So You Want to become a Sportscaster, by Scott Clark

So You Want to Become a Sportscaster

By Scott Clark
WABC-TV Sports Anchor and ASA Advisory Board member

To become a sportscaster, first you must be responsible. You must also be a journalist. No matter the creativity, the flair, or the fun, the basics - who did what, when and where was it done - are always foremost. Then comes the hows, the how manys and the whys.

I participated in sports and worked at a local radio station when I was in high school. I achieved a bachelor of science degree at Ohio's Bowling Green State University while working on the campus radio and television stations. The year after graduation was all failure, but then I started getting stints at TV stations in Ohio, Washington D.C. and, finally, New York City.

During my experience at different stations, the labor involved in a successful sportscast consists of research, compilation and presentation.

Researching stories includes personal observation, the use of newspapers, wire services, video tape research, plus experience. A formal education is required, but the education never ends.

Compilation of a sportscast is a balance of content and the time allowed to present it. Then comes the finished product - the presentation. The truth is, building a sports broadcast is not glamorous. It's work. But if you're good enough, hungry enough, and you just plain feel it in your blood, then sports broadcasting can be the best work you'll ever find.