Sportscasters experiencing frustration in the job market may wonder if a master’s degree from a broadcast journalism school could get them closer to a network-level play-by-play opportunity.
There are two benefits of getting a master’s degree from a broadcast journalism school.
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An aspiring sportscaster living in Los Angeles saw an opening for a sports talk radio producer in South Carolina. He badly wanted the job in order to get his foot in the industry. Instead of mailing or emailing his resumé to the employer, he hopped on a plane and hand-delivered it. They were so impressed with his gumption that he got the job.
That aspiring sportscaster was Jonas Knox, who ended up being a sports talk host with Fox Sports Radio Network.
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Looking to advance your sports talk radio career when sports resume?
Former ESPN Radio Network Programmer Scott Masteller shared eight suggestions for accelerating the process at an STAA One Day Ticket to Sportscasting Success seminar.
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It’s fun when employers share crummy cover letters with me.
I’m sharing two examples of dumb things sportscasting job applicants have written in their cover letters – and why you want to avoid making similar mistakes.
When I was the play-by-play voice for the old Anaheim Piranhas of the Arena Football League, I had a conversation with my dad. He said, “Jon, I listened to your broadcast last night.”
I prepared myself for a bunch of compliments and superlatives.
Instead, Pop blindsided me.
He said, “You scream on your touchdown calls.”
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With the cancellation or postponement of games, sportscasters nationwide are being challenged economically and emotionally for the foreseeable future because they’re losing opportunities to do what they love in covering sports.
As we all begin to grapple with the impact of COVID-19 in our lives, we invited members of the sports broadcasting community to share stories, feelings, frustrations, and strategies for staying positive.
The result was an encouraging 2-hour conversation with sportscasters from around the country. In this post we’re sharing some of the key takeaways, plus the audio and video replay of the community chat.
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My senior year at the Princeton of the Plains, Kansas State University, I took a storytelling class from a wonderful women named Charlotte McFarland. The purpose was to develop spontaneity and on camera performance.
The local cable TV station filmed our class doing our final storytelling performances of the semester. When I watched my segment air one week later, my first thought was, “You sure are a handsome guy Jon.” My second thought was, “Love the pink paisley shirt.” My third thought was, “Dude, you have no camera presence. You look nervous, you look scared, you look reserved and you’re mumbling.” So, I went about trying to fix those things.
I don’t know that I’ve improved much, but here are some top tips for improving your on camera performance.
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When I was in my first job in McPherson, KS, I did football play-by-play for a small NAIA school, Bethany College. One October afternoon, the Swedes had a game up the road in Salina at Kansas Wesleyan. As was my habit, I arrived at the stadium two hours early. I liked taking my time to set-up my broadcast location, review my notes, record my pre-game coaches interview, then relax before going on the air. Today, though, was different.
When I plugged in my phone jack (yes – we broadcast using telephone land lines back in the day), I heard the last thing a broadcaster ever wants to hear in that situation.
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One of the students in a sports broadcasting class I taught at Palomar College in San Diego was a kid named Jordan Carruth. Jordan stayed in touch after he graduated. He would call to ask how things were going and update me on his career. He would get me San Diego State basketball tickets through his job at a local radio station. He kept in contact.
Ten years after graduating, Jordan ended up coming to work for STAA.
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An STAA member called me to vent about the job market. He’s been a small and mid-market sportscaster for more than a decade but has struggled to earn bigger opportunities. I asked him what he’s doing to follow-up his applications. His answer stunned me. In short, he said he doesn’t follow-up – that is ability should speak for itself and that he didn’t feel he should have to “brown nose” anyone for the sake of getting a job.
Wow! My jaw nearly cracked when it hit the floor.
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