TV presenter Andy Crane rose to fame when he first appeared on CBBC children’s show The Broom Cupboard in 1986. Despite leaving TV, he is still enjoying a sucessful career in the public eye
14:51, 20 Jul 2025Updated 14:57, 20 Jul 2025
Andy Crane was a big hit on BBC’s the Broom Cupboard (Image: BBC)
Popular presenter Andy Crane is best known for his debut on children’s TV programme The Broom Cupboard which is 39 years old – but what is the TV personality doing now?
Andy, now 61, has been brightening up people’s days on Greatest Hits Radio since 2019 and he looks very different from his Broom Cupboard days.
He first appeared on TV in 1986, taking over from Phillip Schofield on BBC’s Broom. The show, which helped launch the careers of Andi Peters, Toby Anstis and Zoe Ball, featured stars in a control desk room as the presenters introduced the programs.
The 61-year-old, who was one of the most memorable presenters on show, was just 29 at the time and worked alongside puppet Gordon, who went on to join him on Going Live! the next year.
He continued with Broom until 1990 and then featured on major music show Top of the Pops. He was also the face of Bad Influence! and Violet Berlin in the 90s.
Andy Crane pictured with Lionel Blair and the Jive Bunny (Image: Mirrorpix)
But his impressive career didn’t stop there. Andy also presented children’s show, Motormouth, for ITV on Saturdays. He also featured on What’s Up Doc? and Challenge TV.
The star was also a news presenter for Channel M in Manchester. He is now residing in the picturesque location of Lake District, reports Rayo.
Before joining Greatest Hits Radio in 2019, Andy presented for Radio Manchester where he started off as a tea boy.
Andy now works for Greatest Hits Radio(Image: Getty Images)
Speaking about how he got the role, he said: “I wrote to Piccadilly Radio in Manchester when I was living in the USA – they wrote back! Started there as a tea boy in 1981 and did my first show in 1983 which means I’ve now been doing this for 35 years.”
Andy, who was born in the seaside town of Morecambe, Lancashire, presents three hours of the best songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s on Greatest Hits Radio, including The Top 10 at 10 and Midnight Music Marathon.
Andy can be heard weekly presenting the best of music from the 70s (Image: Supplied)
Luckily for his fans, he also appears on radiowaves on weekday afternoons – featuring the most groovy disco tunes for Greatest Hits Radio 70s. He says his listeners will hear: “Great music naturally and plenty of laughing.”
Earlier this year, the presenter revealed what he loves about his job the most: “Being invited into people’s homes, cars, bedrooms and bathrooms.”
New Delhi, India – In a career marked by chart-topping music and highly acclaimed performances, Punjabi actor Diljit Dosanjh is cruising towards yet another milestone on his list: Delivering the highest-grossing Punjabi film.
“Sardaar Ji 3”, the latest horror-comedy by Dosanjh, one of Asia’s most bankable artists, has been shattering records abroad. But, in his own home country, India, the film has not been released and remains out of bounds for more than one billion people.
Dosanjh and his latest film – released globally on June 27 – have been marred by a political and cultural controversy over the nationality of his film’s co-star, Hania Amir, a Pakistani actor.
Last year, Dosanjh sold out arenas in the US, Canada, and across Europe during his Dil-Luminati world tour. He became the first Indian artist to perform at the Coachella festival in California and, more recently, walked down the Met Gala carpet in an iconic turban. Dosanjh has also carved out a unique space for himself in Bollywood as both a crowd-puller and a critical favourite.
But at home, he is now facing calls for a boycott and the impounding of his passport. Film critics and political analysts, however, say this is part of a growing pattern of censorship and an attempt to restrict artistic freedom in India, to heed the nationalists’ demands.
So, why is India blocking the work of one of its most successful artists?
Diljit Dosanjh performs at the Sahara tent during the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 15, 2023, in Indio, California [Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Coachella via AFP]
Why is Dosanjh’s latest film controversial?
Sardaar Ji 3, the third instalment of the popular horror-comedy franchise directed by Amar Hundal, stars a popular Punjabi pair – Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa – in lead roles, alongside Pakistan’s Hania Aamir.
Shortly after the film’s production was wrapped in April this year, suspected rebels in Indian-administered Kashmir’s resort town of Pahalgam killed 26 people, all but one of them tourists.
New Delhi immediately blamed Pakistan, which it said had supported the deadly “terrorist attack”, but Islamabad denied involvement. In the coming days, the two countries engaged in a four-day conflict, the most expansive between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades.
When Dosanjh released the trailer for his upcoming film last month, the casting of Aamir took many by surprise – and prompted outrage.
Why has the Indian government blocked Sadaar Ji 3?
The film has not received certification from India’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and has not been released in Indian cinemas.
The Indian government also “geoblocked” (restricted online access to) the film’s trailer in India; however, the teaser and film’s album, which do not include shots of Aamir, remain accessible.
Following the Kashmir attack in April, the Indian government swiftly brought in a series of digital crackdowns. This included blocking thousands of Pakistani social media handles on platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), including the accounts of celebrities such as Aamir, Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan.
The government, which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also blocked access to the social media accounts of Pakistani journalists and news outlets in India.
The government then issued an advisory on May 8, directing all video platforms, streaming services and digital intermediaries to immediately remove Pakistani-origin entertainment content, including web series, films, songs, podcasts and other media.
In addition, the government banned 16 prominent Pakistani YouTube channels, including those of Geo News, ARY News, and Samaa TV, which collectively had more than 63 million subscribers, for allegedly spreading misinformation, provocative narratives, and content targeting India’s armed forces and sovereignty.
Rahul Desai, a Mumbai-based film and TV critic, said blocking access to films over casting choices has become “an excuse to antagonise Pakistan” under the current government.
“It’s a vicious cycle because a lot of the cinema is informed by pro-establishment choices in India,” he told Al Jazeera.
“This has become a very neat medium for people to vent against Pakistan, just like cricket sometimes does.”
Today, the reality-based creative boundaries in India are neat, Desai said: “Do not cast artists from the other side of the border, and a lot of filmmakers self-censor themselves.”
Diljit Dosanjh attends ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’, the 2025 Costume Institute Benefit, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2025, in New York City, US [Taylor Hill/Getty Images]
Are cross-border artistic collaborations common?
Yes, they are. Pakistani actors are not allowed to work in India, so shoots involving them have to be carried out abroad.
“Music departments of [Pakistan’s] films used to contribute a lot to Indian cinema at least a decade or two ago in the 2000s,” said Desai. The release of the curated music show franchise, Coke Studio Pakistan, which had 15 seasons from 2008 to 2024, was almost “like a cultural moment in India”, he added.
But over the past two decades, there have been multiple instances of cross-border collaborations of artists, but they have faced boycotts and anger on both sides of the border due to political tensions between the South Asian neighbours.
For the Punjabi film and music industries, the situation is even more complex.
The partition of British India, which resulted in the creation of Pakistan with borders drawn overnight, cuts through Punjab, and millions on each side share culture and linguistic ties.
Successful Punjabi franchises like Chal Mera Putt, known for its Pakistani cast, face uncertainty, especially the upcoming Chal Mera Putt 4, amid growing demands to avoid Pakistani involvement.
“There’s obviously a lot of bullying involved by the establishment over casting Pakistani actors,” said Desai. “There’s a lot of banning and trolling involved. There’s a lot of anxiety and tension associated with such choices.”
What do Indian film bodies say about Sadaar Ji 3?
Indian film associations, particularly the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) and the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), have voiced strong objections to the casting of Aamir in Dosanjh’s Sardaar Ji 3.
FWICE, headed by President BN Tiwari, labelled the collaboration a “betrayal of the nation” and accused Dosanjh of “disrespecting national sentiments and the sacrifices of Indian soldiers”. It demanded a complete ban on the film in India.
The body also issued appeals to India’s CBFC to withhold certification for Sardaar Ji 3 and emphasised noncooperation with Pakistani artists.
AICWA echoed these sentiments, condemning the film’s producers for prioritising Pakistani talent over Indian artists and calling for a widespread boycott of Dosanjh across the industry, including by music companies and event organisers.
Ashoke Pandit, the president of the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association, told a local newspaper: “We are going to take action and tell the producers not to work with [Dosanjh].
“He should be fully boycotted in the country by music labels and the Punjabi film industry. Diljit is a compulsive Pakistani lover.”
However, Ira Bhaskar, a former CBFC Board member and retired professor of film studies at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, said this episode is a reflection of the establishments of India and Pakistan, rather than pointing to a deeper divide between the people of the two countries.
“The Indian government [since Modi came to power] has not only understood the power of mass media, especially cinema, but is invested in taking control of the narratives that circulate in the public domain,” Bhaskar said.
Diljit Dosanjh performs at the Sahara tent during the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 22, 2023, in Indio, California [Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Coachella via AFP]
What has Dosanjh said about the furore over Sadaar Ji 3?
Dosanjh told BBC Asian Network earlier this month: “When this film was made, everything was fine.
“We shot it in February, and things were OK back then. After that, a lot of big things happened that were beyond our control,” the singer-actor said, referring to the Kashmir attack and the ensuing conflict.
“So the producers decided that the film obviously won’t be released in India now, so they’ll release it overseas. The producers have invested a lot of money, and when the film was being made, nothing like this was happening,” Dosanjh said.
How well has Sardaar Ji 3 done globally?
Dosanjh told the BBC that the film’s producers were aware of the potential financial loss from pulling out of a territory like India, the world’s most populous country. The previous film in the franchise – Sadaar Ji 2 – made nearly $3m at the box office in India.
Dosanjh has continued promoting his film on his social media handles, including sharing images from sold-out shows in Pakistan, where the movie has shattered records for Indian releases. Globally, the film has taken $7m at the box office, against a budget of $4m. In Pakistan, it is the highest-grossing Indian-made film in history, pulling in $1.4m so far.
In India, Desai, the critic, said “censorship goes way beyond casting … It extends to the themes of the stories that people are allowed to tell now in India.”
Spectators watch Diljit Dosanjh perform onstage at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, California, US, April 22, 2023 [Aude Guerrucci/Reuters]
Are any other of Dosanjh’s works facing problems?
Yes. The release of Dosanjh’s film, Panjab ’95, directed by Honey Trehan in 2022, has stalled, primarily because of stringent demands from India’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which has delayed its clearance since the project was submitted in December 2022.
The biographical drama about the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed 25,0000 extrajudicial killings and disappearances of Sikhs in Punjab during the 1980s and 1990s, was given 120 suggested cuts, including removing references to political figures, documented human rights abuses, and even the protagonist’s name.
Trehan told Al Jazeera: “The CBFC was established as an independent body, which could protect artists, so that the government should not influence the art … [but] the government is arm-twisting filmmakers and their films.”
Desai, the critic who watched Panjab ’95 in a private screening, told Al Jazeera: “It’s such a well-made film that it might incite a sense of revolution among people today, especially people who are not happy with the establishment. So, we can see where a lot of the insecurity is coming from.”
Dosanjh and Trehan have publicly refused to accept the suggested cuts. And the film remains in limbo. Its scheduled premiere was pulled from the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023, and subsequent invitations from other international festivals were declined.
The Love Island villa is about to see yet another new bombshell stir things up, and this time, it could even result in another shock dumping
18:00, 18 Jul 2025Updated 18:00, 18 Jul 2025
Angel Swift is about to cause some trouble, as she makes an early confession to Harry (Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Love Island is set to experience a huge shake-up as a new contestant, Angel Swift, enters the villa in what could be the most dramatic bombshell so far this series.
The last episode showed, after taking part in a ranking challenge, an unexpected text asking the islanders to guess which three boys a brand new bombshell wants to get to know the most. Tonight’s episode, Friday July 18, will reveal all as viewers watch the latest bombshell turn some heads.
Her big TV entrance results in a rather cheeky conversation with the ever-controversial contestant, 30-year-old Harry Cooksley. While currently being coupled up with Helena Ford after a tumultuous start to their time in the villa, in a series of on-and-off-again recouplings, he entertains the new islander following her shock entrance.
Angel admits to harry that she likes to be “the little spoon” (Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Angel wastes no time getting her graft on and pulls Harry for a chat to see how he’s feeling about his current couple. As expected, it’s not long before their polite exchange turns saucy.
Harry makes intense eye contact when talking to her about mornings, saying: “You like the mornings, do you? What about…?” He stares at her intensely as he hints at a more sexual subject. Harry continues to say: “Cause I’m into that. Ends up with a little spooning.” Angel responds by telling him that she does “like being a little spoon”.
Intrigued, the OG islander asks the bombshell how her typical romantic interactions come about and if she finds she gets attached to boys easily. It’s then that Angel confesses why she can’t sleep with a boy casually, admitting: “When I sleep with someone, I get feelings. So I can’t sleep with them because I’m just like, ‘Ah, I’m in love.’”
In a flirtatious response, Harry jokes: “We might have to hold off on that spoon in the morning then.” When the conversation draws to a close Angel asks if the 30-year-old is ready to go and join the rest of the villa, but he’s pretty smitten. Harry responds to say: “No, I want to stay here with you.”
This isn’t the first time Harry has had his head turned, and it may not be the last. Despite his recent recoupling with Helena, it seems he can’t help but fall for a new girl, which will undoubtedly land him in more trouble with the girls in the villa.
Harry’s head already seems to be turned by Angel Swift (Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Speaking before her villa debut, Angel confidently confessed her plans to go after exactly what she wants and knows that couples will be split in the process. She said: “That is what’s going to happen, so it’s quite exciting, really. That’s what I’m in there for.”
“I feel like people have been getting their heads turned very easily. I do feel like I have quite a good chance of turning someone’s head.”
Rumours are spreading online that Angel’s arrival will bring a new recoupling, which means she has to choose one of the boys to pair up with, leaving one of the girls single. Many are speculating that it could be a final goodbye for the likes of Toni, Shakira, or, after a rollercoaster relationship, Helena.
The annual Tomorrowland festival is set to draw about 100,000 attendees, with many expected to camp on site.
A huge fire has engulfed the main stage of Belgium’s globally-renowned Tomorrowland electronic dance music festival, two days before the event was due to open to an expected audience of 100,000.
“Due to a serious incident and fire on the Tomorrowland Mainstage, our beloved Mainstage has been severely damaged,” festival organisers said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We can confirm that no one was injured during the incident,” it added.
Several hundred firefighters had fought to save the stage from the flames, and Antwerp prosecutors have opened an investigation, though they said the fire appeared accidental.
The annual Tomorrowland festival, held in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is set to begin on Friday and approximately 100,000 participants are expected to attend, with many planning to camp on site for the duration of the event.
The 2025 edition is scheduled to run over the next two weekends.
Organisers said the festival’s campground will open as scheduled on Thursday, when attendees are expected to begin arriving, and emphasised that they are focused on finding solutions for the weekend events.
Several dozen DJs and electronic music stars, such as David Guetta, Lost Frequencies, Armin van Buuren and Charlotte de Witte, are to perform from Friday for the first weekend, with two-thirds of the events split between the now destroyed “Mainstage” and the “Freedom Stage”.
Founded 20 years ago by two Belgian brothers, Tomorrowland has become an internationally-renowned event. A winter festival is now held in the French ski resort of Alpe d’Huez and another in Brazil.
Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde attend the Tomorrowland 2017 music festival in Boom, Belgium, on July 21, 2017 [Danny Gys/Pool via Reuters]
Severance stood out from the competition earning 27 Emmy nods, while HBO’s dark Batman spinoff, The Penguin, secured 24 nominations.
The nominees for the 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced.
Actors Harvey Guillen and Brenda Song revealed the nominations at the Television Academy’s Wolf Theater in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday in advance of the 77th annual ceremony.
Severance stood out from the competition, earning 27 Emmy nods, while Apple TV’s The Studio topped the comedy categories with 23 nominations. HBO’s dark Batman spinoff, The Penguin, secured 24 nominations.
Abbott Elementary The Bear Hacks Nobody Wants This Only Murders in the Building Shrinking The Studio What We Do in the Shadows pic.twitter.com/a98KPPARH8
Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Bill Camp, Presumed Innocent
Owen Cooper, Adolescence
Rob Delaney, Dying for Sex
Peter Sarsgaard, Presumed Innocent
Ashley Walters, Adolescence
Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez, centre, and Nicholas Chavez as Lyle Menendez, right, in a scene from Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story [Miles Crist/Netflix]
Supporting actor, comedy series
Ike Barinholtz, The Studio
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live
Ike Barinholtz, from left, Kathryn Hahn, Chase Sui Wonders and Seth Rogen in a scene from The Studio [Apple TV+ via AP]
Supporting actress, comedy series
Liza Colon-Zayas, The Bear
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Kathryn Hahn, The Studio
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Catherine O’Hara, The Studio
Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary
Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Congratulations to the cast and crew of The Bear for their 13 Emmy® nominations. pic.twitter.com/Kqo30C1mb0
Talk about hosts with the most! Congratulations to both Ken Jennings and Colin Jost, and the whole Jeopardy! team on the 140th Emmy® nominations for the show! Thank you @TelevisionAcad#Jeopardy! #Emmyspic.twitter.com/FByCOGKJQn
O’Donnell says the Republican US president hates her because she sees ‘him for who he is – a criminal con man’.
United States President Donald Trump has said he might revoke talk-show host Rosie O’Donnell’s US citizenship after she criticised his administration’s handling of weather forecasting agencies in the wake of the deadly Texas floods.
Trump’s threats are the latest salvo in a years-long feud the two have waged over social media.
“Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship,” the US president wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump has long called for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, but in recent weeks, he has suggested that he would remove US citizens that he disagrees with from the country.
“She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” Trump wrote.
Under the law, a president cannot revoke the citizenship of an American born in the US. O’Donnell was born in New York state.
Trump’s latest jab at O’Donnell seemed to be in response to a TikTok video she posted this month, mourning the 119 deaths in the July 4 floods in Texas and blaming Trump’s widespread cuts to environmental and science agencies involved in forecasting major natural disasters.
“What a horror story in Texas,” O’Donnell said in the video. “And you know, when the president guts all the early warning systems and the weathering forecast abilities of the government, these are the results that we’re gonna start to see on a daily basis.”
The Trump administration, as well as local and state officials, have faced mounting questions about whether more could have been done to protect and warn residents in advance of the Texas flooding, which killed at least 120 people earlier this month.
Trump, on Friday, visited Texas and defended the government’s response to the disaster, saying his agencies “did an incredible job under the circumstances.”
O’Donnell responded to Trump’s threat in two posts on her Instagram account, saying: “the president of the usa has always hated the fact that i see him for who he is – a criminal con man sexual abusing liar out to harm our nation to serve himself.”
She added that he opposes her because she “stands in direct opposition with all he represents”.
O’Donnell has been a longtime target of Trump’s insults and jabs.
In 2014, when she opened up about her weight loss journey, Trump said on X that “she felt ‘shame’ at being fat-not politically correct! She killed Star Jones for weight loss surgery, just had it!”
During Trump’s first presidency, O’Donnell told W magazine that she feared whether she would be able to “live through” his presidency.
Following Trump’s inauguration for his second presidential term in January this year, she moved to Ireland earlier this year with her 12-year-old son.
In a March TikTok video, she said that she would return to the US “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America”.
Earlier this month, Trump said he may look at options to deport his former aide-turned-critic, Elon Musk, a naturalised US citizen.
And last month, the White House said allegations that Democratic nominee for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has supported “terrorism” in the past “should be investigated”, with the intent of revoking his citizenship.
Prosecutors make closing arguments in six-week trial that heard harrowing testimony from people who faced alleged abuse.
United States prosecutors argued that Sean “Diddy” Combs used his wealth and influence to evade accountability for violently abusing women in closing arguments in the entertainment mogul’s trial.
Prosecutors told the jury on Thursday that Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, oversaw a vast criminal conspiracy.
“The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,” prosecutor Christy Slavik told jurors in her address. “He thought that his fame, wealth and power put him above the law.”
The trial of the billionaire former rapper, a central figure in the rise of hip-hop in US popular culture, has included harrowing testimony from women who described an atmosphere of cruelty, exploitation, and intimidation.
Over six weeks of testimony, prosecutors also said that Combs pushed people to participate in drug-fuelled sex parties known as “freak offs”, with footage of people engaged in sex acts then used as leverage by Combs.
Slavik said that Combs “again and again forced, threatened and manipulated” singer and former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura to have sex with escorts for his own entertainment and used a “small army of employees” from his entertainment empire to cover up abuses and intimidate anyone who tried to push back.
Combs sat with his head down while Slavik made her remarks before the jury, wearing a light-coloured sweater and khaki trousers. His lawyers have argued that while Combs has a violent temperament and has committed violent acts against romantic partners, prosecutors have misrepresented a sexually unorthodox lifestyle as evidence of crimes such as racketeering and trafficking.
Judge Arun Subramanian told the jury that they would hear final statements from the defence on Friday, with the prosecution given a chance to offer a rebuttal before jurors are instructed on their responsibilities and sent to begin deliberation.
The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Friday or Monday, and Combs faces a minimum of 15 years in prison if he is convicted on all counts.
The two New York teams dropped by Dodger Stadium a couple of weeks ago, first the Yankees and then the Mets, and broadcasters for each team made sure to complain about how loud it was.
“The Dodger Stadium center field speakers are in full assault mode,” Yankees radio voice Dave Sims tweeted.
On the ESPN Sunday night broadcast from Dodger Stadium that week, Karl Ravech introduced an in-game interview with the Dodgers’ Tommy Edman this way: “He’s in center field now, being blasted by, I think, arguably the loudest speaker system I have ever heard in my life.”
Notwithstanding the audacity of New Yorkers whining about someone else’s volume, the broadcasters did lend their distinguished voices to a long-running debate among Dodgers fans: Is it loud at Dodger Stadium, or is it too loud?
“It’s just all part of an entertainment show,” Mookie Betts said. “There is no ‘too loud.’”
Organists Helen Dell and Nancy Bea Hefley soothed generations of fans, but the traditional soundtrack to a Dodgers game has gone the way of $10 parking and outfield walls free of advertisements. The fan experience now includes a finely choreographed production at virtually every moment except when the ball is in play, and that includes recorded music, cranked up.
“We don’t make it louder just to make it louder,” said Lon Rosen, the Dodgers’ executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “It’s all part of what fits in the presentation.”
And the players, the ones whose performance determines whether the Dodgers win or lose, love the presentation.
“I think it’s great,” Clayton Kershaw said. “Even on the road, I’d rather have that than quiet. St. Louis was just really quiet. It almost felt like golf at times.
“The louder, the more fun, the better. The Dodgers have the best sound system out there. So why not use it?”
Said former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen: “When I used to come out to ‘California Love,’ that thing used to bang. The bass they have, you can feel that thing shake in your chest.”
Just how loud is it at the ballpark?
To find out, I downloaded a decibel meter and visited Southern California’s three major league ballparks during an eight-day span this month. At Dodger Stadium, I walked around the ballpark, and up and down to different levels, but the readings were relatively consistent no matter where someone might be sitting.
Bottom line: It’s pleasant at Angel Stadium, lively at Petco Park, booming at Dodger Stadium.
Caveat: Even with all other things equal, it always will be louder at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers sell 50,000 tickets to a game more often than not; no other major league ballpark even holds 50,000.
At 60 and 30 minutes before game time, as fans settled into the ballpark, Angel Stadium and Petco Park registered in the 65-75 dB range, roughly the sound of a normal conversation on the low end and household appliances on the high end.
The introduction of the home team lineup registered in the 80-85 dB range at Angel Stadium, 85-90 dB at Petco Park, and 90-95 dB at Dodger Stadium, roughly the sound of a noisy restaurant at the low end and power tools on the high end.
The high-end levels would be hazardous if sustained throughout the evening, but sounds ebb and flow as the game does. (Decibel levels are measured logarithmically, so an increase of 10 dB means sound is heard 10 times louder and an increase of 20 dB means sound is heard 100 times louder.)
The highest levels at any stadium occur not when a voice pleads “Get loud!” or “Everybody clap your hands!” but organically, as the result of a big moment in the game.
My decibel meter hit 100 dB twice during my three test games: immediately after the Angels’ Travis d’Arnaud homered in Anaheim, and as the Dodgers’ Will Smith slid safely into home plate with the tying run at Dodger Stadium, as the opposing catcher tagged him but dropped the ball.
What distinguishes the Dodger Stadium experience is the hour or so before the game starts. The Angels offer music, spotlight fans on the video board, and “invite you to enjoy the hospitality of Angel Stadium.” The Dodgers impose a relentlessly loud pregame show, with hype guys and hype girls, pounding away well above the 65-75 dB levels in Anaheim and San Diego, with dB readings into the 80s.
A Dodger Stadium screen encourages fans to be loud during Monday’s game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers’ pregame show attempts to force anticipation upon the audience, as if that is somehow necessary. It’s not. You’re about to see Shohei Ohtani!
There is always something happening before the game in the center field plaza: a band, product giveaways, Instagram-worthy photo opportunities, the live pregame broadcast for SportsNet LA. You can get hyped there, if you like. Or you can enjoy a conversation with your friends in your seats, instead of getting a headache before the game even starts.
Tyler Anderson, who pitches for the Angels now and used to pitch for the Dodgers, said he finds no fault in the traditional way of presenting the game, or in the Dodgers’ way.
“It’s like you’re trying to turn that venue into one of the best bars in town, where you just go to the bar and listen to loud music and people are having a good time,” Anderson said. “I think that’s the atmosphere they’re trying to create. It’s a fun atmosphere for the fans too.
The center field plaza area at Dodger Stadium is always a lively spot for fans before a game.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“And then some places are more family-based. They’d rather have kids and older families, and young kids and grandkids coming to games. They probably have less of a party atmosphere and less of a bar kind of atmosphere.
“There is no right or wrong way.”
In his ESPN in-game interview, Edman called the Dodgers’ sound system both “absolutely absurd” and “great.”
I asked Edman about that seeming contradiction.
“That was one of the things that stuck out to me my first time playing here, just how loud the speakers are,” he said. “You can’t hear yourself think.”
He got used to it, and to how he need not be distracted because the sound shuts off “once the play actually starts.” He likes it now.
“It makes it more fun,” he said. “It’s like a big league game.”
The Dodgers’ game presentation is creative and compelling. And, instead of eliminating the beloved organ, the Dodgers include talented organist Dieter Ruehle as part of the show. Really, just tone down the pregame hour, and we’re good.
Rosen shrugged off the notion that the Dodgers should tone down anything. If fans did not enjoy the production, he wondered, why would they keep packing Dodger Stadium?
“It’s really not any louder than any other of the more popular stadiums,” Rosen said.
He might be onto something. Veteran baseball columnist Bob Klapisch reported that, during last month’s Yankees-Mets series at Yankee Stadium, “the decibel levels at the stadium routinely reached the mid-90s.”
That, Mr. Yankee Announcer, would be “full assault mode.”
