Ted Sobel | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sobel in 2011 | |
| Born | (1953-07-14)July 14, 1953 (age 72) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Los Angeles City College |
| Occupation(s) | sportscaster and author |
Ted Sobel (born July 14, 1953) is an Americansportscaster and author who is the longest current tenuredLos Angeles-based radio sports reporter. He has worked mostly withCBS Radio since 1985.[1] Sobel is the network's in-studio host and producer ofSports USA Radio'sNFL pre, halftime, and postgame shows andNHL pre and postgame shows in addition to providing in-game scoreboard updates during Sunday NFL doubleheader broadcasts and NHL games including the Stanley Cup Finals.[2] Since 2004, Ted has been asideline reporter for Sports USA Radio's NFL andNCAA games of the week while also hosting podcasts for the network along with field reporting covering all major sports, most notably theMasters Tournament. Sobel completed his first bookTouching Greatness in 2021.[3]
Sobel was raised inCulver City, California, and is aFairfax High School grad who later enrolled atLos Angeles City College in their Radio and TV Broadcast Department. He is listed as a Los Angeles City College distinguished alum.[4]
Sobel has been credentialed by theLos Angeles Dodgers,Los Angeles Lakers, andLos Angeles Kings since 1973 and theAnaheim Angels a year later when he was mostly stringing as a reporter for many of the major news/sports outlets. These included: theAssociated Press Radio (AP), United Press International Radio (UPI),ESPN Radio,Mutual Broadcasting System,Westwood One,WFAN Radio inNew York,Sports Fan Radio Network, Radio-Canada Montreal (French speaking network), and others.[5]In 1977, Ted became thePublic Address Announcer for thePacific Hockey League's Long Beach Sharks. He also got his first professional play-by-play opportunities that season with the Sharks on local cable TV and on radio with the league’s Phoenix Roadrunners. He has completed 10 seasons of hockey play-by-play including five with the IHL Los Angeles/Long Beach Ice Dogs (until the league folded in 2000) onKPLS andKMAX-FM inSouthern California while also being the voice of the first pro sports franchise to ever broadcast a full season schedule on the Internet at Broadcast Dot Com. He also did hockey play-by-play at theUniversity of Wisconsin (including two games vs. the 'Miracle on Ice'Olympic Gold Medal winning team in 1980) on WIBA Radio. He did play-by-play for theNew Hampshire/Cape Cod Freedoms of theNorth Eastern Hockey League and was the club'spublic relations and media director. He called theplayoffs and championship series for the NEHL's Hampton Aces, and was a radio color analyst for theSan Diego Mariners of thePacific Hockey League.[6]Sobel was also the game reporter and in-studio host on theNHL'sMighty Ducks of Anaheim inaugural 1993 telecast onKHJ-Channel 9 inLos Angeles.[7]
Sobel returned to Los Angeles after his time inMadison, Wisconsin to do radio play-by-play forLong Beach State basketball and football (their last PCAA Conference championship team) onKNAC-FM andU.C. Irvine basketball onKWVE-FM in 1980-82.
In 1985 Sobel began working as asports anchor andfield reporter for theCBS-owned and operatedKNX Radio where he continued until joiningKMPC Radio when they became the first all-sports station in Los Angeles in 1992. He was an update anchor, field reporter, and talk show host for theGene Autry-owned station while also producingLos Angeles Rams andUCLA football postgame shows. Sobel continued to work on assignment forKNX most recently covering the 2016Masters Tournament for Los Angeles' only all-news station.[8]In 1994, Sobel moved over to radio stationKFWB where he was also a sports anchor/reporter andtalk show host and the lone survivor of four different format changes (the last being all-sports "The Beast 980") until the station was sold in 2016. He also hosted Los Angeles Dodgers pre and postgame shows from 2003-2007 on theDodgers flagship station and someNBALos Angeles Clippers pre and post game shows as part of their flagship station.[9] He has reported from numerousSuper Bowls,World Series,NBA Finals,Stanley Cup Finals,Rose Bowl games,NCAA Football and Basketball National Championships,Summer Olympics,The Masters,U.S. Open Golf,The Open Championship,PGA Championship,The Championships, Wimbledon,US Open (tennis),World Cup of Soccer,Breeders Cup andTriple Crown horse races, etc. He broke several big stories including theWayne Gretzky trade from Los Angeles toSt. Louis and the NFL'sSeattle Seahawks brief move to Los Angeles in 1996.[10]
Sobel was a three time Golden Mike winner for best sports news reporting in Southern California radio while atKFWB where he also enjoyed being an integral part of a record 10-year run of winning the prestigious Best Radio Anchor Staff awards presented by the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association.[11] He was honored as a distinguished Communications alum byLos Angeles City College in October 2018. Most recently named to the 2024 class of theSouthern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Sobel spent seven years as the 18th green announcer at theLPGA's first major of the year: the ANA Inspiration (formerly known as theKraft Nabisco Championship) inRancho Mirage, California. He was the on-court stadium announcer for over 15 years at the now defunct Los Angeles Open ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament atUCLA (through 2012), most recently known as theFarmers Classic under the direction of Bob andJack Kramer where he also did tennis play by play for their in-house radio setup to the attending fans. Sobel's extensive voice over work includes many local commercials while also being the hockey arena public address announcer's voice for the 1986 movieTouch and Go forTri-Star Pictures starringMichael Keaton.[12]
ALos Angeles native, Sobel is one of four children born to parents Sherry (née Foreman) and Bernard Sobel. His father was the founder/owner of Bernie Sobel of California, a popular women's apparel label of the 1960s. Sobel's C&S Jobbers women's apparel store at the corner of Olympic and Santee streets in the mid 1960's was most instrumental in starting the clothing outlet store growth in the Garment District in downtown Los Angeles. Ted's mother was a big band andUSO singer (including with theFrankie Ortega Orchestra) who used the stage name Shari Fare. She was the sister of seven-timeAcademy Award nomineeCarl Foreman who won theOscar for his best written adaptedscreenplay of the 1958Oscar winning best pictureThe Bridge on the River Kwai. Sobel is also a first cousin to author Dr.Amanda Foreman and her journalist brotherJonathan Foreman.[citation needed]
