• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Has a station split screened sports with breaking news?

Given what happened with the shooting this afternoon during the England-Belgium World Cup match, WTTG split the screen for the breaking news. Has any station or network done that in the past, where they have shown both?
 
Given what happened with the shooting this afternoon during the England-Belgium World Cup match, WTTG split the screen for the breaking news. Has any station or network done that in the past, where they have shown both?

Are you too young to remember the OJ Simpson police chase on split screen with NBA playoff action?
 
There was a Cubs game three years ago where WGN broke away from the game for weather, then split-screened the game and weather. At the time, WGN did not send a clean feed of the Cubs to their affiliated stations elsewhere, so this angered them and their dependent viewers (in places like Indianapolis) as they had to take the weather cut-in that didn't mean anything to them — or cut to other programming. (The sports fans, predictably, weren't happy, even though there were tornadoes!) WGN began sending a clean feed in the wake of that.

The other weird Cubs network failure in recent years was at WLS in 2016. Suddenly, in the first inning, the feed went out after a still frame of WBRZ in Baton Rouge appeared, which affected the entire WLS network (including stations like Rockford). MLB Extra Innings did something exceptionally rare and switched to the other game feed from Fox Sports Southwest. They didn't go back.
 
Last edited:
It happened during the 2000 election, during the recount. CBS had switched to the Broncos-Seahawks game which was running late, when Dan Rather cut in for a special report. Then the game was on one side of the screen while the results were being announced. As soon as the announcement ended, the game went back full screen. After the game, CBS did a longer special including Bush's remarks in Texas.
 
It was Toronto and eventual ALCS and World Series champs Minnesota.
 
When NBC News went to the KNBC Feed and the NBC Sports Feed for OJ and the NBA Finals back in 1994.

But Today if that were to happen like a breaking story and a sports event at the same time I think sports event will be redirected to the network sports app or the league app today.

Note I heard stories back in 1989 that some ABC Affiliates on the east coast aired Roseanne on a Split Screen while using KGO-TV footage of Loma Prieta quake at Candlestick park before ABC Switched to wall to wall Coverage from KGO-TV and ABC News. I don't know if this is true because I lived in San Francisco back in 1989 due to power outage at the time.
 
I think Roseanne aired for a few minutes here in Hartford/New Haven, then went to ABC News the rest of the evening. I want to say it was with Ted Koppel, who would've been prepping for Nightline in those days.
 
Note I heard stories back in 1989 that some ABC Affiliates on the east coast aired Roseanne on a Split Screen while using KGO-TV footage of Loma Prieta quake at Candlestick park before ABC Switched to wall to wall Coverage from KGO-TV and ABC News. I don't know if this is true because I lived in San Francisco back in 1989 due to power outage at the time.

ABC did go to Roseanne, and then The Wonder Years (both stockpiled initially in case of a rain delay), after they lost the feed from the World Series. Here's an excerpt from a Knight-Ridder News Service article on the 18th. (Article from Billings Gazette with some times converted back from Mountain):

"A still green graphic indicating technical difficulties went up immediately, and a few moments after that, the network went to a "Roseanne" rerun and a few moments after that at 8:10, one of those standard anonymous network announcers with the classic baritone broke in over "Roseanne" to explain there had been a quake and news would be forthcoming as soon as it was available. CBS' Dan Rather was the first anchor in the chair with a bulletin at 8:21 to say something had happened; Ted Koppel came on from Washington and displaced "Roseanne" with ABC's first bulletin at 8:23.

NBC, which once again embarrassed itself, lagged far behind the others. Frankly, it can no longer be considered a full, competitive news network. They didn't come on at all until 8:30, and then only briefly with correspondent Katherine Kouric [sic]. And for the next hour and a half, while its competitors stayed on, it went on and off, seemingly more interested in airing "Matlock" and a movie than providing continuing coverage. Mary Alice Williams was the anchor in these intermittent intervals, and she was a disaster. Williams was rattled and unprepared and dispensed bad information. At one point, she said 4,500 people were in Candlestick Park (it was 45,000); at another point what apparently was file game footage picked up from ABC was never clearly identified as such by Williams.

But the early star of the coverage was unexpected: it was ESPN, the all-sports cable channel owned by ABC and the only network to keep its video feed. Sports anchor Bob Ley was clearly shaken at first but he never stopped doing his job, never lost bis cool and kept relaying important information while putting in perspective the baseball game, which is to say, he made it clear it was no longer the important story of the day. ABC had a big advantage being in place to broadcast the Series: After several cut-ins, it went on to stay at 8:54. It had the earliest best video, and it had Koppel as always concise, calm, articulate, probing. It also had a big plus in baseball announcer Michaels, a long-time Bay Area resident who was able to give local earthquake perspective and identify the blazing locales on the TV screen."

It would be interesting to see how other western markets away from the quake (think a Seattle, Denver or Phoenix) handled the situation. ABC going to other programming before primetime had to present a bit of confusion to the stations. I bet many of them went to local then rejoined the network once it became clear that this was a serious event.
 
One might argue that ABC was the first to declare that there had been an earthquake in the Bay area. After all, Al Michaels and Tim McCarver were live from Candlestick the moment it happened. As I recall, Michaels was able to exclaim "I think we're having an Earth..." before the satellite cut out, and Master Control switched to Roseanne.
 
ABC did go to Roseanne, and then The Wonder Years (both stockpiled initially in case of a rain delay), after they lost the feed from the World Series. Here's an excerpt from a Knight-Ridder News Service article on the 18th. (Article from Billings Gazette with some times converted back from Mountain):

"A still green graphic indicating technical difficulties went up immediately, and a few moments after that, the network went to a "Roseanne" rerun and a few moments after that at 8:10, one of those standard anonymous network announcers with the classic baritone broke in over "Roseanne" to explain there had been a quake and news would be forthcoming as soon as it was available. CBS' Dan Rather was the first anchor in the chair with a bulletin at 8:21 to say something had happened; Ted Koppel came on from Washington and displaced "Roseanne" with ABC's first bulletin at 8:23.

NBC, which once again embarrassed itself, lagged far behind the others. Frankly, it can no longer be considered a full, competitive news network. They didn't come on at all until 8:30, and then only briefly with correspondent Katherine Kouric [sic]. And for the next hour and a half, while its competitors stayed on, it went on and off, seemingly more interested in airing "Matlock" and a movie than providing continuing coverage. Mary Alice Williams was the anchor in these intermittent intervals, and she was a disaster. Williams was rattled and unprepared and dispensed bad information. At one point, she said 4,500 people were in Candlestick Park (it was 45,000); at another point what apparently was file game footage picked up from ABC was never clearly identified as such by Williams.

But the early star of the coverage was unexpected: it was ESPN, the all-sports cable channel owned by ABC and the only network to keep its video feed. Sports anchor Bob Ley was clearly shaken at first but he never stopped doing his job, never lost bis cool and kept relaying important information while putting in perspective the baseball game, which is to say, he made it clear it was no longer the important story of the day. ABC had a big advantage being in place to broadcast the Series: After several cut-ins, it went on to stay at 8:54. It had the earliest best video, and it had Koppel as always concise, calm, articulate, probing. It also had a big plus in baseball announcer Michaels, a long-time Bay Area resident who was able to give local earthquake perspective and identify the blazing locales on the TV screen."

It would be interesting to see how other western markets away from the quake (think a Seattle, Denver or Phoenix) handled the situation. ABC going to other programming before primetime had to present a bit of confusion to the stations. I bet many of them went to local then rejoined the network once it became clear that this was a serious event.

I saw some old Youtube Videos from Sacramento that KOVR (ABC Affiliate in 1989/Current CBS O&O) went to News at the time of quake before San Francisco TV stations restored power. And there was one where former CBS Affiliate/Current ABC Affiliate in Sacramento KXTV 10 was airing the 5pm news at the time of quake and there was confirmation that the Loma Prieta quake was felt as far as Sacramento in 1989. The Sacramento TV Stations did carry the quake live with reports of a quake in Sacramento but nobody in Sacramento yet could pinpoint the epicenter yet when they went to news.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VwOuS0fbqVs
 
Last edited:
When NBC News went to the KNBC Feed and the NBC Sports Feed for OJ and the NBA Finals back in 1994.

But Today if that were to happen like a breaking story and a sports event at the same time I think sports event will be redirected to the network sports app or the league app today.

Note I heard stories back in 1989 that some ABC Affiliates on the east coast aired Roseanne on a Split Screen while using KGO-TV footage of Loma Prieta quake at Candlestick park before ABC Switched to wall to wall Coverage from KGO-TV and ABC News. I don't know if this is true because I lived in San Francisco back in 1989 due to power outage at the time.

Correction its looking for a safe location at the time with my family when the 1989 quake took place not just the power outage.
 
Channel 4 here in Nashville did that several years ago when storms rolled through on a Sunday evening. They did a split-screen with Sunday Night Football while then-meteorologist Nancy Van Camp went over all the area watches and warnings. They did not have a subchannel at that time; otherwise they probably would have put the weather information over onto a subchannel. And yes, this has been a few years now, as Nancy Van Camp is no longer with them.
 
same thing happened a few times here in Dallas, KXAS did split screen coverage for severe weather in the past during NHL Playoffs. i think the late April 2017 caused a split screen that night. plus a NFL Playoffs game on KXAS got the same treatment when a rare January severe thunderstorm/Tornado outbreak occurred in January 2017, which happened after the Cowboys had their playoffs come to a end by the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium, which kept fans inside of the stadium as well as i think both teams. also were forced to stay inside the stadium too as i think the storm had a tornado warning at the time it was going through Tarrant county/Arlington at the time.
 
same thing happened a few times here in Dallas, KXAS did split screen coverage for severe weather in the past during NHL Playoffs. i think the late April 2017 caused a split screen that night. plus a NFL Playoffs game on KXAS got the same treatment when a rare January severe thunderstorm/Tornado outbreak occurred in January 2017, which happened after the Cowboys had their playoffs come to a end by the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium, which kept fans inside of the stadium as well as i think both teams. also were forced to stay inside the stadium too as i think the storm had a tornado warning at the time it was going through Tarrant county/Arlington at the time.

What 2 games you mention that got the split screen treatment for severe weather?
 
I think Roseanne aired for a few minutes here in Hartford/New Haven, then went to ABC News the rest of the evening. I want to say it was with Ted Koppel, who would've been prepping for Nightline in those days.

What i remember is CBS having the first bulletin- during Rescue 911, at 8:21. I knew something was wrong because Dan Rather was in a "flash studio" rather than the main studio.
 
I saw some old Youtube Videos from Sacramento that KOVR (ABC Affiliate in 1989/Current CBS O&O) went to News at the time of quake before San Francisco TV stations restored power. And there was one where former CBS Affiliate/Current ABC Affiliate in Sacramento KXTV 10 was airing the 5pm news at the time of quake and there was confirmation that the Loma Prieta quake was felt as far as Sacramento in 1989. The Sacramento TV Stations did carry the quake live with reports of a quake in Sacramento but nobody in Sacramento yet could pinpoint the epicenter yet when they went to news.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VwOuS0fbqVs

I was tuned into the backhaul feed of the World Series when it happened. I started moving my second satellite receiver around looking for anything, and i found a feed from KGO at the Bay Bridge. At one point, i could see Al Michaels in the production truck at Candlestick Park, while seeing Leslie Brinkley(she was a KGO reporter) at the site of where the break in the Bay Bridge occurred. i also saw the baseball commissioner announce that the game was postponed. ABC's blimp footage showed how bad it really was.
 
http://www.cbs8.com/story/26358103/49ers-beat-chargers-for-first-levis-stadium-win

Well there was a 49ers pre season game on August 24th 2014 at Levis Stadium yes its on the Same day that the 6.0 American Canyon Quake hit Vallejo, CA and Napa, CA there were updates over damage,injuries and power outage but over all everyone was relieved that there was not multiple deaths though and the majority were non life threatening injuries.

I do remember the local San Francisco Stations started to go back to normal but with Quake updates between the plays though for this preseason game.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-napa-earthquake-cause-20180614-story.html
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.
Back
Top Bottom