Wait and see for local stations on Raiders broadcasts
The Raiders are scheduled to play 11 regular-season games on CBS next season, but whether all 11 are shown in Las Vegas is still to be determined.
KLAS-TV Channel 8 general manager Lisa Howfield said she hoped to carry all the Raiders’ games scheduled to be on CBS, but the network decides which games are televised in which markets.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email there have been “no official changes to our television policy,” so the Raiders have yet to be considered the home TV team by the league.
But Howfield said CBS has been accommodating when requests have been made to broadcast specific games.
“We will carry more Raiders games than anyone in the market,” she said.
The Raiders, who are planning to move to Las Vegas in 2020, have signed lease agreements to play the next two seasons in Oakland, California.
In addition to Channel 8, KVVU-TV Fox 5 would be affected by how a network distributes its games. Fox Sports will carry the Raiders’ Dec. 3 home game against the New York Giants, but the network also will televise the Los Angeles Rams-Arizona Cardinals game at the same time.
Both local channels are interested in televising the Raiders’ four preseason games, but the general managers at both stations said that decision is up to the NFL franchise.
“I think they’re looking to ingratiate themselves into the community,” Channel 5 general manager Todd Brown said. “They want to be an integral part of the Las Vegas community more than just broadcasting their games.”
Follow all of our Raiders to Las Vegas coverage online at reviewjournal.com/Raiders and @NFLinVegas on Twitter.
Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.
