(March 14, 2017) From the gentle hills of Missouri to the Rocky Mountains of Denver, TJ Carpenter is ascending to his new gig. An STAA member, Carpenter will be co-hosting afternoon drive with Sean Walsh on Mile High Sports Radio.
Carpenter was let go by Sports Radio 810 WHB in Kansas City last month, but landed at MHSR when a fellow broadcaster reached out.
“Benjamin Albright, who does a ton of work with the station, saw the enormous outcry of support I was getting on social media from fans of the show and contacted me and told me he had listened to the show before, enjoyed my work, and told me about the opportunity in Denver to work with Sean Walsh who was at the time going solo from 2-4 pm.”
The match was obvious after a week of trial shows in Denver. Carpenter cites honesty as the trait that got him to the top of the applicant pile.
“People can always sense hesitation and insincerity. In my case, I kept getting asked the same question, “can you work with a partner?” The answer is, “I can work with the right partner.” Not only with Mile High and Sean, but with numerous other stations I interviewed with, this was a constant theme because I had never done radio with a partner before this. It had to be the right fit,” Carpenter explains.
“In my first job, I would have agreed to anything to get the gig (and I did. $25 a show.) In my second market, in KC I was still pretty naive and didn’t really express what I wanted. Now, going into Denver honesty was my number one priority. I wasn’t going to sell them on something I wasn’t myself prepared to deliver. Turns out, honesty isn’t demanding, it’s relieving and refreshing.”
Carpenter began his sportscasting career in Arkansas. First as a host at ESPN 92.1 The Ticket, then at The Hog Sports Radio Network.
A long-time member, Carpenter relies on STAA in two main areas.
“One, it’s great for keeping you fresh on what jobs are out there and how the industry is changing. It helps me keep up to date on every move, just like in free agency, every move matters and will be followed by another move in-course. Two: It keeps you on track. I never want to stop evolving and challenging myself, whether it’s seeing others’ work or having fresh ears on my content.”
Although being let go is a discouraging feeling and experience, it can also provide useful insight. Carpenter uncovered an invaluable lesson during his recent job search that all broadcasters would be wise to heed.
“I’ve learned that it’s important to focus on your career and not just your job. Making sure you are setting yourself up for the next step is integral to success. I threw myself into my work for 4 and a half years and gave everything I had to doing a great show and being a great reporter and disregarded things like managing up, developing relationships, showing my work and keeping my name fresh out in the radio world.
“I thought my work would speak for itself, and ultimately it does, but it won’t matter if no one knows about your work, and that includes your current employer. You can be the greatest employee in the world, but if your boss doesn’t know it he/she won’t care. You can do the best show in the world, but if PDs don’t know it exists you’re never going to get the job you want.”
(Visit TJ’s STAA Talent Page).