The Muslim Voice of Baseball

By Parvez Fatteh, TMO, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

Michigan native Ahmed Fareed has become a media face of baseball after joining the cable television channel MLB Network this past February. He works a host and reporter, appearing on studio productions including Hot Stove and MLB Tonight. MLB Network had the largest cable launch in history in 2009, with 50 million homes. During the season, the network provides nightly live updates, highlights and live look-ins involving games in progress.

Fareed moved up the broadcasting ranks rather quickly. Before joining MLB Network, Fareed spent five years with WAVY-TV/FOX 43 TV in Norfolk, Va., where he covered the Washington Redskins, the Orioles Triple-A affiliate Norfolk Tides, and Virginia Tech and University of Virginia football. “I really liked it at WAVY,” he told the Virginian-Pilot. “But it’s difficult speaking to an audience that’s so fragmented. You don’t know what they’re interested in – the Redskins, ODU, Virginia Tech. It’s nice being here [at MLB Network]. You know your audience. They like baseball. It’s enjoyable to speak to that viewer.” Fareed is still, however, grateful for his time in Norfolk. “Growing up in Michigan,” he said, “I never would have thought this place in Hampton Roads would be so important to my life. But without that job, I’m not where I am today.”

Before joining WAVY/FOX 43, Fareed was a weekend sports anchor at WILX-TV and WSYM-TV in Lansing, Mich. He grew up a Detroit Tigers fan in Sparta, Michigan. But he went on to graduate from Syracuse University’s prestigious S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, where he majored in Broadcast Journalism. Considered a breeding ground for major broadcasters, the Syracuse program has been attended by many of the top sports journalists, including quite a few at ESPN.

Ahmed can be followed on Twitter at @AhmedFareedTV.

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