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February 1, 2024 8:10 am  #1


You CAN Say "Super Bowl" On Air, Even If You're Not Showing The Game

The article below notes some broadcasters have shied away from using the term "Super Bowl" out of confusion over whether they're legally allowed to say those two words. But they're only verboten if you're using them for commercial purposes - and saying it during a newscast isn't one of them. Instead, they resort to euphemisms ("Big Game" seems to be the most common) even though it leaves viewers scratching their heads about why. 

Reminder: You are allowed to say ‘Super Bowl’ on TV broadcasts

Something that can't be done is showing highlights on a newscast while the "Big Game" is on. Some stations just use copy, but a few stuck in that position find creative ways to bring viewers the action.

Michigan sportscaster uses cartoon drawings for National Championship highlights

I remember when a very differently-run City TV (i.e. before the Rogers era) figured out a way to show Olympic hockey highlights on air. The Olympics are extremely restrictive, almost to the point of absurdity, on showing highlights even weeks after the events.

So on the broadcast I watched, sports anchor Jim McKenny used one of those tabletop hockey games to recreate the action, showing "players" scoring and defending the net. It was very clever and hilarious. Those were great creative days at that station, which have all but disappeared under the current ownership.