Dodgers’ new broadcast network will launch Feb. 25 -- unofficially

It’s official. No, it’s not. Well, kinda. Hey, just check back.

The Dodgers are launching their own sports network on Time Warner Cable this year, but the actual date of the debut of SportsNet LA has yet to be announced. I mean, like on a press release.

But when John Hartung signed off at KABC to join the Dodgers, Hartung said he’d see viewers next on Feb. 25 over at Time Warner.

Then came this: The Daily News’ Tom Hoffarth took this photo of a billboard off the 405 freeway in Culver City featuring Yasiel Puig that plainly announced the new network would start Feb. 25.

A few hours later, the billboard was covered up. Seems it was a tad hasty and the team was not ready to “officially” announce the estimated $7.5 billion launch.

“We were excited by the interest it generated by prematurely going up,” said Lon Rosen, Dodgers executive vice president of marketing.

Rosen would not confirm the date, but if they’re making billboards, all that’s lacking is the actual announcement. Guess they want a nice news conference.

The Dodgers have added Orel Hershiser, Nomar Garciaparra, Jerry Hairston Jr., Alanna Rizzo and Hartung to their new broadcasting crew, also sans announcement.

Of course, once the date is official then comes that public dance between Time Warner and all the other cable networks over how much they’ll pay to carry the new channel. Should be good for a couple of full-page ads in The Times accusing the other of greed.

As Hoffarth noted, the billboard was put up by Clear Channel Communications, which also happens to own the Dodgers’ flagship radio station, KLAC-AM (570).