Broadcasting Case

A sports broadcaster is a radio and or television journalist who reports and provides commentary on all different types of sporting events. Sports broadcasters should have a passion for and a good understanding of a wide variety of sports. Sports broadcasters must be knowledgeable about the rules, terminology and also the history associated with a variety of sports, as much of their work is presented live. Sports broadcasters work very long hours, often due to coverage before, during, and after a sporting event and are most likely required to travel to game sites. In today's world, most sports broadcasters are former athletes or coaches, whom appeal to the viewer and portray the idea that they have superior knowledge about a specific subject, known as the "know" factor. Sports broadcasting enthusiast have the opportunity to partake in a number of careers in radio and television, such as sports reporter, talk show host, play-by-play announcer or color commentator.

The broadcasting of sports` has been around for roughly one-hundred years. It originated with baseball, as a play-by-play analysis was aired on the radio. In the early 1920s, radio broadcasts of sporting events brought people from all corners of the globe inside the gates of local stadiums for the first time. In September of 1920, the first boxing radio broadcast allowed fans to hear Jack Dempsey knock out Billy Miske, followed in November by the first radio college football game between Texas University and the Mechanical College of Texas. As the decades faded closer to the millennium, broadcasting became increasingly popular and had expanded from its primitive baseball coverage. By 1970, television networks paid $50 million to broadcast the National Football League (NFL), $2 million for the National Basketball Association (NBA) and $18 million for major league baseball. Fifteen years later, in 1985 those figures had risen to $450 million, $45 million and $160 million respectively. One can easily view the rapid growth of sport broadcasting and its significant impact upon the economy. Today, most networks offer channels that have been developed for specific sports, such as SPEED, the Golf Network, and HockeyPass. These channels show how the broadcasting community has found a way to target specific consumers and maximize the profits of its industry. Large sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics, also keep the industry and booming and attract an increasing amount of consumers.

Many of the best broadcasters come from top journalism schools such as North Western University, University of Missouri, North Carolina, Maryland, and the University of Syracuse. These schools have been recognized for the extensive, strenuous programs, which consistently find quality broadcasting jobs for their alumni. While at broadcasting school, aspiring sport broadcasters must show the ability to report, write, communicate, analyze and appeal. Sport broadcasters are not able to succeed solely with sport knowledge, but must have a comprehensive understanding of general broadcasting. The 5 principles listed above must be mastered before one is capable of having a successful career in sports broadcasting.

The ability to report/write is possibly the most important aspect of a broadcaster's career. A good caster of the news will need to outline his broadcast before a live-airing, in order to decrease grammatical and informational errors. Written reports of news are often required by most station managers, before airing, in order to verify information and general approval. Lacking the ability to write will ultimately limit one's career and his or her wage.

The ability to effectively communicate and analyze topics is an integral part of a sports broadcaster's job requirements. A major portion of a broadcasters career is spent talking and is essentially the main area that will require judgment from a broadcaster's viewers. Consumers/viewers must find your voice appealing and believe that your analyzing of topics are correct.