Ted Leitner
Encyclopedia
Ted Leitner is a former KFMB News 8
sportscaster and current radio play-by-play announcer for the San Diego Padres
and San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball
. He is also a former host on KFMB
radio in San Diego. Due to a hectic schedule, he left KFMB just three days shy of his 25th anniversary at that station. He kept his play-by-play job with the San Diego Padres (who left that station around the same time for cross-town rival KOGO) and later XX Sports Radio (he also for a short time tried an afternoon show on XX Sports Radio as well).http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/media/San-Diego-Magazine/March-2003/Not-Ted-Leitners-Last-Harangue/ His association with the Padres dates back to 1980. Although he makes it a point to take a back seat to legendary sidekick Jerry Coleman
, Ted has become a San Diego institution in his own right and his name appears on the ballot for the Ford Frick Award with the Baseball Hall of Fame.
. Before starting his long tenure in San Diego, Leitner worked for the Philadelphia Eagles
, the San Diego Clippers and Chargers
, and with university sports in Oklahoma
and Hartford
markets. He has six sons and one daughter. He has been divorced four times.
, San Diego State Aztecs football
, and San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball
. He is known for his outspoken style, and for referring to the team as "My Padres" when they are winning and/or playing well. When the team is losing or in a bad stretch, he refers to the team as "Your Padres." For years, Leitner did television on the Padres' cable TV network, as well as doing the 5 and 11 pm sportscasts for KFMB-TV.
Leitner has a history of mocking those who like NHL hockey, and those who complain to the station that he does not show highlights. To "appease" hockey fans, Ted would occasionally show a highlight clip of an NHL game, which was most often two enforcers squared off in a fight. Or if only one NHL game was being played on a given night, Leitner would claim that he was about to show every goal scored in the NHL that night. The 3 or 4 goals would then be shown, rapidly edited, in the space of a few seconds.
. On the 20-minute segment, Belafonte would condemn the entire Bush administration, especially then Secretary of State
Colin Powell
as well as Attorney General
John Ashcroft
.
Just before Christmas of 2005, Leitner did his daily radio show for XX Radio from a U.S. military base in the Baghdad
, Iraq
region. During another Christmas season Leitner and other XX personalities did their shows from Camp Pendleton.
KFMB-TV
KFMB-TV is the local CBS television affiliate in San Diego, California. Its studios are located on Engineer Road in the Kearny Mesa area of San Diego along with its sister radio stations, AM 760 and FM 100.7...
sportscaster and current radio play-by-play announcer for the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
and San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball
San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball
The San Diego State Aztecs basketball team is the basketball team that represent San Diego State University Aztecs in San Diego, California. The school's team currently competes in the Mountain West Conference, and play their home games in Viejas Arena...
. He is also a former host on KFMB
KFMB (AM)
KFMB is a conservative talk radio station in San Diego, California, co-owned with KFMB-FM and KFMB-TV. KFMB is one of the few stations in the U.S. that increases power at night. The daytime power is limited due to KBRT , a religious-programming station with transmitters on Santa Catalina Island....
radio in San Diego. Due to a hectic schedule, he left KFMB just three days shy of his 25th anniversary at that station. He kept his play-by-play job with the San Diego Padres (who left that station around the same time for cross-town rival KOGO) and later XX Sports Radio (he also for a short time tried an afternoon show on XX Sports Radio as well).http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/media/San-Diego-Magazine/March-2003/Not-Ted-Leitners-Last-Harangue/ His association with the Padres dates back to 1980. Although he makes it a point to take a back seat to legendary sidekick Jerry Coleman
Jerry Coleman
Gerald Francis "Jerry" Coleman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman for the New York Yankees. Currently, he is an analyst and former play-by-play radio announcer for the San Diego Padres...
, Ted has become a San Diego institution in his own right and his name appears on the ballot for the Ford Frick Award with the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Background
Leitner graduated from Oklahoma State University in the mid 1960s, and attended graduate school in Norman, OklahomaNorman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
. Before starting his long tenure in San Diego, Leitner worked for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the San Diego Clippers and Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and with university sports in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
markets. He has six sons and one daughter. He has been divorced four times.
Sports commentary
Leitner is currently the commentator for the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, San Diego State Aztecs football
San Diego State Aztecs football
The San Diego State football team represents the San Diego State Aztecs in college football. The Aztecs, a Division I FBS team and a member of the Mountain West Conference, play their home games at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The field is natural grass and has a maximum capacity of...
, and San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball
San Diego State Aztecs men's basketball
The San Diego State Aztecs basketball team is the basketball team that represent San Diego State University Aztecs in San Diego, California. The school's team currently competes in the Mountain West Conference, and play their home games in Viejas Arena...
. He is known for his outspoken style, and for referring to the team as "My Padres" when they are winning and/or playing well. When the team is losing or in a bad stretch, he refers to the team as "Your Padres." For years, Leitner did television on the Padres' cable TV network, as well as doing the 5 and 11 pm sportscasts for KFMB-TV.
Leitner has a history of mocking those who like NHL hockey, and those who complain to the station that he does not show highlights. To "appease" hockey fans, Ted would occasionally show a highlight clip of an NHL game, which was most often two enforcers squared off in a fight. Or if only one NHL game was being played on a given night, Leitner would claim that he was about to show every goal scored in the NHL that night. The 3 or 4 goals would then be shown, rapidly edited, in the space of a few seconds.
Political commentary
Leitner has also dabbled in news and political commentary during his career and once did a news-oriented talk show for KFMB radio. One of his most notable programs was when the guest was entertainer and outspoken Bush administration critic Harry BelafonteHarry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
. On the 20-minute segment, Belafonte would condemn the entire Bush administration, especially then Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
as well as Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
.
Just before Christmas of 2005, Leitner did his daily radio show for XX Radio from a U.S. military base in the Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
region. During another Christmas season Leitner and other XX personalities did their shows from Camp Pendleton.