We have two Golf Channel press releases. I figured why not?
First, Golf Channel will air the Honda Classic, the beginning of the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing. Golf Channel and sister network NBC will combine for complete four round coverage starting today from the PGA National Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens. Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Davis Love III as well as all of last year’s Major champions including McIlroy are in a star-studded field.
We have Golf Channel’s skinny on the whole thing.
THE HONDA CLASSIC TOURNAMENT AIRTIMES AND BROADCAST NOTES
NBC Sports Group to Broadcast 22 Hours of The Honda Classic
Woods, Poulter and Westwood Featured Grouping for Thursday’s Coverage
The Honda Classic
Dates: March 1-4
Venue: Champion Course, PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, FloridaGolf Channel Airtimes
Thursday 3-6 p.m. (Live)/8:30 – 11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Friday 3-6 p.m. (Live)/8:30 -11:30 p.m. (Replay)
Saturday 1-3 p.m. (Live)/3-6 p.m. (Live)/8:30 -11:30 p.m. (NBC Replay)
Sunday 1-3 p.m. (Live)/3-6 p.m. (Live)/8:30 -11:30 p.m. (NBC Replay)NBC Airtimes
Saturday 3-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 3-6 p.m. (Live)Golf Channel/NBC Broadcast Team
Rich Lerner (Golf Channel Play-by-Play)/Dan Hicks (NBC Play-by-Play)
Frank Nobilo (Golf Channel Analyst)/Johnny Miller (NBC Analyst)
Gary Koch (Tower)
Mark Rolfing (Tower)
Roger Maltbie (On Course)
Dottie Pepper (On Course)
Jimmy Roberts (Tower/Interviews)
Todd Lewis (Interviews)Broadcast Notes:
- Tiger Woods Returns to PGA National – Former World No. 1 Tiger Woods returns to The Honda Classic field at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
- Woods, Westwood, Poulter Thursday’s Featuring Grouping – Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter will be Thursday’s featured grouping during Golf Channel’s live tournament coverage. The trio is scheduled to tee-off at 12:30 p.m. ET.
- Morning Drive Extended to Seven Days -– Morning Drive will extend to seven days this week, with Saturday and Sunday shows airing at 10 a.m.
- Headlining the Field – Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, Rickie Fowler, Y.E. Yang, Darren Clarke, Louis Oosthuizen, Thomas Bjorn, Retief Goosen, Keegan Bradley, Kyle Stanley, Camilo Villegas, Robert Karlsson, Henrik Stenson, Angel Cabrera, Johnson Wagner, Mark Wilson, Kenny Perry, Rory Sabbatini and Jose Maria Olazabal.
And our next Golf Channel release is a major announcement on a new Executive Producer for the network. Long time NBC Olympics producer Molly Solomon will become the first female executive producer of a national sports network. Solomon who is currently preparing to work the 2012 London Olympics will continue in that capacity. She has worked on NBC’s golf production team prior to her Olympics assignment. She’ll oversee all aspects of Golf Channel’s on-air look.
Congratulations to Molly on this momentous achievement.
MOLLY SOLOMON NAMED EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF GOLF CHANNEL
First woman to be named executive producer of a national sports network
Nine-time Emmy Award-winner and longtime Olympic producer to bring storytelling philosophy to Golf ChannelNEW YORK – Feb. 29, 2012 – Nine-time Emmy Award-winner and longtime NBC Olympics coordinating producer Molly Solomon has been promoted within the NBC Sports Group to Executive Producer and Senior Vice President, Production and Operations, Golf Channel. The promotion marks the first time that a woman will serve as executive producer for a national sports network. Solomon will report directly to Mike McCarley, President, Golf Channel.
In her new role, Solomon will oversee all aspects of production for programming on Golf Channel, including tournament coverage, news, original productions and operations. She will re-locate from the NBC Sports Group’s New York and Stamford, Conn., offices to Golf Channel’s Orlando Studios.
“I look forward to leading a talented production team that shares my passion for the game as we build on the tremendous momentum Golf Channel and NBC Sports have experienced since coming together in January, 2011,” said Solomon, who won one of her nine Emmys during her six-year stint as a member of NBC Sports’ golf production team before moving to her Olympic role. “I’m excited to continue the focus on high-quality production in all of our programming.”
“Molly is not only one of the most talented storytellers in sports television, but she’s also a leader who is held in very high regard by the army of production personnel she leads at every Olympic Games,” said McCarley. “Her ability to lead a team that is focused on high-quality production is what first led us to discuss this role with her, but her connection and passion for golf is what convinced us that she is the perfect person for this job.”
Although Solomon will begin at Golf Channel immediately, she will continue to perform many of her duties as coordinating producer for NBC Olympics through the 2012 London Games, which begin July 27. As previously scheduled, she will co-produce the Opening Ceremony and primetime show broadcasts from London, and will continue to work on future Games for NBC Olympics.
Solomon began her NBC Olympic career in 1990 as a researcher for the 1992 Barcelona Games. She has worked on eight Olympic Games overall – London will be her ninth – while being nominated for 21 Sports Emmy Awards, winning nine. In her most recent role as coordinating producer, NBC Olympics, Solomon was involved in every facet of production and planning, including program development, operational planning and the hiring and assigning of on-air talent and production staff. She also worked extensively on NBC Sports’ golf production for six years (1993-99), which produced one of her nine Emmy Awards.
That will conclude this post. We have a CBS News press release next and it involves a familiar name.
