Behind the Mic: A-Rod Enters the Studio on Fox Sports’ World Series; Jerry Remy Re-Ups With NESN
Story Highlights
MLB star Alex Rodriguez is making his broadcasting debut this week as he joins FOX Sports as a guest analyst throughout the World Series. As a guest postseason analyst, the 21-year MLB veteran and 14-time All-Star provides insight and commentary for FOX Sports’ pregame and postgame coverage, joining host Kevin Burkhardt and analysts Raúl Ibañez, Pete Rose and Hall of Famer Frank Thomas in FOX Sports’ Los Angeles studio for the ALCS and on-site at the World Series…
Alex Rodriguez in studio for Fox Sports Live
…Red Sox color analyst Jerry Remy has renewed his agreement to continue as NESN’s primary color analyst, working at least 100 Red Sox games per season. Remy’s been associated with the Red Sox organization for 37 years, 8 as a player, 1 as a minor league coach, and 28 as a NESN broadcaster. In 2012 Remy was named to the Red Sox All-Century Team as a second baseman. In 2006 he was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame as both a player and a broadcaster. Remy, who began as a game analyst on NESN in 1988, will enter his 29th season and be joined by NESN’s new play-by-play announcer Dave O’Brien…
…Following the departure of Jason Whitlock from ESPN to Fox Sports (announced earlier this month), Kevin Merida, managing editor at The Washington Post, has been named editor-in-chief for “The Undefeated,” ESPN’s upcoming site that will provide in-depth reporting, commentary and insight on race and culture through the lens of sports. Merida will be a senior vice president and responsible for the editorial direction, tone and policies of the site, and provide oversight for key initiatives undertaken by “The Undefeated.” At The Washington Post, Merida serves as managing editor for news, features and The Post’s Universal News Desk since February 2013. He helped lead The Post’s digital transformation that has resulted in one of the largest increases in audience growth of any media outlet in the country over the last two years. Leon Carter, ESPN vice president and editorial director, has been interim editor-in-chief at “The Undefeated” since June. He will work closely with Merida on the transition and will have additional management responsibilities within ESPN…
…CBS Sports lined up Dottie Pepper as its newest part of the talent team as the veteran broadcaster and winner of 17 tournaments on the LPGA TOUR will serve as an on-course reporter and analyst for the CBS’ golf coverage beginning in 2016. Pepper will debut on Jan. 30, 2016 for the Network’s coverage of the Farmers Insurance Open. In addition to broadcasting CBS’s full slate of golf in 2016, she will remain with ESPN as an analyst for their golf coverage. (Cynopsis Sports)…
…NFL Media’s Cole Wright became the new host of NFL Network’s NFL HQ earlier this month. Prior to joining NFL HQ, Wright was a host on NFL Now. Wright is joined by a rotating roster of NFL Media talent, including analysts Terrell Davis, LaVar Arrington, and Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Media’s Rand Getlin, Fantasy experts Michael Fabiano, and Elliot Harrison, and host Erin Coscarelli…
Rebecca Haarlow has been hired by MSG Network as a reporter for Knicks telecasts. Haarlow joins MSG Network’s Knicks telecasts as a reporter handling all in-game as well as pre- and post-game reporting. Her experience as a sideline reporter includes the NBA on TNT, as well as the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Portland Trail Blazers. Haarlow was previously a host and reporter for FOX Sports Network, NFL Network, and Big Ten Network and has extensive experience covering college sports across major conferences, most notably the Pac-12 and Big Ten…
…Comcast SportsNet Chicago has hired sportscaster Leila Rahimi and Siera Santos as its newest on-air talent membes for the network’s nightly sports news program, SportsNet Central.
Rahimi will primarily handle anchoring duties, along with providing a variety of local professional, collegiate and high school sports feature reports. In addition, Rahimi, who will begin her on-air duties Thursday night (Oct. 29) on Comcast SportsNet, will also participate in a variety of digital initiatives on CSNChicago.com. Rahimi most recently was an anchor/host/reporter at Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia on SportsNet Central and for MLB Network’s Strike Zone Channel. Prior to her time in Philadelphia, Rahimi served as an anchor, reporter, sideline reporter and host at Comcast SportsNet Houston (2012-14), as the field reporter for Fox Sports San Diego’s Padres baseball telecasts in 2012, and as a sports reporter at KXAN-TV, the NBC affiliate in Austin, TX (2007-2012)
…Santos will primarily handle on-site reporting duties covering a variety of Chicago’s professional, collegiate and high school sports stories, along with co-anchoring the program on occasion. In addition, Santos, who will begin her on-air duties this evening on Comcast SportsNet , will also participate in a variety of digital initiatives on CSNChicago.com. Santos most recently was a sports anchor/reporter for CBS affiliates KCBS/KCAL in Los Angeles, CA (since August 2014), where also hosted KCAL’s Sunday night “Sports Central” program, along with hosting sports web briefs on CBSLA.com, handling social media/update hosting for “Thursday Night Football” and “March Madness” postgame shows, and providing live pre/postgame reports for all area MLB, NBA, and NHL teams. Santos previously was a sports journalist at CBS affiliate KWTV in Oklahoma City, OK and as a news reporter/multimedia journalist at NBC affiliate KOAA-TV in Colorado Springs, CO…
….Former Philadelphia 76er and NBA veteran Alaa Abdelnaby is the newest member of Comcast SportNet/Comcast Network’s Sixers broadcast team partnering with Marc Zumoff and Molly French (formerly Molly Sullivan) for the 2015-16 season. Abdelnaby played five seasons in the NBA, including a stint with the Sixers in 1995. His broadcasting resume includes working as a color commentator for Westwood One Radio. He also serves as a color commentator and studio analyst with CBS Sports Network. Abdelnaby has called a number of NCAA Tournament games including the 2015 Final Four featuring 76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor as a member of the Duke Blue Devils. Alaa is a 1990 graduate of Duke University…
…For the first time, FOX Sports covered a USWNT match with an all-female team in the studio and broadcast booth, as last Sunday’s US Women’s National Team’s match against Brazil saw pregame coverage on FS1 hosted by Jenny Taft and joined by Leslie Osborne and Heather Mitts, while Jenn Hildreth, Kyndra de St. Aubin and Julie Stewart-Binks call the action from the Citrus Bowl. (Cynopsis Sports)…
…Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Fernando Fiore, who has spent his career working exclusively on Spanish-language television, made his English-language debut next month as he joined FOX Sports’ coverage of the CONCACAF Cup playoff match between the U.S. Men’s National Team and Mexico on Oct. 10 as a contributor to FS1’s special 90-minute pregame show live from one of two sets at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. In addition to his role on FS1, Fiore pulled double-duty, contributing to FOX Deportes’ news magazine show FOX DEPORTES EN VIVO…
…U.S. National Soccer Hall of Famer Eric Wynalda, has joined the roster of hosts on SiriusXM FC, SiriusXM’s 24/7 soccer talk channel. Wynalda began hosting WTF: Wynalda Talks Football every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (7:00-9:00 pm ET) earlier this month. As a broadcaster, Wynalda served as a match commentator and studio analyst for ESPN’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup, Major League Soccer and NCAA College Cup. He joined FOX Soccer in 2009 and is currently an analyst for “Fox Soccer Daily” on Fox Sports 1…
…SiriusXM announced today that Golf Channel’s Michael Breed, one of the game’s foremost instructors, has joined the roster of hosts on the SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio channel, where he will host a new show airing twice a week. A New Breed of Golf will debut October 14 and air live every Wednesday and Thursday morning from 10:00 to 11:00 am ET on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio. The channel is available to subscribers nationwide on satellite radios (Sirius channel 208, XM channel 92), on the SiriusXM app and at SiriusXM.com.
