Wednesday, December 14, 2011

So You Want To Be A Television Sportscaster? Part One

1988: KVBC-TV (NBC) Las Vegas
For over 20 years, I had what many people - especially those who love sports - consider a dream job. I was a television sportscaster. What do I mean by 'dream job'?


People actually PAID me to go to NFL, NBA, MLB and NCAA games.

I got a paycheck for hanging-out at practices and games with coaches and players, chatting them up, picking their brains with my questions and getting to know them a little bit - in good times and bad.

There were other, lesser perks. I parked for free right next to the stadiums, arenas and venues. I had my own reserved seat with my name staked-out for me in the press boxes. Oh yeah, there was always free food involved. Mostly good-to-occasionally-great catered food. ((not counting the bland hot-dogs and canned sodas at Holt Arena in Pocatello for Idaho State football))

When the games were over, I got to clean-up and then sit in front of a live television camera and share the good times, and occasionally, the bad, with thousands of people. I can honestly say to this day, I got paid to play. There was literally never a day that I can recall where I wanted to be doing something else besides going to work.

This past week, Matt Rollins - @AdiosBullwinkle in my twitter timeline - was talking about becoming a television sportscaster and asked me if I had "..any advice for getting in the biz?"

My reply to him - the SHORT answer to his question - went something like:

"...dream big, go to a top college broadcasting program, make connections, network like crazy and work your guts out.."




Now that I am involved mentoring students at my alma mater, BYU, it seems like a good time to gather my thoughts on the subject for the next time someone hits me up with that question.

KIDK-TV Idaho Falls
How qualified am I to be dispensing advice on the matter? Fair question. I'll try and answer that without doing a virtual cut & paste of my resume.


I was a local TV sports anchor, reporter and producer.


I started out in television's minor leagues - Yuma, Medford and Idaho Falls - and topped-out in Seattle, currently the 13th largest US television market, at KIRO-TV, one of the CBS network's shining jewels among affiliates.

In my career travels, I covered the NFL's Seahawks, Chargers and Cardinals; the Sonics, Trailblazers and Suns of the NBA; and spent a wild couple of Summers with the Padres and Mariners. Training camps to playoffs. MLB All-Star games to the lowest levels of the minors - I'm talking stuff straight out of 'Bull Durham.'

There were more regular-season and bowl games in football and basketball games and NCAA tournaments in hoops than I can quickly recall covering the PAC-10, MWC, WAC and Big Sky.


I also got a taste of working 'in the majors.'

Before even graduating, I lucked into a freelance Production Assistant (PA) job right here in Provo when BYU hosted the 1981 NCAA National Track & Field Championships. That weekend with the ABC boys from New York led directly to more PA work with ABC on NCAA and Monday Night Football broadcasts.
I was almost hired F/T by the incomparable Keith Jackson to be his in-booth spotter. For many years, Al Michaels and Frank Broyles were the top two references on my resume. 


In later years, some of my local TV stories and features were picked-up and run on network sports shows and feeds.


KIRO's legendary Wayne Cody
I stepped behind the camera to be the Senior Sports Producer at KIRO, where I made the daily reporting assignments to two anchors, two reporters and a couple of sports photogs.

As the 'conductor' of this TV sports orchestra, I did most of the writing, producing and editing, then brought it all together to a crescendo at 5:00, 6:00 and 11:00.

I was on the phone daily with CBS in New York, sending them satellite feeds of our Sonics, Seahawks, Mariners and Huskies stuff.


***

With that frame of reference, in Part Two, I'll share my thoughts, ideas and suggestions on what it takes to get into and succeed at television sportscasting.



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