One advantage of radio is that when power goes out, you go to telephones to make due until the electricity comes back. That is what happened to Dial Global Radio, the national audio NFL rightsholder and broadcaster of the Super Bowl. Kevin Harlan was at the mic when the blackout occurred. After some dead air, the Dial Global control room in New York went to commercial and engineers were able to establish contact with the broadcast booth via a landline telephone.
Boomer Esiason used a second landline to talk with Harlan and sideline reporters James Lofton and Mark Malone used their cell phones from the field. Host Jim Gray had to vamp on a landline phone as well.
Until the power returned, Dial Global used the old fashioned telephone to continue the broadcast until everything was restored.
We have an audio clip of Kevin describing the scene. I wish that CBS had used telephones with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms to help set the scene in the Superdome.
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Great job by Kevin to describe the scene and being the listener’s eyes and ears. He’s truly one of the best announcers on national TV and radio.
