The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), which owns the rights to broadcast both Orioles and Nationals games, televised the 2006 and 2007 Beltway Series in a conventional format, with each team's broadcasters covering the game for separate audiences via separate telecasts. From 2008 through 2013, however, MASN televised the Beltway Series using an unconventional concept in which mixed Orioles-Nationals broadcast booths covered each game. In the mixed-booth concept, the two teams′ play-by-play announcers – Jim Hunter for the Orioles and Bob Carpenter for the Nationals – alternated on play-by-play during each game and color analysts and sideline reporters from both teams worked together in the booth and on the field throughout each game.Steinberg, Dan, "MASN announces end of split booths for Orioles-Nats games,", Washingtonpost.com, February 27, 2014 The concept was based on the premise that the Orioles and Nationals were both "home" teams for the combined Baltimore-Washington area, and that fans in both cities followed and supported both teams, were familiar with both sets of broadcasters, and would enjoy coverage of Beltway Series games by broadcasters from both of "their" teams working together in the same telecast. In 2010 news releases about that year's Beltway Series, MASN referred to its "popular mixed booth broadcast," and on May 29, 2013, Hunter started a Beltway Series broadcast from Oriole Park by saying "It′s your Nats, it's your Orioles, going head-to-head on your network."Steinberg, Dan, "On the MASN split booths,", Washingtonpost.com, May 30, 2013 With the mixed booth in use, each Beltway Series game was simulcast on both MASN cable channels (MASN and MASN2).
