As part of a new six-year agreement, CBS 5 WFRV-TV will remain committed to providing Packers fans across the state with the very best football coverage available. Packers preseason games, broadcast on CBS 5 WFRV-TV and on Packers Network Stations across the state, will continue to be produced by a regular-season NFL CBS Sports team in conjunction with CBS 5 WFRV-TV.
Joining Kevin Harlan in the booth this year is former NFL quarterback and CBS sportscaster Rich Gannon. Gannon was born in Philadelphia, Pa. and achieved most of his success late in his career with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League.
In both 2000 and 2001, he won the Pro Bowl MVP award, a feat achieved by no other NFL player. Gannon also won the NFL Most Valuable Player award after a record-setting 2002 season, which helped the Raiders advance to Super Bowl XXXVII. In August 2005, Gannon officially retired from football and joined CBS Sports as a NFL analyst. CBS has paired Harlan and Gannon together as a regular season broadcast team beginning this year.
Kevin Harlan will again provide play-by-play and will be joined by Gannon for each Packers pre-season game. Born in Milwaukee and growing up in Green Bay, Harlan grew up with Packers football and brings a unique perspective to every game. He joined the CBS Network's NFL broadcast team as a play-by-play announcer in 1998.
Rounding out this distinguished broadcast team is former Packers all-pro center and CBS 5 WFRV-TV sports director, Larry McCarren. McCarren will provide pre-game and post-game analysis. McCarren started his broadcast career at CBS 5 WFRV-TV in 1988 and is currently host of several sports programs, including "The Mike McCarthy Show," "Larry McCarren's Locker Room" and "Center Court with Tod Kowalczyk."
McCarren's professional football career began with the Green Bay Packers in 1973. He went on to play 12 seasons at center, earning himself two trips to the Pro-Bowl. McCarren retired from the Packers in 1985. He has won numerous "Sportscaster of the Year" awards in Wisconsin. In 1995, he joined Jim Irwin and Max McGee in the radio booth for the Packers Radio Network broadcasts, and now shares the booth with Wayne Larrivee.
WTMJ's sports reporter and anchor Jessie Garcia will be reporting from the sidelines. Garcia grew up in Madison, Wis. and attended Madison East High School before heading east to Boston University. She has been a Reporter/Anchor at TODAY'S TMJ4 since June 1994.
Six-time Emmy Award-winning CBS Sports producer Ross Schneiderman will be leading the team. A veteran of producing a variety of sports programming, Schneiderman joined CBS in 1998 after a 13-year run with NBC Sports. His assignments have included "The NFL on CBS," "The Ultimate Road to the Championship" during the NCAA basketball tournament, "The U.S. Open Preview Show," as well as work on five Super Bowls, including Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa.
Three-time Emmy Award-winning CBS Sports producer and director Suzanne Smith will be calling the shots as the director for the game telecasts. Since joining CBS Sports in July of 1983, Smith has worked on a variety of NFL programming. Smith's assignments have included "The NFL on CBS," the medal ceremonies at the 1992 and 1994 Olympic Winter Games, college football, NCAA basketball and Super Bowl XXXV.
