Ted Leitner

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Ted Leitner is a former KFMB News 8 sportscaster and former longtime radioman of 760 KFMB as sportscaster for the San Diego Chargers. He left KFMB and assumed the San Diego Padres play by play broadcast responsibilities with XX Radio. His association with the Padres dates back to the late 1970's. 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. Leitner's current contract with the Padres runs through the 2008 season.[1]

At many times outspoken and not afraid to criticize the home team, Leitner is known 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 Ted did television on the Padres cable TV network as well as doing the 5 and 11 PM sportscasts for KFMB-TV. If a game (which typically started at 7:05 PM) were to run late that would lead to a situation where Leitner would have to race from Jack Murphy Stadium to the KFMB studios. On one occasion Ted barely had time to get to the studio and get prepared to do his sportscast. At the end of the segment a wide shot of Leitner and the news anchors was shown. Alert viewers noticed (when Leitner started to stand up) that Leitner was not wearing pants!!! Apparently, Ted did not have time to put on pants to go along with his sportscoat and figured he could get away with it since he was usually only shown from the waist up. Leitner admitted his act during his TV segment when the blooper was replayed the next day.

Ted 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 3-4 goals would then be shown neatly edited in about five seconds time.

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 Belafonte. 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.[2]

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.

Before starting his long tenure in San Diego, Leitner worked in the Philadelphia and Oklahoma markets. Leitner is a graduate of Oklahoma State University.

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