Job Description of a Sportscaster
For the sports fanatic, there often is no job more ideal than that of a sportscaster. Whether they're calling the final out of the World Series or giving scores on the nightly news, sportscasters seem to live and breathe sports. While starting positions often are in small markets, upper-level sportscasters can be nationally recognized figures commanding large salaries.
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Duties
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Sportscasters work in radio and television media. They provide commentary for games on television and radio, interview athletes and personalities, write stories for print publications and deliver sports news on the air. Sportscasters also can do investigative reporting on a story, attend news conferences or travel to various locations around the country in researching a story or covering a team.
Education
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Sportscasters come from a diverse backgrounds. Some are former athletes and others are trained journalists. Those with journalism backgrounds usually have a bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, media or other related field, and have often worked as journalists for a college newspaper or television station. Sportscasters need a strong base of knowledge about the sports they cover.
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Skills
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Sportscasters need to be at ease in front a camera, knowing large audiences may be watching them or listening to their commentary. The ability to maintain a conversation with another sportscaster or news presenter while at the same time delivering pertinent information about a sporting event is needed, and it requires an ease of language and conversational abilities. Sportscasters generally need to have excellent personal skills when in front of the camera or behind the microphone, and must be able to project a professional image when delivering commentary or providing news reports.
Work Environment
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Sportscasters go where the sports are, and because so many events and games are at night or on weekends, they usually work hours other than the standard 40-hour work week. Extended hours are not uncommon and sportscasters working in small markets or those just getting started in their careers often begin as part-time or even volunteer workers. Those who cover sports on a national level often travel around the country, and even around the world, to cover an event.
Salary
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The salary of a sportscaster varies according to location and experience. According to PayScale.com, the average salary for a sportscaster with one to four years' experience is about $27,000 to $49,000 a year, as of March 2010. The annual salary for sportscasters with 10 or more years' experience can be between $39,000 and $100,000 or more. Those who work for national media outlets can earn considerably more.
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References
- Photo Credit softball,sports image by Neil Denize from Fotolia.com
