All articles tagged with #broadcasting
ABC is altering its political coverage to avoid FCC retaliation, with a federal judge weighing whether the agency's early license review is a constitutional violation.
The Portland Trail Blazers fired newly hired play-by-play broadcaster Braiden Bell on October 2, 2026, just hours after announcing his appointment. The decision followed the discovery of racist and misogynistic posts on his X account from 2012 and 2013, when Bell was a teenager. The team cited a 'zero tolerance' policy for such content, apologizing for failing to vet him properly. Bell, 29, had previously broadcast for the Phoenix Mercury and G-League teams. The Blazers must now find a replacement before the season opener on October 21.
NBC Sports is marking its return to MLB postseason coverage with a 25-foot 'House of (Wild) Cards' installation at 30 Rockefeller Center. The structure, composed of 26 oversized trading cards, anchors two days of fan activations and watch parties as the network begins its exclusive broadcast of the Wild Card Series. This promotional effort caps a successful first season for NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball, which averaged 2.7 million viewers, significantly outperforming ESPN’s previous average. The network’s new format, featuring local analysts and retired player perspectives, will continue into October, with the Wild Card Series being the only postseason round included in NBC’s current three-year deal.
Apple is opening a 600-capacity venue called Apple Music Hall beneath its European HQ at Battersea Power Station in London. The space will host one-off shows by major artists and new acts, all filmed and streamed live on Apple Music, with on-site studios and a high-end audio-visual setup. Apple says the venue is designed to support artists and connect them with fans, not to compete with existing venues, with opening details to be announced soon.
Week 3's full announcing slate spans Thursday to Saturday, led by No. 7 LSU at No. 8 Ole Miss in primetime on ABC with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit, plus marquee games on Fox, ESPN networks and more, detailing play-by-play and analyst teams for each matchup.
CBS publicly revealed its broadcast teams for Week 2 and Week 3, keeping Jim Nantz and J.J. Watt as the top pairing (including the Ravens-Cowboys game in Brazil). Tony Romo remains on leave through at least Week 4 amid an OWI-related case, with widespread speculation he may not return this season and a buyout possibility discussed; Watt is expected to continue alongside the top team for now.
ESPN sideline reporter Taylor McGregor revealed on The Pat McAfee Show that she had to quickly research power basics—transformers and generators—on air during the Florida State–SMU game delay caused by a Doak Campbell Stadium outage, in order to explain what was happening to viewers; the outage delayed kickoff by over an hour, and SMU edged FSU with a late field goal as the game extended into the night.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the agency may issue guidance to broadcast TV networks on 'fake polls' ahead of the midterms, arguing that broadcasters with taxpayer-subsidized distribution must operate in the public interest rather than partisan aims; the move comes amid scrutiny of coverage and polling standards as the midterms approach, with other commissioners noting limits on FCC authority over journalism.
The 2026 NFL Week 1 slate features a rare Wednesday kickoff (Patriots at Seahawks) on NBC, a Thursday-night Melbourne showdown (49ers at Rams) streamed on Netflix, and a 13-game Sunday with Cowboys–Giants in primetime; CBS pivots to Jim Nantz and new partner J.J. Watt after Romo’s leave, Fox’s Burkhardt–Brady call Commanders–Eagles, and five Netflix games with Tom Pelissero making his sideline debut.
Tony Romo posted on Instagram that he pleaded no contest to a civil offense related to his July OWI arrest, took responsibility for his actions, discussed personal struggles with alcohol, and said he hopes to return to CBS; CBS offered no comment on a potential comeback, fueling speculation about the network’s willingness to keep him given his contract and past performance as his Sept. 21 court date approaches.
Week 1 of the 2026 college football season features an expansive broadcast lineup across Fox, ESPN, NBC, ABC, CBS and more, listing announcers for Thursday through Monday games and highlighting marquee matchups such as Indiana-North Texas, LSU-Clemson, Oregon-Boise State, Notre Dame-Wisconsin, Louisville-Ole Miss, and SMU-Florida State.
Tony Romo announced a no-contest plea to OWI charges and said he intends to return to CBS, but CBS offered no comment and had previously placed him on leave, signaling a likely ongoing contract dispute as J.J. Watt rises in the broadcast role.
Tony Romo issued a statement taking responsibility for his 'failures' leading to CBS placing him on indefinite leave, and said he pleaded no contest to a civil OWI charge in Wisconsin; CBS also announced an upgrade to its lead NFL broadcast team with J.J. Watt for the 2026 season, maintaining Romo's long-running role in CBS Sports' NFL coverage.
WBAL NewsRadio will lay off the majority of its staff and overhaul its programming, a move described by a host as shocking; the Baltimore station has operated since 1925 and is owned by Hearst.
The NHL unveiled its 2026-27 national TV plan split between TNT Sports (72 regular-season games plus the 2027 Final, including marquee events like the Heritage Classic and Winter Classic) and ESPN/ABC/Disney+/Hulu (100 games featuring Frozen Frenzy, Stadium Series, and All-Star Weekend). Opening-night tripleheader on Sept. 29; TNT maintains a strong Tuesday slate and Sunday primetime around March Madness; ABC goes over-the-air in January; March 21 features a TNT primetime game tied to March Madness, but overall there are no major changes from last season.