New to PSAC

[RockinTheSnackBar]

Re: New to PSAC

Still really nice opportunity for STUDENTS to get a running start on a potentially very satisfying career. Several meteorology majors at CAL U have added media course work to line up some nice forecaster gigs.

True, but too many of them think they now have a soapbox and they go off on the refs and the coaches for no reason other than they now have a microphone. The ones who take the job seriously do pretty well

[Fightingscot82]

Re: New to PSAC

Obvious lack of adult mentorship with the broadcasts. Not so much for editorial purposes but to review the broadcast with them, point out areas for improvement, etc. Its like kids doing ham radio in the 70s.

[IUPNation]

I'm going to stick up for the IUP student announcers. Yes, there are times when they don't seem to know what they are talking about and that can be frustrating for a listener; however, I think it's a great experience for them so I would rather have it that way. IUP has a great journalism and communications media (is that what they call it now?) school. After all, it is a university-sponsored webcast so I accept it. I think it's a good thing. Although it can be maddening at times.

[IUP24]

[ShoNuff]

Re: New to PSAC

Obvious lack of adult mentorship with the broadcasts. Not so much for editorial purposes but to review the broadcast with them, point out areas for improvement, etc. Its like kids doing ham radio in the 70s.

I have to agree with you Fightingscot. By the end of the season the same young announcers are still making the same errors. VERY difficult to listen to, even though it is a good start for them. They need some mentorship.

[ShoNuff]

Re: New to PSAC

I'm going to stick up for the IUP student announcers. Yes, there are times when they don't seem to know what they are talking about and that can be frustrating for a listener; however, I think it's a great experience for them so I would rather have it that way. IUP has a great journalism and communications media (is that what they call it now?) school. After all, it is a university-sponsored webcast so I accept it. I think it's a good thing. Although it can be maddening at times.

You are being kind GroundHog....I commend you...

[jrshooter]

Re: New to PSAC

I have to agree with you Fightingscot. By the end of the season the same young announcers are still making the same errors. VERY difficult to listen to, even though it is a good start for them. They need some mentorship.

I have to shake my head when they shoot it down to the "sideline reporters," who proceed to read some obscure stat from the pregame notes. See WAY too much of that rather than original thought.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: New to PSAC

I have to agree with you Fightingscot. By the end of the season the same young announcers are still making the same errors. VERY difficult to listen to, even though it is a good start for them. They need some mentorship.

Lack of preparation (pronunciation guide, anyone?) is annoying to me and a lack of self-awareness is frustrating.

[ctrabs74]

Re: New to PSAC

I think the best part of our streams are the announcers. They aren't students. I don't know if they're local radio guys or what. But I like them. I think SRU does a really good job all around with our football broadcasts.

As I recall, they take the feed from the radio broadcast and stream it via the video feed. I forget their names, but I believe they work for one of the radio stations out of Butler.

[ctrabs74]

Re: New to PSAC

As someone who called games on CUTV for part of my undergrad days at Cal U, I can tell you that it's not as easy as it looks. Even at my (relatively) advanced age, you have to be able to think on your feet and interpret what just happened in a very short span of time when you're doing color commentary. I think another trap that some student announcers get caught up in is trying to be the "next Gus Johnson" and come up with catch phrases because they think that's hip (admittedly, I did the same thing from time to time - I got into a habit of saying "so-and-so cashes in the Pick Six" after an interception return for a TD). That's why this is student run media and not ESPN - as annoying as it gets to listen to sometimes, it's a learning process.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: New to PSAC

Lack of preparation (pronunciation guide, anyone?) is annoying to me and a lack of self-awareness is frustrating.

Bingo. They aren't in elemenatry school. It's a job. Take it seriously. Al Michaels said he'd prepare 50 hours for a 3 hour broadcast.

We aren't expecting Al Michaels. But, know how to say the names correctly. Know the product. Know the standings and what the game means to both teams. Those are things they can control. The on-air flow, etc., will develop with more experience.

The lack of preparedness is a reflection on the training they are seeing. When you can't announce even star players' names correctly ... you instantly lose credibility. Again, not expecting Joe Tesatore, but get the basics nailed down first.

SRU had a very strong student announcer for basketball the last few years.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: New to PSAC

Bingo. They aren't in elemenatry school. It's a job. Take it seriously. Al Michaels said he'd prepare 50 hours for a 3 hour broadcast.

We aren't expecting Al Michaels. But, know how to say the names correctly. Know the product. Know the standings and what the game means to both teams. Those are things they can control. The on-air flow, etc., will develop with more experience.

The lack of preparedness is a reflection on the training they are seeing. When you can't announce even star players' names correctly ... you instantly lose credibility. Again, not expecting Joe Tesatore, but get the basics nailed down first.

SRU had a very strong student announcer for basketball the last few years.

Lack of preparedness is a generational issue. When I teach college classes I usually assign a lot of writing (understanding vs recall) and the number of basic errors in papers is so bad its obvious that they aren't reading what they write. Similarly, you listen to the broadcast and you can picture them hurredly looking at the numerical roster to identify a star player...then another pause as they quickly attempt to pronounce his name. An adult involved with the broadcast should review that basic mistake with them. Its annoying for a college broadcast but fast forward a bit and its unacceptable for a commercial broadcast.

[iupgroundhog]

Re: New to PSAC

Bingo. They aren't in elemenatry school. It's a job. Take it seriously. Al Michaels said he'd prepare 50 hours for a 3 hour broadcast.

We aren't expecting Al Michaels. But, know how to say the names correctly. Know the product. Know the standings and what the game means to both teams. Those are things they can control. The on-air flow, etc., will develop with more experience.

The lack of preparedness is a reflection on the training they are seeing. When you can't announce even star players' names correctly ... you instantly lose credibility. Again, not expecting Joe Tesatore, but get the basics nailed down first.

SRU had a very strong student announcer for basketball the last few years.

What always surprises me is that if a kid is interested enough in the contest to put themselves in a the position of being an announcer you would think they would be following the team and read up on the opposing team ahead of time. Like most of us do. That apparently isn't the case.


That being said I've heard a lot of "professional" announcers on this level do the same things. Particularly when it comes to opposing players names stats, and the like.