
Behind the Mic: ESPN Set for Network's First All-Women Baseball Broadcast; Sportsnet's Jim Hughson Retires After 42-Year Career By SVG Staff
Friday, September 24, 2021 - 7:05 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Behind the Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week's edition, ESPN gets set for all-women MLB broadcast, Sportsnet's Jim Hughson retires from broadcasting after 42 Years, and ESPN shakes up their NBA studio programming.
ESPN To Debut First All-Women Baseball Broadcast Melanie Newman and Jessica Mendoza will be ESPN's first all-woman broadcast team for a nationally televised Major League Baseball game on September 29. The game will mark the first time ESPN has had an all-woman broadcast team for a MLB, NBA, NFL regular season or playoff game.
Newman was a part of MLB's first-ever all-female broadcast in July, while Mendoza became the first female analyst to call a nationally televised MLB playoff game in 2015. Mendoza, ESPN's first regular female MLB analyst, has been with the network since 2007.
Honestly, each earmark is just another page, says Newman. I feel fortunate to be the one handed this chance, it's our responsibility until there are no more firsts and its just an even playing field of all-qualified professionals who happen to look different.
Mendoza is a two-time Olympic medal winner and was a four-time All-American on Stanford University's softball team.
For young girls, women, and Latinas, to hear a voice that represents them is so impactful for not only the sport to grow its audience, but to continue to broaden the opportunities for more young girls, women and Latinas to do the same, says Mendoza.
Newman, who also made history as the first woman in Orioles history to call a regular-season game in 2020, will provide play-by-play commentary for two ESPN baseball telecasts as the network puts together its pennant race stretch of 11 games in 11 days. She also believes that representation is important in growing America's first professional sport.
Representation absolutely matters, Newman said. The number of younger girls who have felt they couldn't be a fan of sports in general solely out of not seeing women in front still amazes me. (CNN Business)
Sportsnet's Jim Hughson Retires from Broadcasting after 42 Years Jim Hughson is stepping away from the mic. The Hall of Fame play-by-play commentator has announced his retirement from sports broadcasting, closing out a remarkable 42-year career as one of the iconic voices of hockey in Canada.
It's been a fantastic run and I'd like to thank Sportsnet, Hockey Night in Canada, and all my friends and colleagues over the years for the tremendous support and countless memories, says Hughson. This is a decision I made in consultation with my family and I'm very much at peace with it. My only goal in this industry was to work at the highest level and on the last day of the season. I've had that opportunity a number of times and will always be grateful for it.
Calling his first game on radio in 1979, Hughson has done hockey play-by-play spanning the course of six different decades, becoming one of Canada's most notable voices. Hughson has covered countless NHL, OHL and CHL games and has been the voice of the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and national hockey broadcasts on Hockey Night in Canada. He's also called a dozen Stanley Cup Finals and the men's hockey tournament at both the 2006 and 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
Jim is one of the best this business has ever seen, says Rob Corte, VP of Sportsnet and NHL Production. Whether on TV, radio or in video games, for many he has been their soundtrack of hockey. He's set the gold standard for broadcasting in this country and has accomplished pretty much everything any broadcaster would set out to do in their career. On top of that, he's a tremendous teammate and an even better person. I respect his decision to step back and spend more time with family but he is going to be missed by us at Sportsnet, the entire broadcasting industry, his colleagues and his many fans.
While best known for hockey, Hughson also made a name for himself calling Major League Baseball at times throughout his career notably being part of the Blue Jays broadcast crew during their championship runs in 1992 and 1993.
Jim ranks amongst the greatest play-by-play announcers of all-time, says Bart Yabsley, President of Sportsnet. His contributions to the sport of hockey in this country have been immense. He has brought tremendous passion, knowledge, grace and care to every single game he's called, which is a testament to his longevity in this business. He is leaving behind incredibly big shoes to fill after a legendary career.
In 2019, the Hockey Hall of Fame awarded Hughson the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award to honor his outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster. He is also a four-time Canadian Screen Awards winner for Best Sports Play-by-Play Announcer.
It's been an honor, privilege, and pleasure to join Canadian hockey fans in watching so many fantastic games over the years, adds Hughson. I look forward to continuing watching together, but from the same side of the television. (Sportsnet)
ESPN Launches New Show, NBA Today, on October 18 ESPN is launching a new studio show NBA Today, beginning on Monday, October 18, just prior to the October 19 tipoff of the 2021-22 NBA regular season. ESPN NBA journalist Malika Andrews will host NBA Today as part of a new, multi-year contract extension. Andrews will be joined by ESPN NBA analysts Kendrick Perkins, Chiney Ogwumike, Vince Carter, and ESPN Senior Writer Zach Low
Most recent headlines
15/03/2025
Editing and Color Grading Promo Codes for Audiio and MotionVFX!
Kasia Jarco March 14, 2025
0 Comments
I wanted to share some promo codes for great too...
15/03/2025
Avid Makes Key Additions to Executive Leadership Team to Meet the Needs of the E...
15/03/2025
NAB 2025: Cobalt Announces Plans to Bring Plug and Play ST 2110 Experience to NA...
15/03/2025
Student Spotlight: Rachel McFarlane The Canadian composer talks about being drawn to the storytelling power of scoring for film and video games, working with ...
14/03/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
14/03/2025
Time flies when you're having fun and we can confidently say that Bill Simmons, founder of The Ringer and Spotify's Head of Talk Strategy, is having not...
14/03/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
14/03/2025
TV Technology: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
14/03/2025
The Dalet NAB 2025 showcase will feature its market-leading enterprise News, Media Management and Supply Chain solutions designed for faster deployment and acce...
14/03/2025
IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) will debut its latest advancements for premium live streaming at NAB 2025 (booth W1401), introducing new AI-driven technologies d...
14/03/2025
TAG Video Systems, the leader in software-based IP media probing, monitoring, visualization, and analytics, and Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in...
14/03/2025
Unicanal and Trece TV, two of Paraguay s leading broadcasters, have successfully launched digital TV services in three main cities: Encarnaci n, Ciudad del Este...
14/03/2025
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), and the Video Services Forum (VSF) today announced that the IP Showcase ...
14/03/2025
Digital Alert Systems, the global leader in emergency communications solutions for media providers, today announced that Nebraska Public Media is deploying the ...
14/03/2025
Interra Systems, a leading provider of end-to-end quality assurance solutions for the digital media industry, today announced that Comcast Technology Solutions ...
14/03/2025
At the 2025 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show, Rightsline will showcase innovations designed to make rights and royalties management smarter, fast...
14/03/2025
PK Sound, the robotic line array company, has formally released the Tx Series of intelligent multi-purpose point source modules, beginning with the ultra-versat...
14/03/2025
Avid today announced the expansion of its executive leadership team (ELT) with the appointment of three experienced executives: Tom Sharma as Chief Technology ...
14/03/2025
DigitalGlue, a trusted systems integrator and provider of end-to-end media solutions, is redefining storage workflows with its innovative platform, creative.spa...
14/03/2025
CVP, one of Europe s leading resellers and providers of professional video and broadcast solutions, is partnering with renowned director and cinematographer Joe...
14/03/2025
Cobalt Digital, the leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning signal processing products, and a founding partner in the openGear initiative has announ...
14/03/2025
Keepit, a global provider of a comprehensive cloud backup and recovery platform, announced today its success at the Business Awards UK, 2025 Cybersecurity and R...
14/03/2025
Lightware, an industry-leading manufacturer of signal management solutions, has announced its commitment to fostering strong relationships with top technology c...
14/03/2025
Editing and Color Grading Promo Codes
Kasia Jarco March 14, 2025
0 Comments
I wanted to share some promo codes for great tools for your video editing ...
14/03/2025
Singaporean Singer-Songwriter JJ Lin on Craft, Courage, and Creativity The artist shared candid insights into his musical evolution, personal challenges, and ...
14/03/2025
Three strategic appointments aims to bolster the leadership team at Avid, reinforcing the companys commitment to remain at the forefront of innovation
By Matth...
14/03/2025
Coming at a pivotal time for the sector, the funding underscores Cinesites ambition and confidence in the media and entertainment industry
By Matthew Corrigan ...
14/03/2025
Karen Chupka, executive vice president and managing director, NAB Global Connections and Events, gives TVBEurope the lowdown on what visitors can expect at next...
14/03/2025
BURLINGTON, Mass. Avid has expanded its executive leadership team (ELT) with the appointment of three experienced executives: Tom Sharma as chief technology off...
14/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. TVU Networks, a pioneer in live video production and a leader in cloud-based media solutions, is marking its 20th anniversary at the 2025 NAB ...
14/03/2025
Telos Alliance To Demonstrate New Next Generation Audio Features at 2025 NAB Sh...
14/03/2025
Live From THE PLAYERS: RED Cameras Help Cosm Capture Unique Looks for Cosm Venue...
14/03/2025
NWSL Kickoff 2025: League Operations Team Preps for NEP-Driven Remote Production...
14/03/2025
NWSL Kickoff 2025: Scripps Sports Introduces New On-Air Team for Second Year of ...
14/03/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Marie Margolius on the Thrill of Directing New Prime Video Docuser...
14/03/2025
Live From THE PLAYERS: NBC Sports Tees Up Drone Tracing, Taps Into NEP Compound ...
14/03/2025
Back to All News
Get a Glimpse of the Epic Battles in First Look at Record of ...
14/03/2025
Back to All News
Celebrating the Italian Historical Drama Il Gattopardo' Across the Globe
The series' creative team speaks at the Rome premiere.
Ent...
14/03/2025
Back to All News
The Electric State' Brings Cosmo and The Billbots to Life...
14/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales has reached a historic milestone by deliv...
14/03/2025
2FM's fresh weekend lineup goes live this Saturday as a host of new presente...
13/03/2025
(L-R) Stephanie Suganami, Tatanka Means, John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, and Juliette Lewis attend the premiere of Opus at Eccles Theatre in Park City. (Photo by...
13/03/2025
Spotify took center stage at the London Book Fair this week, reaffirming our commitment to the audiobook market and showcasing our impact on the publishing indu...
13/03/2025
At Spotify, we work every day to lift up new voices, giving creators the opportunity to live off their art. Through Spotify Audiobooks, our in-house publishing ...
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...