The Predators yesterday released its TV and radio announce teams for the '14-15 season and announced long-time TV play-by-play announcer Pete Weber will by paired with analyst Stu Grimson, who has worked for the past six seasons on radio. Terry Crisp will co-host pre- and postgame shows with Mark Howard. Lyndsay Rowley will be the team's rink-side reporter. Willy Daunic was named radio play-by-play announcer, with Brent Peterson serving as the color analyst for select games. Darren McFarland will continue hosting pre- and postgame shows, as well as intermission reports (Predators).
SPOON MAN: WXOS-FM yesterday announced the Rams' radio broadcast team for this season. Play-by-play announcer Steve Savard and color analyst D'Marco Farr will continue their roles from last season, with former NFLer Will Witherspoon being added as a sideline reporter (WXOS).
TRUST ISSUES: CABLEFAX DAILY reported the FCC is "scheduled to vote at the end of the year to end the sports blackout rule, which professional sports leagues like the NFL strongly oppose." U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.) is "hoping the league will voluntarily follow." Higgins: "The blackout rule is obsolete. It doesn't deserve a purpose anymore. The economics of this will drive the issue and the NFL will realize it's in their best interest to do away with it altogether." Higgins also is "sponsoring a legislation that would eliminate the NFL's antitrust exemption for blackouts" (CABLEFAX DAILY, 8/5).
