UPDATE: CBS just issues this statement, attributed to VP of communications Jennifer Sabatelle.
"Immediately after the power failure in the Superdome, we lost numerous cameras and some audio powered by sources in the Superdome. We utilized CBS's back-up power and at no time did we leave the air. During the interruption, CBS Sports' Steve Tasker, Solomon Wilcots and our studio team reported on the situation as a breaking news story, providing updates and reports while full power was being restored to the dome including our sets and broadcast booth. All commercial commitments during the broadcast are being honored."
CBS reported the news shortly after the stadium appeared to lose power on TV:
New Orleans power company Entergy claims not to be responsible:
And this power outage map from the Entergy website indicates that no surrounding areas in New Orleans were affected by a similar outage:
Associated Press reports:
NEW YORK (AP) — A power outage during the Super Bowl sent CBS scrambling and knocked its announcers off the air.
The biggest broadcast event of the year was suddenly jolted by silence and darkness when a portion of the Super Dome in New Orleans lost power early in the game's second half. CBS' announcers, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, were part of the outage and unable to explain the situation to viewers.
That led to an awkward, ambient few moments in a broadcast that's otherwise nonstop noise.
Eventually, CBS sideline reporter Steve Tasker announced the problem of a "click of the lights" to viewers. Later, the halftime crew anchored by host James Brown returned to fill the time with football analysis. Brown said a power surge caused the outage.
