ribera, N.M., with plans to use it as a location to produce original programs and host company events, later expanding facilities to create a western resort.

The ranch -- built to accommodate Kids With Cancer, the Imus family (Don, Deirdre and Fred Imus) charity -- includes a western town where RFD-TV will put on display Trigger and Bullet, Roy Rogers's famous horse and dog, the programmer said. RFD-TV bought Trigger and Bullet at auction in 2010.

“The Imus family built this ranch from scratch that is so well designed that the complex can now be adapted immediately for a wide variety of uses,” Patrick Gottsch, founder and president of RFD-TV parent Rural Media Group Inc., said in a release. “RFD-TV The Ranch fits perfectly into our desire to produce more original television programming that embraces western sports and the western lifestyle for both RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel.”

Don Imus, the famed radio and TV host, built the ranch in 1998 and announced plans to close it in late 2014, citing his age (74), health issues and upkeep costs among the factors, according to the Albuquerque Journal. 

Debbe Dunning's Dude Ranch Roundup, a dude-ranch travel show on the network, will move production to the ranch next year, the network said. The ranch includes Imus's former TV and radio studio. 

The ranch has a 14,000-square-foot hacienda and has 35 beds now to accommodate guests. Gottsch said the network plans to expand to include a health spa, shooting range, dance hall, ATV experience, conference center, bass fishing and other amenities. 

Veteran cable executive Alexander “Sandy” Brown has been named chief operating officer for Rural Media Group.

Brown had been president and CEO of One World Sports (now Eleven Sports). Before that he was president of sports for Univision and managing director for ESPN Asia.

AS COO and group president of RMG, Brown will lead the company's operating businesses, focusing on RFD-TV, The Cowboy Channel and Rural Radio on Sirius XM.

"Sandy Brown is a tremendous addition to our senior management team," said Patrick Gottsch, founder and president of Rural Media Group. "His vast experience in national advertising sales and existing relationships with key distributors will certainly add value to both RFD-TV and our new venture, The Cowboy Channel.

"RMG's operations in Nashville will also benefit daily with Sandy's leadership, as will our efforts to now expand all our interests digitally on an international basis,” Gottsch added. "I see Sandy as contributing heavily to helping our networks finally reach their full potential."

Brown will report to Gottsch.

"Rural Media Group is the unequivocal leader in covering the issues that affect our farming and ranching community, for no other network connects with this critical segment of our country in the manner that RMG does," Brown said. “I am thrilled to be joining the group at a time when rural America’s interests have never been more important.”

Rural lifestyle network RFD-TV said its Rural Tractor Brigade has been added to the Presidential Inaugural Parade Friday (Jan. 20).

The network said it had invited tractor manufacturers to participate and had received confirmations from brands including Case IH, Challenger, John Deere, Kioti, Kubota, Mahindra, Massey-Ferguson and New Holland.

A member of the National Future Farmers of America will carry the banner at the lead of the tractor brigade.

“RFD-TV is on a mission to reconnect city with country again,” network president Patrick Gottsch said. "The invitation from the Inaugural Parade to include agriculture in this celebration with tractors going down Pennsylvania Avenue is confirmation that progress is being made."

National Association of Farm Broadcasting president Max Armstrong, Sinclair Broadcasting's Duncan Smith and Gottsch himself are among those driving the tractors, RFD-TV said.

The parade is being carried live, 3-5 p.m., on numerous outlets, including CNN and Fox News Channel.

Ride TV, an equestrian-focused programmer, has hired veteran executive Peter Clifford as senior vice president of distribution, responsible for distribution within the United States and territories. Michael Trujillo, who had headed distribution, now will focus on international markets as SVP of international distribution, the network said.

Clifford most recently was senior vice president of distribution at RFD-TV, where he negotiated linear and digital distribution agreements and oversaw affiliate marketing, Ride said. His distribution experience also includes five years at World Wrestling Entertainment as SVP of distribution and affiliate marketing, where he built the pre-curser to the WWE Network, WWE Classics On Demand, as well as overseeing all PPV agreements and affiliate marketing. Clifford also served as the regional VP and general manager at Golf Channel, Ride said.

“Ride TV feels very fortunate to have someone with Peter's experience leading our domestic distribution efforts. It's not very often you find someone who has this many years in the cable distribution business, but to also have experience in a very similar genre and market is incredibly lucky for us,” Craig Morris, president of Ride TV, said in a release. “It's a tough marketplace for independent channels and everyone is looking for an advantage, and we at Ride TV feel that, with Peter's relationships, we should be able to accelerate that process greatly."

Clifford said in the release: “I look forward to working with the team at Ride TV and helping them grow the service. With all of the change happening in our industry today, from streaming and authentication technology to the discussions in Washington, and the dire need for MVPD’s to acquire and retain customers, I believe there is a unique opportunity to 'reinforce' the value of strong niche programming. Ride TV is in a unique position to deliver.”

RFD-TV founder Patrick Gottsch once again is unleashing the force of his subscribers’ complaints — by phone, email and printed letter — this time on Verizon FiOS TV, as his network is slated to be dropped from the FiOS lineup on Jan. 31.

Gottsch sent Multichannel News a fat binder filled with thousands of pages of, mostly, printed-out emails that RFD-TV viewers sent him protesting the FiOS drop. Binders also were delivered to Verizon officials, including chairman and CEO Lowell McAdam and vice president of programming and marketing Terry Denson, amid other expressions of protest from RFD-TV and customers encouraged by the network to complain.

In 2013, Gottsch sent Multichannel News a similar binder from customers protesting Comcast’s planned drop of RFD-TV in some Western markets. Comcast didn’t restore the rural-focused programmer, and FiOS doesn’t seem to be prepared to change its mind either, as Gottsch said Denson told him.

“This was not one of those rate-increase fights,” Gottsch said. “It wasn’t even discussed. They just dropped us.” RFD-TV — not one of FiOS’s higher-rated channels — costs “pennies,” and Gottsch said he offered to cut the rate by 25% to forestall a drop.

Raymond McConville, a Verizon spokesman, said Friday the RFD-TV drop is part of an ongoing effort to control content costs.

Gottsch pointed out that FiOS over the past year dropped Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, BlueHighways TV and The Weather Channel, and said, “It would just seem to me that the guys in the New York office just have no connection with rural programming, and they need to get out of the office more and realize that they’ve got a substantial number of subscribers that do subscribe to Verizon for this rural-themed programming.”

McConville said Verizon had no bias against rural programming — “it’s just an unfortunate reality of the business” that sometimes channels have to be removed to control costs.

Fresh off of an expanded carriage agreement with Charter, rural lifestyle network RFD-TV has become a cheerleader for the cable operator's proposed merger with Time Warner Cable and Bright House.

Executives were in Washington this week to talk up the network's good relationship with Charter, which now carries the channel on all its systems. RFD-TV even took an ad out in The Washington Post to proclaim its support, which also included comments filed with the FCC earlier this month on why the deal would "expand opportunities for the distribution of independent rural programming."

At the time that agreement was struck late last month, RFD-TV founder Patrick Gottsch told Multichannel News that the deal does not automatically extend to Charter's new systems if the merger is approved, but said he was hopeful Charter would be amenable to doing so.

"Rural America recognizes that its best opportunity to reconnect city with country again is to have Charter Communications control access to the urban homes currently being served by Time Warner Cable and Bright House systems," Gottsch said this week in promoting the Charter deal.

Charter is currently trying to get its merger with Time Warner Cable approved by regulators, so expanding its carriage deal with a rural-targeted independent programmer couldn't hurt. And could actually help.

AT&T struck a deal with RFD-TV while it was trying to get its DirecTV deal approved, and after RFD-TV and its fans pushed the FCC to make carriage of the channel a condition of the merger.

RFD got some high-profile attention in Hill hearings on the AT&T/DirecTV and Comcast/Time Warner Cable deals from legislators concerned about large media companies' carriage of rural-themed programming.

Rural Media Group said it has renewed its carriage agreement with Mediacom Communications for its RFD-TV network, a deal that will include added distribution on Mediacom’s “expanded basic” service, beginning next month.

“Mediacom was the first landline distributor to carry our service 13 years ago in September,” said Rual Media Group founder and CEO Patrick Gottsch in a statement. “We appreciate the opportunity to grow with Mediacom and we look forward to many more years of success together."

RFD HD distribution is included in the agreement and Mediacom systems will begin rolling out the HD service beginning in January 2016. RFD-TV’s sister service, FamilyNet will get first-time distribution on Mediacom’s ”variety tier.”

“As a cable company that specializes in serving smaller markets, we are pleased expand our relationship with RFD-TV and bring more of their rural living themed content to our customers,” said Mediacom’s SVP of Field Operations Ed Pardini in a statement.

Mediacom has about 891,000 customers in 22 states and has a strong presence in rural communities in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the country. The operator and RFD-TV have a history of collaboration and in June it announced it would partner with the network to carry its new political series Rural Town Hall.

“Mediacom’s commitment to increase carriage of RFD-TV and FamilyNet will result in many beneficial opportunities to increase the value of the brand of both companies,” said Rural Media Group Head of Content Distribution Peter Clifford  in a statement. “Mediacom’s current participation in RURAL TOWN HALL is a prime example of the creative partnerships we are looking for in this complex and competitive environment.”

RFD-TV, after vigorous activity in Washington, D.C., related to big TV-distribution mergers, launched today on AT&T U-Verse, adding 5.4 million homes to its reach, the programmer and the distributor said.

The channel, which carries agricultural news, equestrian events and older content such as reruns of Hee-Haw, has inspired thousands of comments to the Federal Communications Commission supporting rural programming protection in Comcast’s proposed merger with Time Warner Cable and in AT&T’s proposed acquisition of DirecTV. Before today’s standard-definition launch on channel 568 (in the U200 package), RFD-TV had not been carried on U-Verse, which is AT&T’s multichannel video service. U-Verse already carries FamilyNet, another channel owned by RFD-TV parent Rural Media Group.

“This is a major accomplishment is this day and age with the challenges of mergers, limited bandwidth, and independent channels being dropped by cable systems all around the country,” Rural Media founder and chairman Patrick Gottsch told Multichannel News in an email. “More than anything else, this is a tribute to RFD-TV's programmers and programming which combined with the passion of our audience for rural, family-oriented programming has proven to be an unbeatable force capable of doing the ‘impossible.’ "

Gottsch said AT&T said it would add RFD HD no later than the end of this year.

“We strive to carry content that appeals to a wide variety of audiences,” Aaron Slator, president, content development, AT&T, said in a separate release. “We’re excited to be able to bring RFD TV programming to our customers.”

AT&T signaled in June that RFD-TV could get U-Verse carriage if the telecom's proposed combination with satellite-TV leader DirecTV was approved by regulators, suggesting the merger would make rural programming more appealing, not less.

Gottsch also said: "No other channel gets so much support from its audience. To have over 57,000 of the 75,000 public comments to the FCC in the Comcast/Time Warner merger, and to date over 95% of the AT&T/DirecTV public comments to the FCC about the importance of rural programming is making the strongest possible statement at this most critical time. I also want to thank the executives at AT&T and U-Verse. Unlike Comcast, since the review hearings at both the House & Senate, AT&T has sincerely worked hard to first understand the concerns of rural America, and take those concerns seriously. AT&T did so in a most expeditious manner. To go from our first meeting just a few months ago to an agreement this past Friday to an actual launch today is a real testament to AT&T's commitment of being a partner with RFD-TV to better serve the needs and interests of rural America. This is a huge step forward, but only a step. We still have a lot of work to do. However, I firmly believe that this announcement with AT&T U-Verse will help our efforts to get RFD-TV's distribution expanded and secured with the other carriers throughout this great nation."

If some legislators from rural districts get buttonholed about big media mergers at the local pie-eating or pig-judging contest, the reason why will be clear.

So far, RFD-TV has been successful in helping drive hundreds and probably thousands of comments to the Federal Communications Commission saying that carriage of the rural-targeted cable and satellite network should not be a casualty of the Comcast/Time Warner Cable or AT&T/DirecTV mergers. It hasn’t hurt that founder Patrick Gottsch has added a button on the company’s Web site to make it easy to weigh in with the FCC in Washington.

But Gottsch suggests the movements’ roots are not astroturf, and that they are being planted on the Hill as well as the FCC bottom land along the Potomac. “There are so many Senators and Congressmen, both Republican and Democrats, that understand the importance of serving rural America,” he said. “Viewers will be contacting them during the August recess when there are so many county and state fairs.” Gottsch's efforts to get fair-goers to share their views with representatives -- including at polka parties -- was highlighted in a New York Times article Sunday.

“This grassroots movement is just starting to gain momentum as people begin to use social media to educate others on this matter,” Gottsch told Multichannel News.

RFD-TV parent Rural Media Group is consolidating operations, now divided between Omaha, Neb., and Nashville, Tenn., in a Music Row address in Nashville formerly occupied by Great American Country. RMG also owns FamilyNet, Rural TV and Rural Radio. Scripps-owned country lifestyles network GAC moved out of 49 Music Square West (pictured) more than a year ago, and is now based in Knoxville.

Patrick Gottsch, founder of rural-focused RFD-TV, said RMG signed an agreement with Scripps Networks to sub-lease space at the 49 Music Square West. Operations now at Northstar Studios in Nashville will relocate over the next several months and at least some employees now in Omaha also will move to Nashville.

"By the end of the year we plan to move everything that’s in Omaha right now to Nashville, except for myself," Gottsch, who lives in Nebraska, told Multichannel News Wednesday. He said about 40 staffers are in Omaha, in such functions as accounting, marketing, sales and events. He said relocation packages were offered "for those who want to move. Some don't want to leave Omaha and want to stay there, so those folks will be replaced in Nashville. We gave everybody the opportunity to move to Nashville. It looks like about half of them are going to move and about half are going to find other employment."

The company said in a statement that the majority of the key people from RMG corporate operations in Omaha will be transferred to Nashville in the coming months. They include a new RMG Events LLC unit headed by RMG CEO Randy Bernard. The events include RFD-TV's The American, a rodeo to be held at the Dallas Cowboys-owned AT&T Stadium on March 1, 2015.

RMG said it would be creating jobs in 64 different categories in all aspects of television and radio operations, digital production and marketing with the move. Openings will be posted on rfdtv.com or resumes emailed to Jobs@rfdtv.com. Gottsch said in an interview he expects the company to have 150 on staff by the end of the year, rising to about 200 by the middle of next year. RMG plans to start renovations at the former GAC building soon and afterward will hold an open house for potential job applicants.

“The new headquarters will allow for RMG to add to its existing, talented workforce while filling the many holes necessary for this company to reach its full potential,” the RMG-released statement quoted Jon Finnegan, HR director, as saying. “Rural Media Group is a company experiencing explosive growth and the excitement for the move is already evident with our current employees and can only add to the positive and professional atmosphere that we will take to 49 Music Square West. We are looking forward to attracting the very best from the experienced media professionals not only in Tennessee, but from around the country.”

The agreement includes purchasing former GAC production space on the first and second floors, where news operations for RFD-TV and Rural Radio (on SiriusXM) will operate. Gottsch said the facilities there will "really allow us to upgrade our programming, especially our news programming." RMG said in a statement that full-time production for television and radio networks will originate from the new location no later than the first quarter of 2015.

RFD-TV produces music programs including The Marty Stuart Show and Larry's Country Diner at Northstar Studios. Gottsch said RFD-TV will seek to move those shows to GAC. "The studios are smaller at GAC than the big studios at Northstar, but we're going to find a way to make it work."

The FCC has gotten more than 3,000 comments on the proposed AT&T/DirecTV merger since setting the comment deadlines only five days ago and if a spot check is any indication, a majority of them are calling for the companies to make sure they carry rural programmer RFD-TV. (Of a couple of dozen comments randomly selected, only one did not cite RFD or rural programming).

That follows a similar flood of comments on RFD-TV to the Comcast/Time Warner Cable docket.

The rural channel has gotten some high-profile attention in Hill hearings, including from channel founder, Patrick Gottsch, who has made the pitch personally. He has also set up a button on the channel's Web site to make it easy for fans to contact Washington.

There are also a number of legislators from rural states who said during hearings they had had heard from constituents concerned about losing the channel.

"RFD-TV did not put any words in anyone's mouth," Gottsch told B&C/Multichannel News of the campaign that has resulted in comments on both proposed mergers. "These folks are pouring their hearts out, and quite frankly, I am humbled by the support that RFD-TV and RURAL TV is getting nationwide."

AT&T has signaled that it could add RFD-TV to U-Verse if the FCC approves its deal with DirecTV, which carries the channel.